Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-13
BACK OF BELLEVUE.
Land Leasing and Derrick Building
the Business Just Now.
THE OIL FEVER is CONTAGIOUS.
Claiming to be in Line With EWing's
Mills and the Arbuckle Well.
HOW SOME DRILLERs MILK EMPLOYERS

Were the Allegheny county oil field in
some back woods, it would excite much at
tention, but being so close to many gigantic
enterprises of all kinds, it is Overshadowed.
It possesses some peculiar characteristics,
however. Territory is condemned one
month that is in high request another. For
instance, in September Stowe township ter
ritory was considered below par, the gas
companies having sunk $50, 900 without get
ting any return of consequence. Now it is
high up in the figures, and owners of land
are getting a good bonus, and some Of them
refuse to take less than what the land might
have been bought for two months ago.
Robinson township land was similarly
condemned, or at least q considerable por-
tion of it, in August, and since then two
300-barrel wells have brought 1t up again,
and some people are disposed to copper the
condemnation. The last we'll struck, that
on the Aiken farm, has been injured be-
cause the owners would not let well enough
alone. 1t started at 17-barrel an hour rate,
but the owners thought it ought to do better
and drilled further. Now they are only
getting seven barrels an hour. It's still q
good thing, but the owners are sorry, never
theless, that they were not satisfied when
they were better of.
AFTER BELLEVU UE TERRITORY.
In addition to the Duff City development
the territory of Bellevue, two and one-half
or three miles from Allegheny City, is at
tracing attention at present. The almost
entire certainty of getting either oil or gas
in moderate quantity, combined with the
hope Of striking gushers, makes the territory
desirable, and people who are not already
tied up are stiff in their views when would
be lessees come around. Mr.. james A. Nc
Loughlin, of the County Recorders Office,
has twenty-three acres, and he has refused
to take $500 bonus and one-eighth of the oil,
as those who want the land refuse to make
an agreement to operate within any speci-
fed time. Many lessees are at work tying
up property, and it is feared by some that if
they lease on a small bonus or rent that
wells may be so drilled as to drain their
farms through holes on other farms, hence
their tenacity in standing out for high rent,
or a large bonus. j. H. Smith is picking
up territory back of Bellevue, and he is
supposed to be operating for the Standard.
Arthur Kennedy is President of a COM
pany that is expected to operate on the
Bayne farm. Owners of land there think
they need not be in a hurry to give away
their leases, as they feel certain they are
either on the line of the ATbuckle or of the
Ewing's mill development, and possibly in
both.
Drillers on oil wells are not always the
hard worked, innocent people that some
suppose them to be. Their knowledge of
strata and lines is frequently more exten-
sive than that of the scientists who discuss
the matter learnedly. and occasionally they
have known enough to work the market
intelligently when a mystery has been
worked.
THE DUTCMAN's PLAN.
A story is told by an Ohio distiller, a
German, who made large fortune evading
payment of the 81 tax once levied on whisky.
Years afterward, when it became safe for
him to talk, and he had retired to live at
his ease, revenue spy asked him how it
was that he could never be detected in his
crookedness. Said the official: ave always
knew you were cheating the Government.
How did you do it?" Said the German:
"The Government is good deal of fool.
He gif man S. day TO watch me, and I
gif him $40 day to watch him. You can
guess exactly how he watch" Several raids
had beer planned on the Dutchman.
Last summer aman who was putting down
q we'll on the Southside visited it to see how
matters progressed. AS he took q seat in
the derrick he was greeted with chilling
courtesy, and tor some time the contractor
and his men merely tolerated the owner.
At length, feeling that as the man who paid
the bills, he had some right to know some
thing, he asked how deep they were. The
driller answered by remarking that the
weather was fine. Another inquiry as to the
character of the rock was answered by the
query as to when the moon would be full.
The conversation became more animated by
degrees but not more satisfactory.
It is said that some drillers make more
money by holding their tongues or by giving
bogus information than they do by turning
the drill, and it is even suspected that tools
have frequently been stuck for months in
order that development of territory might
not be too rapid to suit the views Of people
unconnected with well drilling.