Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-13
ghe aa1ieha aai. gagIe Saturday orug april Is 1893
PETROLEUM LANGUAGE,
Tho Peculiar Slang Used BY DweZIsrs
the Pennsylvania OIL REGIONS.

Tho Peculiar Slang Used BY Dweusrs IN
tho Pennsylvania OIL Regions.
1t has been frequently remarked that
every separate trade and occupation has q
language Of Its own, built up from its
wants. and in the main unintelligible u
other craftsmen. As a marked example
says the Golden Days, take the oil business
of Pennsylvania. This region has very
peculiar slang, one phrase of which has
drifted into general use.
'He's got the sand" as a synonym for
"nerve," had it's origin in the oil country.
In an oil-well every thing depends upon the
sand.
"The sand" is the rock in which the oil i.
found, and on its quality depends the pro-
duction of the well. II no sand is found
the well is at once abandoned. If the sand
is good-that is, of coarse texture-the
well is more than likely to be a good one;
but if the sand is fine and hard, it is sure te
be small well, if not an utter failure
Therefore the important question, when a
well is being finished, is HAS it got the
sanda'
'Hitting her jugular," means to strike a
well that flows Immediately. "a duster" i.
dry hole, and about twenty-five per cent. OF
y
spouter' is flowing well, and ''a roarer''
is q large gas well.
'Spudding" is a term used for drilling
when the well is just started. After the
hole is deep enough to cover all the tools, il
is called drilling. The drilling-tools of any
well consist of several pieces screwed to-
gether, and hence are called "a string OF
tools
An o$ny~ AWAY $hA. Axrve ~,
wells drilling in certain district, but
''there are twenty sets of tools running"
''The big holen means that part of the
hole drilled before the casing is put in.
''Shooting a welr' is the process Of explod.
ing torpedo in it to increase the produc-
ton.
The s'bull WHEEL is an important part OF
the drilling machinery of a well, around the
large wooden shaft of which the drilling
cable is wound.
The sand pump" is avalve about six feet
long that is run into the hole to pump out
the drillings.
The "bit'' is simply the drill, and the
"reamer" is the tool which is run into the
well after the drill to make the hole uni.
form.
ga fishing job" is to hunt in the hole for
portant part of the business. Fishing
has become an art. There are one hundred
different and curious varieties of Fishing
TOOLS" peculiar one for every part of the
drilling appliance that may be lost.
There are men who make a business OF
Fishing" and their skill in securing tools
lost at as great depth as two thousand
feet is one of the amazing things of this
peculiar industry
The "white sand pools" are districts
where the oil sand is white and full OF
pebbles The oil produced in these pools
commands a premium of twenty-five cents
above the market, and is known as ''pre-
MUM OIL" All the Pennsylvania districts
are ''white sand districts" except Bradford.
The Bradford sand being of dark color, it
is known as ''the black sand district" The
oil is inferior, and does not command a
premium. In drilling well the drill is
turned round and round, and driller is
known as ''junk-twlster.