West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-08-14
OIL WELL ADVENTURES.
Some Curious Information About
the Life of an Oil Scout.
watching the Mysteries Man who
Made 100000 by watching n Great
Gusher-Twonty-four Hours Under
Derrick Floor - A Capture.

Joe Chappcau, one of the most expcrt
scouts IN the oil regions, gives some curious
| Information about the life OF nn oil scout.
The incidents he relates give an idea of the
dangerous work OF prospecting for oil.
Two men IN our business, " ne said, "hnyp
hhd experience that would make an inter
estlng chapter in any book Of adventure.
The one is Hughes, the other Beaumont.
Hughes was the first man TO make scouting
Tor oil his business. He had been working
about oil wells for several years. when one
day, in the winter OF 1881. ne received a
message from firm of oil operators at
bradford telling him Of a delicate niece oi
work they wanted done. He was offered "a
liberal salary, and bonus if the venture
succeeded. Until lac had agreed TO accent
the offer no instructions were given him.
Then hc was directed TO spy out the well
numbered 6IG.
q" To reach the well where his labors were
TO begin Hughes had TO travcliro Warren
some fourteen miles through "A great hem
lock forest The weather was bitter cold
and the SNOW lay drited across the DoorIv
beaten track several feet i'm doDth. No.
646 was IN the midst of a wilderness. n
was a wildcat venture that was pushed ont
beyond the bounds Of civilizations ONLY n
logging road connected it with Warren.
BESIDES the drillers house there were not n
hali-dozen houses between the well and the
town, fourteen miles away. The tan hem
lock trees with close uudcrbrush grow all
about the derriCks
" Hughes secured boarding at the nearest
farmhouse, and his scouting began. AT
ir5t the drillcrs paid little attention 10
MN. lie would drop in on them usualI,.
once day, talk awhile, loitcr around. and
,hen leave. As The drill kept drawing close
10 the oil rocks, though, Hughes began TO
be looked upon as an intruder. Finally he
was ordered off the premises entirely and
warned not TO approach the well AT his
own peril. Tho trees and thick undcrbrush.
however, afforded him hiding places from
which hc could observe all that wae doiug.
After he had been watching the well for al
most two months, by certain Indications
known 60 the oil expert he became satisfied
That the drill was about tapping the sand.
The vigilance about the well had rc,IoubIad
liis hiding places in the undcrbrush had
been discovered. the undcrbrush cleared
away and the derrick boarded IN. Then
Captain Grace. one Of the owners of tho
mystery, brought up hnli-dozen men from
The lumber camps TO serve as guards.
Each was armed with brccch-loading rfno.
and ordered to use d. i'm protesting the we'll
he Iumbcrrncn were wild crew who de
lighted ia their new vocation When
Hughes would be lowering about the mys-
VIZ VII a. iAuih lllalfLs lflH I'FlNf CTlfllD OF "a
twig would call iOrtha shot from one Of the
guards. Then the whole number would
open perfect fusiiadc into the black forest
that surrounded the well like an inkv wan
The bullets would go whistling past the
ycntresome scout in a way that was any
thing but comfortable.
" One night Hughes was called awav from
scout duty and left friend who had come
up 10 visit him 60 keep % lookout on the
mystery. His friend had hardly penetrated
the ra vine In which G46 stood before tho
guards began promiscuOus firing In his
direction. They had not seen him hut had
determined mis- proximity in some other
way. lie dropped behind 70 log i'm time 10
escape bullet that buried itself i'm a tree
not two inches from where his head had
been. He did not lose any time iu acratn-
bling out Of range, and tho we'll was left un-
watched Tor tho rest OF The night When
Hughes returned the next day aud heard Of
iiis friends narrow escape he started inn
mcdHtely over 60 Sec Captain Grace. He
and Grace bad q warm discussion over the
careless way tho guards were shooting into
the forest, and Grace finally said that he
would stop the promiscuOus firing.
III they don't, Hughes said, TN retail
=" 'All right replied the Captain That
kind OF firing will be- stopped, but T warn
you not 70 tempt them by trcspaesiug
wi1ic they have guns 900 their hands
Hughes felt much easier, he could work
with more comfort thcn lie took a close
survey OF the well that night. and resolved
pu now course ~ action Tho derrick
rrlrrd iie skeleton framework right through
the branches Oi couple Of tan hemlocka.
From the left side Of the ravinc another
hemiock tree had been partly torn from its
roots and rested against one of The larger
trees touching the derrick. The next nirht
was dark and stormy. Mal,ing hia way 20
tho bent tree, he climbed 60 the larger one
ond then easily dropped from that 10 the
derrick To descend the framework Of the
IHtter without making any noise vas tho
work Of n minute. a. soon as he could
hear tho voices Of the drllora ne stopped
and listened For more than two hours ho
sat thcrc close 20 the derrick with % quick
ear for nll that was said and done After
awhile his cramped position became uu.
nntfabo and hc oeceuded the derrick
paused 20 tho ground and went horne
lh hey we're tapping the sand. he gathered
rom wh1t le heard. and be ielt liko hug.
uug himself Tor JOY at tho place ho bad
found from which everything done could
bn observed. For throo nights boz went go
tne derrick by way of the tree. A few min
utc's climb, % couple Oi hours clinping To-
tHo derrick, Dnd ali Tine doiurs 20 The woI
lur the night were known. Wicn bo C8mc
tine fourth night he was almost ON tIIo dcr-
rick before Doe observed that % guard sat ou
thc top platform dangling his fecf boo space
whistiiug softly 20 himself and rrasping 20
gun iu one hand. Hughes knew that his
observation place had boon discovered
and slipped back into che gloom 90 think
nut another plan. Affor rircliun abouf tho