Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-07-30

lOuh0 a DOarO loose ana got lntO tne Oet-
rick room. The floor boards were laid
down very loosely. To pull two OF them
up, squeeze himself through under the floor
and pull the boards after him was the work
of a moment. He could hear the drillers
tramp about over his head, busy making
fast the pipe connections. After awhile,
from the sound of other voices above, he
knew the men had been replaced by another
gang, and that daylight was breaking. He
changed his position to dryer spot, and
made himself comfortable for a long siege.
On in the day he was aroused from a nap
he had dropped off into by an unusual
commotion overhead. Above the tram
plng he could distinguish the sound OF a
liquid squirting with violence against hard
substance. The oil began to leak through
the floor and drop on his face and clothes.
He was all attention in an instant. There
was no mistaking it; the well had flowed.
For several minutes he could hear the
splash of the oil. Then the trampling OF
feet again became active, and the squirting
sound ceased.
1.-THE biggest part OF Hughes work was
done. He wished it was night that he might
escape from his perilous position, report
his discovery and reap the rewards Of his
hardships and daring. But it seemed to
him that night would never come. He heard
the clatter of tin pals and the munchiag OF
jaws after awhile, and knew that dinner
time was come, and grew hungry himself.
1t seemed a century to him before twilight
a second flow, this time more than before.
He was satisfied that the flow was very
considerable, and that the nugatory would
be a market-breaker. When darkness had
enveloped everything he carefully slipped
through the rickety floor, replaced the
boards, crawled out of the derrick room
and dropped behind log. One of the
guards stood with his back to him peering
intently into the forest not fifteen feet
away. In Il minute or two the guard took
up his patrol toward the other side of the
well, and Hughes scrambled along the
machinery shed to the side of the engine
room. Hearing nothing in the darkness be-
tween him and the forest he stole out and
in moment had disappeared among the
closely-growing hemlOcks. In short time
he had safely reached the farmhouse where
he boarded. Stopping only to get some
thing to eat, he mounted one of the farm
er's horses and rode like the wind to War
rem. When he drew rein at the telegraph
office day was just breaking. A cipher dis
pa tch sent to the firm for whom he worked
explained everything about the well. Then
his obligation to his employers ceased.
Through messages sent to several of his
friends and by some money he had of his
own he was able that day to appear at the
Oil Exchange and take investments that
brought him $4,000. This, increased by
the bonus given by his employers, raised
thesum to more than 100000.
mot Il month ago Hughes was up at
Buffers. He it still scouting Fortune
does not always. smile on him, though he
still holds on to the biggest part of the
money he made by lying for two nights and
day under the well. He is Il young man,
medium sized, rather heavy set the picture
of health, and, on the whole, good looking
He is a fluent talker on every subject except
his scouting experiences. Whenever there
is the least attempt to pry into them
Hughes Immediately relapses into silence.
"BeaumOnt's experience was almost as
unpleasant as Hughes. 1t was about
year after GAG came in that wildcat well
was begun forty miles from Warren in
terribly wild country. The derrick was
erected in IA secluded hollow right in among
the big forest trees. Except at the very
base of the derrick no underbrush was
cleared away. 1t was some time after
drilling began before the outside oil world
knew Of the wells existence. So closely
matted was the foliage of the trees and I'M
about the derrick that IL stranger
would almost run against it before he
would discover it. Beaumont was sent up
by the Anchor Oil Company to spy it out.
When he got to lettering around the well he
was warned several times by Cadwallader,
one of the owners, not to trespass when the
drill began tapping the pay-sand. Then the
owners sent to Il railroad that was build
ing up i'm New York State and brought
down some fifteen Swedes to clear away the
,.1a,1 hot To- Ia Il %nl
and also to do guard duty. They were told
to capture any one found trespassing about
the well. They could scarcely understand
a word of English, so that the scouts could
not reason with them about the way they
should be treated.
lone afternoon the Swedes flushed Beau
mont from behind pile of cable alongside
the derrick-room. The moment he saw he
was discovered he dashed across the open
space and plunged into the underbrush,
with the whole pack of Swedes at his heels
with axes appraised and yelling like so many
demons. Over the side of the ravine he
and tumbled, with the Swedes in
his wake breaking down the bushes and
over logs like herd OF frightened
cattle. Beaumont was not a young man,
and before he had gone far the Swedes had
him. He tried to explain matters and to
have himself released, but they could not
and so he was marched back
to the derrick. The owners OF the well de-
cided to hold him for trespass and make
test case of it. AS they did not want to
take the trouble OF driving him at once to
the nearest constable's, they tied him to a
tree with piece of rope until late that
night. When released to be taken to War
rem his limbs were so badly swollen from
the cords that he was helpless. He was
driven to Warren and delivered over for
trespass. He afterward brought suit for
assault and got heavy damages.-Pius-
brrob <,nr NJ Y Nun