Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-10
THE NEW OIL FIELD.
Development at Duff City, North of
SeWickley, Moving Fast.
A POKER JOINT AND A SPEAK-EASY
Stamp Oil Town characteristics on the
Latest Territory.
SEWICKLEY DAIRY COMPANY IN LINE

Iy on the sale of agricultural products to Sc
cure other things aud enjoy life generally,
are now too rich to farm, at least some Of
them are, not all, for there are some who re-
gard the find more for the bird in hand than
for the one supposed to be third of a'mile
underground. The latter class is generally
well-to-do, and does not lease without a
bonus that will pay for the Disagreement OF
plantation in case insufficient oil should be
found to do it.
As in the majority of cases of this kind
there is somewhat of a mirage down that
way that disappears very largely by the
time you reach Sewickley. 1t has been
stated in the city for some time past that
wealthy Sewickleyites were greatly troubled,
as the overhowing surge was nearing them
daily, and that in the near future nothing
short of the buying up and condemning OF
several square miles of territory would pre-
vent the greasy driIlers and
smoke-begrimed tool dressers from over
running the place and defiling it. But as
near as could be learned from an inspection
of the territory and from the views OF vet
eran drillers, who, alter all, know more
about the matter than the scientists, Sewick-
ley people need not lose sleep, as the con-
tingencY dreaded is remote. 'Twould be
beautiful town like Sewickley flooded with
dirty wealth, and some of the people there,
possibly few, however, would mourn as did
the English aristoeracy when the great
leveler, the locomotive, began to shrek in
the pleasant wales of Merrie England.
THE DRILLERs DIFFER.
Though petroleum seems likely to be
found almost anywhere along the western
base of the Allegheny Mountains, the tiIling
up of the strata seeming to have drained the
sand rock on the slopes, vet the drillers
found in the vicinity Of Duff City yesterday
all held, either that the latest develop
ment was either on the 45o line
crossing Neville Island, about four miles
above Sewickley, or that its trend would be
southwest, striking the Shamokin field.
While the territory in this section is
spotted and a good well might be found in
Sewickley there is no rush at present to
get leases there.
1t is only seven or eight miles northeast
from Sewickley to Duff City, but if you at
tempt to follow the directions given in Sc
wickley, 10 to 1 you will land in Beaver
county the first thing you know. The safest
way TO guide stranger is to tell him to pass
the big dairy farm with its palatial stables,
and when he gets to Sewickley creek, follow
it up until he comes to a schoolhouse, and
a very poor-looking one at that; then turn
to the left and keep on in general way
promiscuously until he sees derricks.
A REGION FULL OF DOGS.
There is an utter absence Of fnger-boards,
to provide for which in Pennsylvania a por-
tion of the dog tax should be diverted, for to
be compelled to drive half mile from a road
to learn the way, and then be confronted
with pack OF savage dogs, is not one of the
least ills that beset the traveller in the wilds
Pennsylvania-and there are wilds almost
within the classic precincts of Sewicklev.
They are all placarded and at first
sight one would suppose the country had
fallen into the hands of some enterprising
real estate broker. Each, however, contains
a threat of prosecution for any one found
hunting or shooting on them. A native said
the county was largely shooting preserve
of Mr.. Westinghouse. Why any one
should want to shoot on them passes
comprehension, for there was GER
tainly no evidence of animated life
seen in a drive of several miles, save
frisky chickaree, or pine squirrel, and real
sportsman does not consider this kind of
squirrel game.
Down Sewickley creek is a road at best
uninteresting, as the native population is
pretty nearly all gone, and the average
denizen can mix English gesprechen. Duff
City is the baby city in the galaxy of Penn
sylvania municipalities. 1t is pleasantly
situated at the base of several low hills.
Architecturally it possesses the usual oil
town variety. The substantial old farm
houses are already fanked by engine houses
and shanties, and derricks are sprouting in
all directions, both on hill and yale.
THE COMFORTS OF LIFE.
As vet there no sidewalks or pavements,
but it is said there is full-blown poker
Joint and a speak-easy in blast, though
no signs of either were visible to the casual
visitor. The local butcher, a man named
Downey, stated that his sales had increased
400 per cent in the month. The city is Of
the same age as that OF the first big we'll
struck on the Duff farm. This well was
struck soon after. the equinox, about
the last of September or the first of
October. 1t is still flowing eight to nine
barrels an hour, Previous to this we'll on
the George Sohn farm was flowing at 12-
barrel day rate, when the greater part of
the territory had been previously leased by
various companies, among them Ludecker
Bros, the Enterprise Drilling Company,
Lock & Alexander, Joe Craig, the Mccall
mont Oil Company and others too numerous
to mention, some boring tor oil
and others for gas, and others 1or
both. Some leases were gotten very
cheap, others not so cheap and one or two
alleged lapsed leases threaten to breed law
suits. Among those who had persistently
refused to lease was Joseph w. Logan.
The morning after the Duff well was struck
Mr.. Logan was besieged long before the dew
was of, but no promises in the way OF a
share of oil had any effect upon him. He
said that bonus OF sufficient size to repay
him Tor any possible trouble would fetch
him. Finding that nothing short OF cold
cash would fetch him an offer Of 81 900 was
finally made.
HE GOT HIS STUFF.
He said that a $500 pole would knock
the persimmon, and rod OF that size was
showed into his binds on the spot and
lease taken. His farm is about mile from
the Duff, on the road to Sewiekley. Mr..
Logan's head isn't swollen particle. He
SAYS his farm yields good crops, and he
could get along without leasing, but 81 500
is a neat sum to bank. He hopes the lessee
will do we'll.
The drillers, while not agreed in their
views as to the particular belt, seemed to
pretty generally agree that it was an exten-
sion of the Brush creek sand. Some held
that it it would be found TO Fun on the 45O
line, the one on which the Arbuckle well is
located. while others thought it would
prove to bend toward Shamokin.
Among the latter is Mr.. Plum
mer Boyd, who is drilling a well
just beyond the Logan farm. Ali agreed
that it it wasn't likely to disturb ease-loving.
smell-objecting Sewickleyans. Mr.. Boyd
thought the belt ran nearer Economy than
Sewickley,
The different sand rocks have been found
as follows: At 800 feet, the 60-foot sand; at
l, 400 feet, 100-Eoot, or what was in olden
times called the second sand, the one which
salt water is like to trouble, and at 1850