The sun., 1885-06-28
WATCHING THE MYSTERIES.
ADVENTURES AROUND orL WELLS.

OF tne most expert scouts IN tho Oil regions
gives some curious Information about the III
OF an oil scout The incidents he relates Civ
an idea OF the dangerous work OF prospectin
for oil. Two men in our business" he said
have had experiences that would make Al
interesting chapter in any book OF adventure
The one is Hughes. the other Beaumont
Hughes was the first man to make scouting TO
oil his business. He had been working abou
oil wells for several years. when one day. II
the winter Of 1881. he received q message from
firm OF oil operators OF Bradford telling hin
OF delicate piece OF work they wanted done
He was offered liberal SALARY. and bonus 1
the venture succeeded. Until he had agreed
to accept the offer no instructions were giver
him. Then he was directed to SPY sut the vel
numbered GAG.
TO reach the we'll where his labors were &C
begin Hughes had to travel from Warren some
fourteen miles through q great hemock forest
The weather was bitter cold. and the snow lay
driitsd across the poorly beaten track several
wilderness. 1t was a. wildcat venture that was
ss pushed out out beyond tho bounds Of eiyiIization.
drs4 fHaa buSss bars With s
half.d6zen houses between the well and the
town. fourteen miles away. The tall hemlock
thhees th Win Close underorush grew all about
Hughes secured boarding. at the nearest
the ariIsrs pal paid little ss attsntios Ss to him. in Me Hs
awhile. ioIter around. and then leave, Is the
Intruder Finally he was @ ordered Of " the prem. re M
hs o per TSe rSs D sspaad'eh and ehe lex
underbrush. however, afforded him hid
saevo Ing places Las from which he could ob;;
5y certain indications Known to the e oil sxpUrt
tapping the sand The vigilance about the
well had redoubed. His hiding places IN tho
brush Cleared away ana the dsrreF
81 the mystery. broSsht W up S half 0dasas DOZEN
IIoadins riile: and c5derqd to use it
wild crew. who delighted in their new yoca-
tion. When Hughes would be lowering about
see @ on .a daF5 night the least eraeke
open perfect fasilIade into the black Te forest
The bullets would 20 whistiins past THE the Ven: ven.
turesome scout In way that was anything but
One night Hughes was called away from
scout duty and left friend who had come up
70 visit him to keep lookout on the mystery.
which GAG stood before the guards began a pro-
mi, Airing in hs drestion Iney had
ty in some other Way liz dropped S beSind ssSh
In head b"s TsS mot TG Inches from where his
scrambIing out Q. range and tho we'll was v left II
unmatched for the rest Of the night. When
his friends narrow escape. he started immsdi-
atey over to see Capt Grace. He and Grace
i, md warm warm discussion over the careless way
tne guards we're shooting into the forest. and
Grace finally said that he would stop the pro-
80 All right. replied the ,Captain That Kind
OF nrinG will be stopped. but warn you not to
sssi snns 'as .Ssr BY San while they have
eSmsrt FIJI hes i H 1os ns so1a S,s wGk with
course Of action, The derrick reared its skelo-
ton framework right through the branches OF a
the ravine another hemlocK tree had been
partly torn from its roots. and rested against
2Fe bs OF the Srgss trees touching the derrck
,hs, ,hs larger ,S. ., ons aad then easily Dropped
framework Of the latter without making any
stopped and sts1ed For more thsn two @o
quick ear for all that was said and done. After
able and ho aseehded the derrick, passed to the
ground and went home They we're tapping
he felt like huNging himself for Joy at the
place he had found from which every
few, minutes climb q couple OF hours ciingine
to TO- the ne derrick: and all the dongs at the well
fourth night hs was almost on the derrick be-
lore @ be-, no observed thet guard sat on tho top
platform DANGLING his feet IN space whistling
softly to himself. and grasping a gun In one
hand. Hughes knew that his observation place
had been discovered. and slipped back into the
nhout tho derrick couple of times TO find out |
where hn tho men were placed Hughes discovered
n n val
watched. Without losing. a moments time he
70 9 Inc END and
sy close AGAINST the dsrrct oor. oor'' hs hs
e0uo ana nsar was unusual preparations going
Besides lie te be discoSSered Sss bs ons
81 rhs men who kept Itteflng about from The
an the while ths drilIers v were ore
making unusual noise with tho tools in the
Ihem. Hughes found a board loose. and got
INTO the derrick room. The floor boards
a ap Ssas s0'fy Ss. PSS S4osxS
hfses r. cou7d hin bos1 was I'll the Work q moment
,setions; 49,. After while. from the sound Of
:eplaoed by another, gang. and that daylight
Tas ;risr breaking zeal; He changed his position TO
~ an unusnl c0mmotion overhead Above the |
rampling, he could distinguish tho sound
" a LIQUID squirting with violence against a
lard substance. Then oil began to leak through
he floor l. and drop on his face and clothes. He
vas al attention In an instant. There was no
nistaking 1t; the vel! had flowed For sew
'ral minutes he could hear the splash of tho
~: Then the trampling of feet again became
'ctiXe. and the squirting sound ceased.
The biggest part Of Hughes's work was done.
ie wished IL was night that he might ESCAPE
rom his perilous position. report his discov-
''ry, and reap the rewsrds Of his hardships and
'eyer come He heard the ciatter OF tin pals
ND the nunching OF jaws after while and
new that dinner time was come, ana grew
lunRry himself. 1t seemed century to him
he he well made . second flow. this
ugatory would be market breaker. When
arkness had enveloped everything he care
ully slipped through the rickety floor, re-.
laced the boards crawed out Of the derrick
oom, and dropped behind q log. One OF the
yards stood with his back to him peer
nv intentiy ia into tho forest not M
he guard took up his patrol toward toward the Other fh
ids OF the we'll. and Hughes scrambled along
~ machinery shed to the side OF the engine
Dom. Hearing nothing in the darkness be-
Ween him and tn forest. he stole out, and In |