The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-03-13
A Sabbath.Keeping Oil Well.

n H.hetpinS VII we'll
There are few of the old oilmen,
whose connection with the existing life
If the oil regions began on Oil Creek,
that can not recall the interest excited
by the eccentricities (as they were sup
posed to be them, of a well on the
Buchanan farm, at Housewife. 1t was
the first flowing we'll ever struck in the
oil regions. and it developed peculi-
arity of ceasing to flow at twelve
o'clock Saturday night and starting
again on Monday morning, that gave
it the name of the Sunday well.
1t was located on lease ten rods
square, and the post-offiee building at
Housewife was afterwards put up on
the lease where the well was. Drilling
was done with spring pole. Drive
pipes were used to reach the rock, for
which twenty-five dollars point was
paid. On January Il, 1861, the we'll
had reached a depth of 191 feet and
was on top of the first sand. By this
time there was dozen producing wells
in the vicinity, all pumping. and all
drilled wet, as was Mr.. Curtis also. A
hard shell was struck on the top of the
first sand, on which they drilled for
long time, the light tools of those days
making very little impression on 1t. At
last it was broken, when the oil sud-
denly began to flow. Not expecting
flowing well, there was no tank up. but
the planks were on the ground for it.
In those days square tanks were built.
The well flowed strongly and large
stream of oil ran down the creek.
Efforts were at once made to obtain
barrels, and the tank was pushed 10
completion as rapidly as possible.
To save the oil until the tank was
up large hogshead was obtained and
placed in the derrick. A plug was made
out of a scantling and driven into the
top of the drive pipe. A hole was bored
through the center of the plug and a
lead pipe inserted in it, and bent over
into the hogshead. Men were then en-
ployed to dip the oil out of the hogs
head with pals and pour it into barrels
through the old-fashioned broad cider
tunnels. No one suggested that the
surface water be shut off, and in those
days it was not thought of. The nov
city of a flowing well drew large crowds
to the spot, and for many weeks it was
the topic of conversation among oil
men.
The well flowed into the hogshead
through the lead pipe without tubing in
it, for several weeks, or until a tank
could be built. After the tank was up
one joint of two and one-half inch
tubing was put into the drive pipe, and
extended up into the derrick through
the bottom of a common oil barrel
which was fastened there on scaffold-
ing. The single joint of tubing was all
that was ever put into the well. Old
clothes and waste were packed around
the tubing inside the drive pipe, and
braces put on them and against the
sides of the derrick, to prevent their be-
ing blown out. The owner estimated
the best days production of the well
at sixty barrels or possibly seventy-five
barrels, though others put it as high
as 100 barrels. Oil was sold from this
well in the month of January at ten
dollars barrel.
After the well began flowing into the
barrel at the end of the tubing, pebbles
could frequently be heard rafting in it,
and one flow forced the head of the
brrrel out. When this was being mend
ed, it was discovered that the bottom of
the barrel was filled with pebbles which
had been thrown out to the depth of
nearly foot.
After being turned into the tank for
four or five days, the well began flow
ing with the greatest regularity. 1t
flowed four times day, and so regular
that for number of days the flows did
not vary minute. Its time of flowing
became so well known that men would
come with their watches to time it and
amuse themselves by regulating the
time of day by it. On the second or
third Sabbath after being turned into
the tank it made no oil. This was re-
ported to Mr.. Curtis, the owner, and
also the fact that on the next Sabbath
it made no flow. On the following
Monday morning, finding that the same
thing had occurred, Mr.. Curtis or
dered guage to be taken the next Sat-
urday night at twelve o'clock, and an
other on Monday morning. This was
done and the guages showed that not a
drop of oil had been put in the tank.
This occurred each Sunday for long
time causing great interest and much
mystery in the minds of the people.
At that time there was considerable dis
cussion concerning the breaking of the
Sabbath on oil wells, and this well
served as a good text against Sabbath
breaking. After some study Mr.. Curtis
discovered that this eccentricity was
due to a natural cause. There were
many pumping wells surrounding the
Sunday well, all of which were shut
down each Saturday night at midnight.
The surface water was not shut of and
this flooded the producing sand. On
Monday morning the pumping wells
were started again, and as soon as the
water was exhausted the Sunday well
began flowing again with its accustomed
regularity, only to close when Saturday
night came around.
When the oil was exhausted in the
first sand, after the well had produced
three or four months, it was drilled by
steam power through the third sand
a depth of 500 feet. No oil was found
in either the second or third sand, and
it was abandonud. Meanwhile the
price of oil had declined from the $40
point in January to twenty-five cents
barrel. City Derrick.