Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-05-24
THE COMING OIL TOWN.
A Rosy Hue Put on the Prospects
Down in Peasants.
General News from the Interior Coun
ties, as Cleaned from Our
Country Exchanges.

Peasants county, Will be read with interest
by those having the oil fever:
ITO person having just arrived in this
town, of one hundred souls, it is plainly
observable that something more than the
usual daily routine is transporting. 1t Is
now a little more than three weeks since
the intelligence was flashed over the wire,
that the Brown & Bose oil we'll, near this
town, had struck third sand at q depth
of about thirteen hundred feet, and was
flowing st the rate of thirty barrels per
hour. The good news soon spread with
the rapidity of a Kansas cyclone. Since
then the derrick was burned, and with
the tools at the bottom of the hole,
the we'll is producing half the quantity It
did when first opened. This oil In general
appearance greatly resembles that found
in the Mscksburg regions, but is of lighter
gravity, averaging about forty'four de-
grees. 1t is pronounced by experts to
equal the lower county Pennsylvania oil
for refining purposes, and will be shipped
to the Parkersburg ,refneries. The sand
from which this oil SeWs is SUPPOSED to be
the same as that from which the Mscks.
burg oil is produced. This sand in Vir.
GINA is gotten only in what is known rs
the "oil breaks" and is found at irregular
depths, in some places cropping out upon
the surface. Eureka, which is pronounced
by oil men the coming oil town of West
Virginia, is beautifully situated on a
plain contiguous to the Ohio river. and,
like the Washington, Pa, oil field, is
surrounded by rich and fertile farming
country. 1t is on the line of the Ohio
River railroad, thus giving it ample ship
ping facilities. The work of leasing the
land contagious to the Brown and Bose
we'll is being pushed with vigor, but the
farmers owning lands in the vicinitylsre
very obstinate with the agents, and are
asking ridiculous bonuses aud royalties,
and evircing no great desire to dispose OF
their holdings at present. They seem 10
have visions of the golden sun rising above
the distant horizon, and in their imagina-
ton will out-rival Coal Oil johnnie IN the
wealth and spleRdor of their possessions.
Among some of the most fortunate
ones who have succeeded in leas'
ing land are Fred r. Bose, the we'll known
Macksburg operator who has procured a
lease on the Hsmmet farms, d. j. ODay,
well known Standard msu, who has
leased the two McTsggsrt farms, aud some
others from Macksburg, Pittsburg, Brad.
ford and some others from the oleog enious
centres. Brown 4 Bose ara erecting two
new darricks- one on the farm OF Il j. 4
r. N. Corhitt and the other on the Friend
Cochran farm and will commence drilling IS
soon as some minor arrangements are con-.
pleted. Taking everything into consider
alton, if THE fsld don't pan out, the
great specuIations Of the oil world will be
greatly at fault, and the golden visions of
the Eureka farmers will be but fable"
Last Monday evening about o'clock,
on her up trip near Pomeroy, the Minnie
Bay was hailed by the towbost George
Mathewson, coming down with heavy
tow and two men at the OARS started vii.
the yawl TO Get Capt ODonslly m the
MsIAeSson on the Bay IT.. BAY had
stopped her wheels, b.: me oarsmen tailed
to manager .. err yawl properly in sp.
pfo@",nlug the steamer snd passing under
the guards of the boat. the yawl was upset
and the three men thrown in the river
The two rowing were picked up by the
deck hands along side Of the Bay, but
Capt. O'DonsIly being out OF reach passed
below the boat, sank and did not rise
again for some seconds. He held an oar
i'll his hand but was unable to keep him
self above water and went down The fourth
time, when, as he held the oar upright, the
end above water, he was rescued By the
life-boat from the Bay. The escape was
narrow one, all around.
Thursday morning Aft Burnett arrived
in Charleston with :. W. Rumbgugh, who
is wanted in Putnam county, on an old in
dictment. Two years ago Rumbsugh gave
a bond for his appearance at the Putnam
Circuit Court, but ran olr before the term
convened. His capture Was entrusted to
Captain Burnett by kis bondsmen. He was
located in New York some weeks ago, q
rcquisition gotten, but he escaped into the
mountains of Sullivan county Upon hear.
ing this, Captain Burnett lett for that coun.
ty and through the medium of his wife,
succeeded in getting him TO give himself
up, come back and stand trial. which will
he next week at Winfield. Sullivan county
is in the heart Of the CstskiIls aud wilder
and more inaccessible spot cannot be i'm.
agined. Detective BurnetL's tact and cour-
age in following him is very commendable.
About lfpast two clock last Tuesday
afternoon, Mason City, Mason county, was
visited By a disastrous fire, which destroyed
two buildings belonging to Jadge b. J.
Redmond, aud two owned by Chris. Wiz.
gall. On Wednesday, the following day,
another fire broke out in the same place,
by which three dwelling houses and barn
were burned. Both fires are supposed to
have been Of incendiery origin. The loss
is about 5000.
A gentleman named Wilson, formerly
OF Barbour county, near Peel Tree, LETT
last week with quite
number OF colored people for California.
He pays their railroad fare aud pays them
by the month and retains portion OF their
earnings every month until they have paid
the expense Of going TO California, which
is about $i5. They are generally farm
hands and the wages are to be SSJJ per
month Busy Bee.
The food last week did immense dam.
age in Richie county. The Bonds creek
region probably suffered the most. AM
through Clay district, and in parts of Grant
and Union, fences railroad ties, logs, etc,
were carried away in great numbers
Fields planted in corn were devastated
Several buildings were DESTROYED BY the
raging waters. Fortunately no lives were
lost.
Thursday afternoon about 4 o'clock AZ
he steamer jim Montgomery wes at Lock
), Capt. r b. Mathepy, q farmer who
ives near the lock, and who was well
Known in Charleston as an suc,ioneer ac.
:identally fell from the stage plank into
he river and vas drowned before sssist.
'nce could be given.
Several days sgo as the workmen On the
abroad, near James Swans in Mason
county, were engaged in excavarinp, ,hev
lug out three large skeletons. Thsy we're
ouDd in what formerly had her a la,os