The Opelousas courier., 1889-03-09
THE Oil SMELLER.
New Industry in the Petroleum Regions
Of Pennsylvania.

New Industry in the Petroleum Regions
Of Pennsylvania.
THE oil business has developed a
new industry within the past few
months, which, in point of expert
knowledge required, is more important
than any other connected with the
petroleum trade. This is the business
of finding rich oil pools. This is en-
tirely distinct from the work of the
soil scout" a business that has for
some years been obsolete. The duty
of the oil scout was to report to his
employer on the floor Of the Oil Ex-
change the probable production of a
new well that the trade was watching.
10 that the employer could make his
deals or the market accordingly.
Few wells have ceased to affect
values to any great extent, the C
patton of the scout is gone. The mar
who is an expert in discovering a new
oil field has now taken his place. and
the scouts have drifted into other bust
ness. The industrysis not old enough
to h. any distinct title. but the men
enga, mein it are as often as al. thing
desig22nmTitd as soil smellers. "5TThese
men NEE dhave a perfect knowledge OF
the pro, ling branch of the oil BUSH
ness. Ittln,ssir chief expert knowledge
must BEN. it'll reference to territory.
They mt a prfS1 ave good judgment in re-
gard to t. ovalue of a tract of land for
oil purp(fdths. They must have a
knowledge of s'antichnals" and other
informatiems1iis contributed to the trade
by g~eologeRns. Large producing firms.
such as washington Oil Company,
Forrest OilEompany. Producers Con-
solidated Cgmpany. Anchor Oil Com
pany, and many individual operators,
employ tare men to be constantly on
, the elert forSSthe first indication of a
an oil field.nt Nhen a we'll comes in
anywhere idtaSSae gives the smallest
promise of o91oaing up a new pool men
are rushed in ~, lease and buy as much
of the territofonnas possible. All wells
drilling in new sr wildcat" districts
are watched wiamgreat vigilance.
1t is often nj essary for the "oil
smeller" to visit y csc wells disguised,
and his make-up1ialt times would do
credit to an actor r a detective. A
common disguise 4 the outfit of a
hunter, and to make It more complete
the game is often pun chased before the
''hunter" starts out. Thus equipped
he may ride a hundred miles on a rail.
road before embarkingthn a few miles
journey over the hills tkSS some well he
may be intending to look, up. An "oil
smeller' does not have toaadepend upon
the information given him by workmen
on a well as to the depth of it, Or when
they expect to reach the o~il-bearing
rock. By the working of the machin.
cry alone his expert eye can determine
about the depth of the hole, and if the
machinery should be stopped and no
about the premises, he can tell by
the appearance of the cable that is
wound around the ''full wheel" shaft.
By means of a little instrument which
he carries in his pocket he a 'level
up the well with other districts.
though they may be miles apart, and
determine just how many feet remain
to be drilled before the well reaches
the level where the oil ought to be
found.
These f''oil smellers'' are familiar
with all the different sand rocks in
which oil 5yy72found, and once seeing the
sand taken from a well they can esti-
mate the probable production, and
form a very correct idea as to the char
acter and extent of the pool. After
seeing the oil that is taken from a new
we'll they ear classify it az to tae dis
trict it belongs to, or is an offshoot of,
and in this way also estimate the prob
able value and extent of the new pool.
These men command salaries ranging
from 1928 to $500 per month.-Brad-
ford (Pa.) Letter.