Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-04-11
PETROLEUM LANGUAGE.
The Peculiar Slang Used by DwellCrs il
 the Pennsylvania Oil Regions.

The Peculiar Slang Used by Dwellcrs in
 the Pennsylvania Oil Regions.
 It has been frequently remarked that every separate trade and occupation has language of its own, built up from its wants, and >n the main unintelligible to 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 synonym for "nerve," had it's origin in the oil country. In an oil-wen every thing depends upon the sand.
 'The sand" is the rock in which the oil is found, and on its quality depends the pro- duction of the well. If no sand is found, the well is at once abandoned. If the sand is good-that is, of a coarse texture-the well is moro than likely to be good one :; but if the sand is fine and hard, it is sure to be 8 small we'll, if not an utter failure Therefore the important question, when Q we'll is being finished, is '.Has it got the sand?"
 Hitting her jugular," means to strike a well that flows immediately. IA duster'' is dry hole, and about twenty five per cent. of all the wells drilled are dusters. IA spouter'' is flowing well, and ia roarer'' is large gas well.
 "Spudding' is term used for drilling when the we'll is just started. After the hole is deep enough to cover all the tools, it is called drilling. The drilling-tools of any well consist of several pieces screwed to- gether, and hence are called Ia string of tools"
 An operator never says there are twenty wells drilling in a certain district, but "there are twenty sets of tools running"
 'sThe big hole'' means that part of the hole drilled before the casing is put in. Shooting well'' is the process of explod- ing torpedo in it to increase the prcduc- ton. The 'sbull wheer' is an important part of the drilling machinery of a well, around the large wooden shaft of which the drillin g cable is wound.
 The ''sand pump'' is a valve about six feet long that is run into the hole to pump out the drillings. .-,- .-. The 'sbit' is simply the drill, and the dreamer" is the tool which is run into the well after the drill to make the hole uni form.
 IA fishing job'' is to hunt in the hole for lost tools, and thls is a distinct and inn portant part of the business. Fishing has become an art. There are one hundred different and curious varieties of '.tishing tools," peculiar one for every part of the drilling appliance that may be lost. There are men who make a business o1 ''fshing,'' 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 o1 pebbles. The oil produced in these pools commands premium of twenty five cents 1 above the market, and is known as spre mium oil" All the Pennsylvania districts are ''white sand districts" except Bradford The Bradford sand being of dark color, ii | is known as ''the black sand district" The oil is inferior, and does not command s premium. In drilling we'll the drill is turned round and round, and driller is known as a "junktwister."