New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-28
STRIKING OIL.
WILD EXCITEMENT IN THE NEW FIELD IN
THE OHIO VALLEY.
PRICES OF LAND INCREASED A HUNDRED FOLD
IN YEAR-A FORTUNE MADE FROM
USED.UP wELI.-A PRESBYTERIAN
tHI RCH IL LUCK.

fHtSbHIk Apili iNpcfldll.-lHc tAttisloI vi 'hc
OIL hclds toward the south results in revival OF the
exciting times attendant upon the sudden acquisition
OF wealth which characterized the original field sur
rounding oil City. Pcin Now the attention OF the
fcverish spectators is turned to the field Of which
Pittshurg is the centre and the Marion County and
Eureka fields in West Virginia. Kentucky i looming
up as an oil producing territory. and the experts
report the Tennessee foothills full Of OIL About
the same distance west of the Allegheny Mountains
seems 10 be preserved in the march Of oil discovery
which started IN Northern Pennsylvania and appears
to he heading for the Gulf Of Mexico. The latest
reports from Kentucky are to the effect that the
petroleum is superior 10 the Pennsylvania product
and that Cumberland County well started ont at
the rate Of LOO barrels DAY. TWO companies
in the field 10 erect ichnerics. Expert
who testing the Tennessee foothills are finding
superior quality Of oil at depths ranging from four
10 nine hundred feet.
II f. difficult for those not on the ground to APP
prcciatc the excitement thar exists among the land
owners in the Eureka oil fields. OF which Parhcrsburs
W. Va. is the centre. Spectators there in large
numbers Tho Furhcc tract. which cost ~ 900 year
ago. has Just been sold for $1,000. Land which a
year ago could have been purchased outright for SO
an acre is being leased at 300 an acre. Eight
worth go year ago brought $1,000 on tho
18Th inst Farmers have given up raising crops. and
professional men have abandoned their Offices to diill
for oil. - great Is The flow from the Eureka field
that the ONO River Is Oily Tor long ui'tih'c D'""
the wells.
The history Of the Eureka field dates back 10 l16'.
In the rough little valley II lior~encck thrc miles
back Of tho OHIO River and seventy miles below
Wheeling. a well struck AT the depth Of 2fo feet
II flowed at the rate of 1000 barrel, DAY. The
excitement wa, Intense. oil men hockcd
in and shortly the little ravinc was
dotted with dcrricks and greasy with OIL
one little farm sold for 100000 and its
Al
Marietta ohio on the product Of the sale. For five
wear, thi- pool yielded good r~ult-. then il died
lingering death. The territory wa neglected en-
tirev until about five wear, ago. when Frank VI.
brown "A Ncw York business man. drilled the famous
Burnt we'll II WA, good for go barrels, but the
-aue DAY IL took fire and the derrick wa, destroyed
Then on an area Of thirty acres Brown and hi, part
ncrs drilled nine wells ranging IN prodn'uVcness from
ten TO thirty barrels day. Ia september lSr" the
Big John manned after j. y. Barnsdsll. who
boucht out Brown was drilled in and the country
went wild 4eOb2rTrl we'll peenlsrity OF
the field IS that good paying wells are obtained On
both sides Of the river ~ depths Of from 200 ~
500 feet. siNinch pipe line viii be run I" mt
burg A sixty acre tract that cost $1,000 a few
weeks ago. conld not be purchased this week for
$4,000 Hotels AID boarding houscs arc damned
fill and cots are ~ demand. Ru.s Ilammeli ta' -
fused 100000 for hi oil inierc-t>. which weld him
An income for the time being Of 400 da'
They are jus, "a, Wild 100 Marion County. West
Xirhnia. \ tremendous boom 800 real c.tai" followed
The coming in Of the veil on the Burt farm. u
spurtod NJ over the derrick. and for tbs nr-r three
DAYS earned the Lrri family over $500 day. II is
half mile cat Of Warrington. and no'd- no pumping
The south Penn oil Company agents go" 10 me
field Offering cash for everything 90 sight one
farm sold for nvc tine, a. value II year ago
FeAt acres. plr'ha.cd FOR 80 IA lss" brought
~ 600 a icw days The fist OIL shipped from tio
field VIZ, transported ia two tank carr. dcched 'n'
1itl .Icauci- OH which Wa Inscribed Fir>t Blood
for Marion County" "a Wa taken from ne hn''
we'll ana isas sent ~ T,firr-hurs
There is singular story % connection with inc
D~pp well SO. .. the pcpp farm. thru nc- from
CofAOpuil, tai. tAnc-hrhfl county u en-" ~ a.
the rate of JoOp barrel dty on th' llth inst
NOmInny. and hf'a"lns u' h'h't th pay" nv
certificate, over two cents barrel The wei was
inst drilled several month, aso ana proved du't'I
dry wnll In IN" lirt .iH Inc .'h. IT. u'', w..
had in the second and infd sand, the mole Nh'
abandoned and the rssns ana ether drns apparatus a.,
removed. The Fort lii' 60, COMPANY pigeon h''n 'i
lcl.c charged the cost ~ ~" v'ntur" up I" piOht
and loo. and fofsoi All about the we'll on , ~"
4th day 81 This month "el 0u an ADJOINING ihrih
came IN with biz nov. ard The For, Iit pcop, on
cudcd 10 try their luck once more The drU vas
put 10 work IT went down d"rpc~~,ud deeper rvef'
day for lust week, and Then oil gu,hcd iorth j."
perfect torrent. II WIS one 90 the biggest pro
duccrs IN the history ~ the oil bu.lncs,.
The asse-sor, evidently think tic Dcpp farm yer,
poor agricultural PROPERTY. for II Is only Assessed a.
$50 all acre. II has picturesque appearance. ana
<connt If their ability to see long way down the
ONO from 1t, cras.. century ago Fort Vance VA,
located on naf- below AID In the vicinity Of IN,
farm joel ferrcc the ancestor OF present fsd ,, "'
the township killed and scaipcd by The indians
while deer hunting. Near by also 1, cavern Wlef"
Brady and his scouts once took refuge while Watching
the redskins. an
Two farmers have made good thing out OF an
abandoned well the Bedford farm, Enter County;
The original ownes struck nothing bat salt water. ana
tt,c easing wa pulled and the we'll abandoned. Then
Mr. Ecliord with the assistance OF nclghbor, LOON
hold Of the venture, pumped three or four hind go
barrels of OF The Wei. ana al lhNl nN" III
patience rewarded by seeing Che water disappear "h"
Farmers act very foolshly sometimes. one living
snnnopin hi, county, r,iu~ch an onc' ~, -.
was going TO make S5oooo ont Of it, he said ana and
pokcd fun at bis ncighbors VINO hah Leased ~ W" vii
dry holes put the entire DISTRICT ont OF the me OF o',
Development and the greedy farmers land woHid ho'
command bonus OF FLO. A.,
Thomas f. Murphy. son of Francis Murphy the
temperance evangelist. has a eighth interest In the
yandrgrf gnsher near .roye'on TINS c9IhN tw eve
weeks ago he could not get All offer Of 800 lie had
become dsgnsted at paving rent on The farm iDr an
entire wear hi, share being ~ 800. 1t his land
lord who offered him 10000 for hi, interest. The
situation sometimes changes suddenly In the oil
The Quinn farm: containing siNty-one acres. and
near the Vanderbilt gushcr, was pnrchascd short
a ss Az uSo acre Now he has leased il for $50
acre an eighth royalty and bonus Of 1000, aud hc
sin has the land. come what may.
some idea Of the immense profits Of the oil business
Washington oil Company declared dividend Of 10
ucr cent 10 per share, OIt Of the earnings oi the
irst quarter of 1890. TIE total number Of shares Is
II 800. . ~
II IS a curious fact that the old played ont Johnny
steele farm. IN Ncnango County, has bccn revived ana
l. making another man rich This man H. John W.
Waits, Of oil city, who bought the old place u few
Years ago for 81 900. He ha, since been offered
ESQ coo for il. Waits street ganln about
housewife when "Coal-oii JOHNNY pending
500 900 "A year. and frequently held the young oil
Irincrs team while the latter went into saloon 10
get a drink d" COal-Oii johnny" has been located ~
dozen different places IN The tned states since ne
wound up his by owing u board bill of H2ooDo
nj the tsirard House. Philadelphia. lie i about MY
years old now. and Is the railroad station agent ~
Ashland. Saunders County. Ncb lie has been nvlhg
there for twelve years His son. who H. the telegraph
operator ut the same station. came East year ago
and married a young lad, 1T Coopefsfown Nchahe"
Comfy, Penn. ,.,. ,,,s
4 Presbyterian congregation at Forest "r".c, li,
county. profing ly the oil excitement n sn i
y,lot 81 ground on which stands the parsonage hiS
been leased a ROYALTY and 1000 bonus. nm " ar
on which are located the ~heda in when i'anss az
Unartered during SUNDAY service, Ii also icasco io'
$500 and oneelghth royalty