Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-03
HOW MOSES srRuCK OIL.

ter who has made large fortune in the
sale of a patent pill, was violently seized
with the Oil-feveT. The petroleum excite
ment was then intense on Oil creek, and
to that promised land people were flOcking
from all parts of the compass. The pre-
vailing ambition of all was to secure a
.'piece" of Oil creek territory, no matter
at what cost. That in hand, it was not
thought possible that fortune could longer
battle pursuit. But our Rochester victim
of the epidemic-JOb Moses by name
was not affected in that wav by
the disease. 1t attacked him in the form
of mania for searching for a new petro-
leum field, which he might have and
hold all to himself, and he forthwith pro-
ceeded to find one. He inspected various
portions OF Pennsylvania and New York
State, and finally selected the region in
the valley of the Tunumgawant creek,
branch of the Allegheny river, lying par
TALLY in Cattaraugus county, New York,
ana partially in Mexican county, Penn
sylvania, as the scene of his investiga-
lions. He advanced the theory that there
was vast lake of petroleum underlying
that whole region, and he set about secur-
ing territory upon which to test his theory
and to hold in case it proved to be correct.
The region was q wild one and entirely
given up to numbering. A branch of the
Erie Railway extended from CarTOltOn, on
the Western Division, % miles down the
creek, to the small numbering hamlet of
GilesYille. This branch road had been
built in the days when Charles MInOt was
supreme in the management of the Erie
management now entirely forgotten.
1t was built for the purpose of connect
ing with an iron mine that was alleged
to exist somewhere down the valley.
The mine has not been discovered
yet, to be sure; but then it was inpor-
tant to have the railroad ready for use
when the ore should be uncovered; and so
Mr.. MinOt built it. The iron mine was
never found, but unexpectedly they dis
covered a valuable deposit of coal. and
although it was diverting the road to a
use never intended it was resolved to con-
meet it. with the coal mines, and it turned
out to be very good investment, the
business from coal and lumber returning
this road an income of nearly s., 900 a
month. 1t was from an expression made
in regard to this road, when Job Moses
first commenced his investigations In the
valley, that the natives came to look upon
him as harmless lunatic, an opinion
they persistently held to for over thirteen
years. There was small and unheard-Of
group of four houses and tavern In the
valley then, known on the creek as Brad
ford. Job Moses went to Bradford one
day and told the people that they would
see the day, and soon. too, when the bust
ness of the Bradford branch of the Erie
would be increased tenfOld by the traffic
it would receive from the petroleum that
was in existence all through the valley.
So they called him crazy.
Job Moses prOspected for thirteen years
among the mountains and through the
valley, his faith in his ultimate success
never wavering. Then his money was all
gone. He had thousands of acres Of I'M
productive rocks and forest on his hands.
At that time oil wells were drilled to an
| average depth of 900 feet. at which depth
the oil was found along Oil creek. When
Moses found his fortune was all sunk in
dry wells and worthless square miles of
hills and gOrges he went to men of means
I outside of the oil country and succeeded
by his earnestneSS and unb0unded faith
in obtaining another supply of wealth to
pursue his explorations further. In 1875
he had not yet found oil, but in that year
it occurred to him that it did not neces-
sarilY follow that the oil sand in that To-
cality should be at the same depth as it
was in NenangO county, and the drill was
sunk deeper. At the depth of LOO feet
the rock that Moses had spent fortune
and thirteen years of time in finding was
| punctured, and petroleum of fine grade
/ responded to the drill at the rate of fifty
barrels day. The sand in the Mexican
district was third sand, the Oil creek
sand second one below the surface.
While this strike created considerable
stir, no particular Importance was at
tached to it by the lower country opera
tors, or by the people even who lived in
/ the valley. Oil creek was then supply
/ ing all the oil that was required, although
/ her glory as a field of SpOuters, or even
/ flowing wells of any description, was
/ gone. The lower country had no faith in
the Bradford field. Moses had, however,
4 and he held on to his hand. He had
tod
/ DRY, and was content to leave the rest
! with the future. Well after well was put
/ down in Bradford by him and others who
/ had gradually come in, and every one
| proved to be not only good producer but
/ flowing well. The persistence with which
/ these wells kept up their supply brought
\ other operators to thinking that there
might be something in Moses idea after
/ all, and they began to flock To Bradford.
/ In 1S76c77 the fact had to be recognized
that the new field was to be the petroleum
centre of the world, and all other districts
were abandoned, and the clamOr for land
in Bradford alone was heard. Then Job
Moses lay back and received his reward.
He held thousands of acres of the very
best territory, and he received his own
price for it.
In the first three months of 1877 the
| population of Bradford increased from 300
to $500 actual inhabitants, while the float
! ing population was at least 10000. In
March, 1877, the monthly receipts Of the
Bradford branch of the Erie Railway
were nearly $4,000, then more than full
fourteen years before. The story Of the
growth and development Of the Bradford
field is we'll knOwn-hOW it spread out
| into an area so vast that even Moses was
astOunded an area that comprised 10000
acres of producing territory, upon which
/ l., 900 wells were drilled in four years, and
from which for a long time over $4,000
barrels of oil were flowing every day; how
| Bradford grew into city of 49, 600 inhabi-
tants and became the centre of the great
est oil field the world had ever known,
| while hundreds of other thriving
| towns grew up like magic and
! thousands of miles Of pipeline and
hundreds of huge iron tanks became
! necessary to store and handle the wealth
that came from the earth, and scores of
railroads were built in all directions to
| accommodate the almost fabulous traffic
in passengers and freight that the bust
ness of the region had called into exist
ence. Over $100,000,000 came into the
Bradford field in four years. The fortune
Job Moses had spent in demonstrating to
! the IncredulOus and soothing community
that there was oil in the Tunungawant
Valley and all the hills around and about
it was returned to him hundred-fold.
| He has now expressed himself as satisfied
| with the results of his twenty years
work, and has sold all his remaining
property in the region, some 1000 acres of
oil land, his splendid residence and
! grounds at LewistOne, which place he
selected as his headquarters when he
first entered the valley, and will make his
future residence in New York city.
The great oil field, to the development
of which the persistent efforts of Job
Moses directly led, has been steadily de-
Ginning in production for two years. The
territory has all been drilled over, and
the old wells are averaging very low,
most of them requiring the pump. Many
have entirely failed, and it is doubtful if
the field is yielding more than 80, 600 bar
rels day. About $4,000 barrels of oil,
| however, are stored in the tanks of the
| United Pipeline throughout the region,
all surplus production, nearly all of
which was greedily drawn from the Brad
ford wells by imprudent producers during
the last five years, thus not only antici-
pating the decline of the field by at least
two years, but keeping the price Of their
production far below the figure which
they might otherwise have received for it,
The city of Bradford is founded on a sub
stantial basis, however, Independent of
the oil industry, and in the event of that
failing her she will remain one of the
most important trade centres in the State.
"a - Il.