Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-26
OIL IN THE SOUTH.
A North Carolina Farmer Thinks He
Has Discovered on His Land
A RICH DEPOSIT UF PETROLEUM
The Fluid is Found in Primitive Shaft,
Sunken Thirty Feet.
EXCITEMENT IN A TAR HEEL TOWN
ESPECIAL rErrenAx TO THE D1srArcH.l

ESPECIAL TELEGnAM TO THE DIsPATCH.1
GREENSBORO, N. c., August 25.-For
some days it has been rumored that oil had
been found near town. and there was much
excitement in real estate circles in conse-
uuence, but the location of the discovery
and the name of the owner of the land was
kept profound secrets. This morning,
however. it became known that the dis
covery was on a small farm belonging to
John ]. Phoenix, one and quarter miles
from town. Hundreds have visited the
place to-day, aud everyone is convinced
that oil has been found.
Some weeks ago Phoenix, in digging
bitches. discovered oil indications and being
somewhat familiar with oil wells, prosecuted
his search quietly, in the meantime writing
to an uncle. an oil expert, in Pennsylvania,
asking him to come on. He did SO and
after thorough examination ofthe locality
advised his nephew to bore for oil, assuring
him that he would find it
CRUDE METHOD OF WORKING.
Phoenix last week began to sink shaft.
This shaft. crude and primitive affair, has
reached depth of 80 feet, and the oil indi-
cations have grown stronger with the depth.
He proposes continuing the shaft to depth
of 60 feet and will then arrange for a bor-
ing plant. The ''fnd" is on q farm
which embraces 80 acres, and it seems
to be in a split in the granite formation
which runs through this section. The split
is perhaps a mile in width. Among those
who visited the shaft to-day were several ex-
perts, who pronounced the oil white sand
petroleum" of good quality, and expressed
the opinion that it will be found to be in
abundant quantity.
The smell of oil pervades the atmosphere
for yards around the shaft, and every bucket
of earth dumped from it is full of oil, while
the oil floats on every bucket of water
brought up. The workman informed your
correspondent that they were able to stay in
the shaft only few minutes at time owing
to the gas which had accumulated since it
was closed up on Saturday, and that they
found seven feet OF water, on which was q
coating of oil half an inch thick.
ADJOINING LANDS SECURED.
Before he allowed his discovery to be-
come known, Phoenix secured options on ad-
joining lands and to-day he has been be-
sieged with offers to buy aud to form stock
companies to develop the property. The
discovery of oil on the Phoenix place has re-
vived interest in the reported oil find near
Germantown, N. c., some time ago Here
was found a deposit of flexible sandstone
and oil, but the work OF developing was
never prosecuted. At the foot of the Sua-
ratown Mountains, 80 miles from here,
ioint-stock company erected derrick in
1867, and bored for oil with good prospects.
After reaching depth of 300 feet the drill
broke off and the work was abandoned.
Excitement here has grown intense. This
afternoon and tonight nothing is talked of
on the streets but oil. Hundreds have
visited the Office of your correspondent and
examined the specimens which were brought
from the shaft this evening, and the verdict
is that the oil is of good quality.