Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-15
OIL MEMS TROUBLES.
Bonuses and Mud Causing Most Talk nj
Preseni-The Bnfts Offered Farmers
What New Wells Are Doing

The features that attract most attention
nowadays in the oil fields south of the Ohio
river and east of the Shannopin field are bonus
and mud. Previous to striking the well on the
Young farm it was mud alone, but even the
bad roads are now forgotten and the talk is
bonus. The CHARTERS road is so bad. however.
that even mud has to be considered and work
is greatly delayed in the Grafton oil field. The
granger is blowing for oats. and when the sun
shines the bluebirds sing. The sparrows are
not yet sufficiently numerous to drive them
entirely away. Quail are plenty, and fine
days you can hear bob White" called from
every direction. and the blackbirds are making
love.
For mile or so around Forest Grove the
grangers are stirred up constantly by oi-lease
scalpers and bonus of various Sizes and one
fourth, one-sixth and one-eighJh royalty are
held out as bait, and farmers are almost dis
tracted The Standard has some of them tied
up, and they feel that they are shut in. A farm
here and there that was not surrendered last
summer on the Supreme Court decision that
held operators to the strict letter of their con-
tracts is now in the market, and the bonus Of
fered is in proportion to the distance the farm
may be from the Young and Depp wells; Jona-
than Phillips, whose farm lies a mile southeast
of the Young we'll. was offered SIS an acre and
one-eighth of the oil, and between his farm and
the well $3.50 per acre has been paid.
or ground graded for them. Work has been
commenced the Redburg farm on the
Ewing's Mill road, and some farmers are get
ting prices for hauling that make them spurn
farming operations.
Reports are SO conflicting in regard to the
Young and Depp wells that the only way to get
at tine exact truth would seem to be to locate
on the ground and make your own measure
ments. Some people seem to be interested in
bulling the market. and want the production
put down to a low figure. and others do not
want land owners worked up. A man in charge
stated that the Young well made 60 barrels an
hour for the a hours of Sunday and yesterday
up to noon had made so barrels an hour. On
the other hand man in the city, who professed
to have exact knowledge, stated that she was
only making 800 barrels day. Between IL and
/ O'Clock p. NJ. she seemed to be making all the
man in charge claimed Tor her. and the gas was
pouring from the escape pipes in the receiving
tanks with great energy, One of the drillers, 1
Mr.. Smith, stated that the force would blow the
cover off the tanks if the escape pipe were
closed for two minutes.
1t is said there is 4 proposition under con-
sideration that may spoil her in jitfy-neither
more less than to drill her deeper. In
view of the fact that the knopf and Moore |
wells were spoiled by deeper drilling, it would |
seem the height ofsfuily to experiment
well as long as she pays the but end of $1,000
day profit.
The Depp well is rated low down in some |
quarters, but the writer saw her put out from |
two flow pipes for IL minutes yesterday, very |
nearly all they could carry. Then she stopped |
for breath and he hadn't time to wait to see |
when she would begin again, as he had only |
three or four minutes margin on train time at |
Groveton.
enjoying a great boom at present. Anything |
in the way of shakedown commands fancy |
price. Attention at present is concentrated on |
the Kendall well. which is developing much |
power as a gasser at present. Should it show |
up as q fair oil well all the back yards In the |
vicinity will be bored.