Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-27
SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH. /:

.sPRcIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH:
McCURDY, Feb. 26.-War and rumors of
war at McCurdy to-day have been the princi-
pal subjects OF fconversation in oil circles. The
belligerent parties contending for the W. j.
Riddle farm are w. L. Mellon and Finegan,
Downing & Co., and before the matter is
settled there is likely to be lively times.
Hostilities between the contending forces
began yesterday, and for time the battle
waxed warm. We are happy to say that this
evening the situation does not present san
guInary appearance, and, as if by mutual con-
sent, an armistice prevails.
w. L. Mellon was interviewed this afternoon
by THE DISPATCH scout, and gave his side OF
the story. He says that on February q, 1881, the
w. J. Riddle farm was leased to Samuel Galley.
That gentleman in company with w. L. Mellon,
started drilling well, which they finished to
the Gordon sand, and it is now known as the old
Riddle well. They were over one year getting
the well down to the Gordon, which was the
only producing sand at that time known to
exist here. The terms expressed in the lease
were for one year and as long as oil or gas was
found in paying quantities
In this well small quantity of oil was OBJ
tanned in the Gordon, but the well did not pay
to operate in the sand. 1t is now claimed by
FInegan & Downing that the lease of Galley q
Mellon expired at the end of the year, or on
The 2lst of February, 1890.
On April IS. 1890. Mr.. Riddle, the owner of the
farm in controversy came to the Office of w.
L. Mellon and acknowledged the case, which
was properly spread on the records of Allie
gheny county, which made the lease valid Tor
was done, Mr.. Mellon purchased MIR. Gailey's
interest In the lease, at the same time leasing
number of adjoining farms. He then moved
the rig from the Riddle dry hole to the Scott
farm nearby, and built new rig ON the Riddle
farm on a new location.
In August of the same year A. Learn induced
MIR. Riddle to lease the farm over the Galley
lease. representing to Mr.. Riddle that MELONS
lease had expired. After securing the lease he
sold part of his interest to William Guckert
who, Jointly with Mr.. Learn, atterward sold
their interests in the whole farm to Finegan,
Downing & Co.
Actual Hostilities Begin.
Mr.. Mellon had his hands build another rig
on the lease, when Mr.. Finegan sent a number
of teams with material and men yesterday to
put up rig. Their force being the heaviest
the Mellon party were forced to retreat, and the
Finegan army took full possession.
An hour later Mr.. Mellon sent reinforce
ment of so men and a number of teams from
Coraopols and recaptured the fort, and are
now building the rig as fast as possible and ex-
pect to complete it tomorrow.
Mr.. Learn has brought suit in equity
against Mr.. Mellon, and the court will settle
the matter for all time.
The following are the gauges Of the wells pro-
ducing in the McCurdy Held:
McCurdy. Patterson & Jones No. 1............. rs
Scott. Mellon & Co. No. l.. ...........,. 70
Iidball Mellon Go. No. 1...................... 30
Palmer, Mellon Co. No. l..-............ 80. 480
Palmer, Mellon Co. No. 2:...:......."....... 600
Church lot Galley Guffy No. 1. ............. 500
Mellon & Co.'s Scott No. is down 2 LOO feet;
No. 2-S. Scott is spuddtng; Mellon Il Co.'s
Dougherty No. !. 2l00 feet; old Riddle No. j,
2, 100 feet; No. Riddle is a rig; No. Palmer is
drilling at 300 feet, and No. Palmer is rig up.
Patterson & Jones are doing quite stroke
of work in this field. They are drilling No. 2
at =, I75; No. at 1000: No. 6 is rig, and No.
LLOYD is down 1.500 feet.
The Fisher Oil Company, on the ten-acre
Riddle lot, is drilling at l,S00 feet. Coast &
and on the McAdams No. l. 800 feet. 7. ].
Vandergrift has reached depth of LOO feet
on the J; Adams; Gillespie Brothers No. l, |
Jane Riddle, LOO feet. Guffy & Murphy. Mrs. |
Kerr lot, have rig about ready for business.
No New Gushers at Wildwood.
w1LDwooD-Another "a hours has rolled
around without bringing forth any new gush-
ers on the southwest line at Wildwood. There |
is less interest manifested III the Staley & Nc |
Donald WELL at Everhart station, since the fact
has become generally known that the oil was
found in the fourth sand formation. The well
has only made three or four inches in the last |
six or eight hours.
The Kennedy well, on the Pittsburg and |
Western lot was shot to-day. and responded |
Black & Co.'S Murray Hill farm |
well is not showing any better, and only flows |
when the tools are pulled. The Roth Oil Com |
pany's Harbush No. IL is making so barrels an |
hour this evening while the drill was started |
to-day in No. r. Barnsdall, Gillespie & Co.'s |
kress No. IL is drilling in the l00-foot and |
Greenlee & Forst's McGeah No. is producing |
IL inches an hour, and No. 2 same farm, l3 |
inches an hour.
McDevftt & Co.'s Guyton No. l is doing
about 50 barrels a day. while they ase fishing |
for a baier in No. 2 Gutfy & Co.'S Nos. and |
3 Rungo have simmereu down to small pump
ers 1t was only a few days since these
wells were numbered among the best on the
line, which is another argument
he ' staying 3Sy Qualities GPss5 %sah dsoe RSs
characterized it. Griffith & Co.'s Ring.
leisen No. 4 is doing go barrels day, and their
No. z. Sand farm. is in the sand and showing
small so far. Phillips Dunn & Co., in their No,
J, Smith farm, are drilling in the 100 foot and 1
nave a fishing job at l9O0 feet in No. 8. The
Roth Oil Company's Peephles heirs well is in
'he sand, and unless better digging is found be-
ow the Nell will be small one,
Forst d Greenlees Aston gusher is doing
about 20 inches an hour, and, like the other big
wells on the southwest line when first struck
s holding up remarkably well. A. q. Dibert &
20. are in the sand with their well on the
Semple farm, and expect to cut the melon
'ome time tomorrow.
Greenlee & Forst to-day made their first loca-
hon on the Dan Good farm and will hustle up
| rig as soon as possible. Evans, Vaudeville
Co. will bounce the drill in their No. Marks
tomorrow or next day. Guffy & Co on the
hretzer have put in the small casing AS pre-
1icted by THE DISPATCH at the time the
Aston well came in, the city of derrcks is |
with wonderful rapidity in this
ocailty MoC.