Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-04-02
OIL TOWNS.
Curious Names They Bore and
Their Sudden Fall from Great

Curious Names They Bore ana
Their Sudden Fall from Great
ness.
Let-Her Go Gallagher suggests some
odd names under which oil towns have
tlourished in this country. Among tho
first curiously christened towns was Casn
Up, few miles from Pithole. 1t was
one of the first places TO attract attention
after Pithole. DIR. Shamburg. Of Titus
vile, who bought some land around Cash
Up, has told the writer how it came TO
be named.
When the first we'll was struck there
DR.. Shamburg, who had recently come
TO the oil country TO make some invest
ments, was early on the ground. The
we'll in question was owned by three
young men who had spent all their
money to get it drilled. 1t was flowing
oil in "A fine spray at the rate of 40 bar
res day. The young men were satisfied
with the result of their labor, and when
the doctor asked them TO put price on
it they held u consultation, lasting about
two minutes, and informed him he could
take the well for $50, 1000. lie asked
what kind of payments they would re
quirc, and they a promptly decided
that it would have to be "cash up"
They could not be moved from this de-
cision, and the doctor finally paid them
$50, 600 cash in hand and took their well.
The we'll was located on five acre lease
and DIR. Schamburg at once set out to
buy this. The price on the lease was
S32, 600, and when be began TO talk
about payments he was informed that 1t
must be ''cash up" or nothing. So ''cash
up" it was and the doctor took the lease.
A farmer owned strip of land alongside
of him which he wanted, and the best
terms he could make on this was $50, 900
leash up" lie took il, paying the
money in hand, as he had done in the
other purchases, and these conditions,
which seemed to obtain with everybody
in that vicinity who had anything TO sell.
so impressed him that when a town began
to develop around his well he named il
Cash Up.
This well proved to be bonanza. The
doctor drilled it deeper into the rock and
its production increased to 500 barrels n
day. 1t paid back the pure hase money
Of 500, 900 in the first month and ultim-
,imately netted him over $3.50. 900. Hun
dreds of wells were drilled in that neigh
borhood and the town of Cash Up
flourished for several years.
A little town that grew up in the same
section, in contradistinction to Cash Up,
wis called Stand OF. Both of these
towns were in Eenango county. Not
far away were the towns Of Red Hot and
Gas CITY, aud on the other side of Pit.
mole was Ball Town. This latter place
continues to exist, while all the others,
like Pithole, have passed away. The
Ball Town Oil Com. .any is still operating
in the vicinity and has large number
of small wells, from which the members
Of the company have made great deal
of money.
Petroleum Center Is familiar name
in oil annals. Ben Hogan. the ex-prize
! fighter and present evangelist, who kept,
/ gambling house there, says it was the
! Wickedest tow1 in the world. At the
zenith of its prosperity it had a popula-
tion of about 5000. About fifty people
\ live there at present. The town is about
seven miles from Oil City, on the banks
of Oil Creek. ''Coal Oil Johnny" flour
ished in this neighborhood, his old home
being at McCintockville, three miles
! further down the creek. Nenango
county also developed Big Injun, called
after big well of that name. This
town was soon rechlistened Bullion, and
under this title it became place of i'm
portance, with population Of about
5000. There Is not now single board
left of the town. Pittsburg Dispatch.