Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-18

second Monte Cristo fortune in the hollow
of his hand. This did not prove to be the
case. The salt water got more plentiful,
while the oil got weaker, and it was not
long until the well played out
The Watson Spirit Wen.
Mr.. watson's account of how he came to
drill this well is interesting He saws that
while riding up the creek one day in the
train, the spirit of an old friend and former
business partner came to him and urged him
to drill at this place for deep oil. This de-
parted friend was Daniel Crosley. Watson
did not think there was any oil left in that
territory, but the spirit of Crosley insisted
that there was plenty of it.
The following day Watson came down
from Titusville to the place indicated, near
Boughton station, and in walking over the
ground he was Joined by the spirits of H. HI.
Rouse, after whom Housewife was named,
and who was burned to death in the first big
oil fire on the creek. The spirit of the late
Jerome Fuller, of Linesville, also joined
them, and these two spirits, both good
friends, urged him to drill a well in the
locality, and pointed out the spot Mr..
Watson had been worth 81 ,000, 900, but at
that time he was not wealthy and it took
about the last s., 600 he had to buy the land.
posed rich spot from a New York man
named Williamson, paying him 1000
for it.
Backed Up by Spirits.
The spirit of Crosley had requested Mr..
Watson to take his son, James Crosley, in
with him as partner in the well, and
Watson offered to do so. Young Crosley,
however, said the territory wasn't worth a
d." and declined to 60 in. The spirit
of Rouse suggested to Watson to go it alone
and assured him that he would make at
least 100000. Mr.. Watson did not feel
able to drill the well alone and two partners
were taken in and a month later the well
was started, with the result above stated.
When this well was attracting attention,
1 stopped off the train at Boughton station,
one day, and took look at it. 1t did seem
rather strange that well should be pro-
ducing so much oil in that old abandoned
territory, and although it gave every evil
dence of soon petering out, Mr.. Watson
would not accept such suggestion. "Why,"
said he, fright here on this spot where we
now stand l will get the biggest wells ever
struck in the world. The spirits have told
Inc so, and am sure it is true. When 1
was worth nearly million dollars and had
my money apparently safe, the spirit of my
mother came to me and told me would
lose every cent of it. She was sorry to tell
me this, but it was true, and she thought 1
ought to know it.
He Lost His Fortune.
81 proceeded at once to make my fortune
still safer, as thought, but you know l lost
it. 1t began to go, and it seemed that all
the powers were leagued against me, and
finally my splendid fortune was swept
away. You see, my mothers spirit was
right. Now, again, my mothers blessed
spirit has visited me and told me that my
fortune will be restored to me even to the
last penny"
Mr. Watson thought the beginning of the
fulfllment of the promise was in the strik-
ing of that well, although that was not
deep well, and all the spirits had urged him
to drill for deep oil. Mr.. Watson did not
drill for deep oil, and whether there is any
deep oil there is yet to be ascertained The
fact that his we'll of $500 feet and over,
drilled in 1867, was not far from this loca-
ton, and was duster, would indicate that
the chances of a deep oil deposit here were
not bright
So by these chronicles 1t seems that wells
have been struck apparently by the aid of
''spirit influence" even to the opening up
Of a rich field, while again it appears that
there were times when the spirits did not
have accurate information. The reader will
draw his own conclusions.
R. W. CRIswELL.