Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-15
SHUT DOWN BY MUD.
No Supplies Can BE Taken to Wells
in the Mcdonald Field.
ONE HORSE DISABLED YESTERDAY
The McMaster's Well Shuts Oh an Outlet
Z. to the Northwest.
BIG PRICES FOR BUTLER TERRITORY

| ing, but before be had gone 100 yards hi.
horse fell and broke one of its front legs
During the mild weather which existed
for several weeks prior to four days ago the
roads became very muddy, and in places
| the mud was deeper than the axles on the
wagons. When deep hole would be
reached the hubs would be out of sight
The extreme cold weather of the last three
or four days has been freezing the mud on
the surface. 1t has now frozen to depth
of from two to four inches. 1t is not hard
enough to bear the weight of a horse, and
consequently when teamster starts out the
animals soon become stalled in the thick,
heavy mud or sink into the roads, disabled
by broken bones.
The consequence is that at least half oi
the drilling wells in the field are shut down
on account of a shortage of coal, or while
waiting for casing. or tools. Nothing can
be taken to the wells until the surface of the
mud either thaws out, or it Is frozen solid
to the bottom.
Operators who contemplated starting new
wells. are compelled to hold off until ma
chinery can be conveyed by teams, and peo-
pie who live at a distance from the towns
and railroads were carrying baskets of pro-
visions to their homes by going across
farms and fields yesterday.
Conditional on the Weather.
Relief is looked for soon and supply men
are taking orders for goods with the UNDER
standing that they will be delivered as soon
as the roads become passable.
The surprise of the day Yesterday was
Jennings, Guffev &. A. w. Campbells we'll
on the Mrs McMaster's farm, north of
Oakdale and northwest of Gregg station.
1t has been under way for a long time, as
salt water was found in the 1O0-foot sand,
through which the owners were compelled
to case.
One of the parties interested in theNyell
said yesterday that it had been drilled
away below where the fifth sand should
have been found and no oil was discovered
Where the fifth sand rock should have been
there was only slight indication of this
formation and not vestige of petroleum.
This we'll would seem to shut off all outlets
from the Wetmore streak to the north, and
gives decidedly blush tint to the territory
in the neighborhood.
Late Sunday afternoon Kirk & Co.
reached the Gordon sand in their test we'll
on the GLADDEN. farm south of Mcdonald
about mile, and northeast of the Wheel
ing Gas Company's well on the W. B.
Moorhead farm. 1t began to flow almost as
soon as the sand was stopped. and at 3
o'clock yesterday afternoon it had filled one
$50 barrel tank.
The No. well of Jennings, Guffey g. Co.,
on the Matthews heirs farm, was reported
to be in the fifth sand yesterday, and show
ing rather light.
Greenlee 6 Forst's No. Miller, at Lau-
rel Hill, had not reached pay in the Cor
don yesterday.
May Drill 1t in Toby.
The Forest Oil Company's No. on the
Jane Stewart farm, north and west of Gregg
station, which drilled into the fifth sand
Sunday afternoon, started off at 80 barrels
an hour but had declined to 20 yesterday.
They moved the boiler back, and as the pipe
line peopRe were not quite ready to take
care of any big increase it was not drilled
deeper into the sand yesterday: 1t is show
ing, however, for big well, and the owners
are confident that it will increase when
drilled in.
The Forests No. on the McGill farm is
expected to reach fifth sometime this after
noon. Their No on this farm would have
been in yesterday but for the fact that they
were stopped at the last moment by fish
ing job.
The Jolly Oil Company's well on the
bridge lot at Noblestown is drilling in the
100-foot sand at 1,725 feet
Mercer, McClurg & Co.'S No. on the
McMurray seven acres, east of Noblestown,
is drilling below the Big Injun sand.
Guckert & Steele's No. 9 on the Burch-
inal property, north of Willow Grove, is in
the Gordon sand, and filled up with OIL
j. NJ. Guffey & Co.'S No and on the
John M. Glenn farm, located just north of
Willow Grove, are both on top of the Cor
don sand.
Guffey & Co. shot their No. 1 on the Con-
nell farm yesterday. 1t made a nice
response.
Showing for Gordon Well.
The Mansfield Oil Company's we'll on the
Davies lot, few hundred feet east of the
Willow Grove station, reached the Gordon
sand yesterday and is showing tor a nice
production from that formation. 30.
On account of the impossible condition of
the roads the Woodland Oil Company has
been compelled to shut down Its we'll on the
Crawford farm north of the Scott, and
located two miles south of Mcdonald.
The Forest Oil Company is drilling %
wells in the Mcdonald field. 1t expects to
have them all completed within the next
six weeks and have not yet made any ar
rangements to drill others
The Grover Cleveland Company's we'll on
the Kelly farm. which is located about
mile north of Venice, should be in the sand
within the next three days. 1t is one of the
most important test wells now drilling in
the field, and is being watched with great
deal OF interest
W. P. Rend & Co.. we'll on the j. D.
Sauters farm, located mile south of the
Wheeling Gas Company's No. on the w.
B. Moorhead, is expected to get the fifth
sand the last Of this week.
The Forest Oil Companv's test we'll on
the Stirling farm, mile east OF Willow
Grove, will also be near the fifth this week.
The Devonian Oil Company's No l w,
B. Moorhead, which was doing 30 barrels an
hour from the Gordon, Saturday morning.
has dropped to almost 10 barrels an hour,
The Gordon was reached before the drillers
anticipated it and they were taken com
pletely by surprise. Yesterday they were
shut down waiting for casing head and
oil saver before drilling it in.
High Prices in Butler County.
BRowNsDALE-Territor in this locality
has recently taken big jump in values.
Recently the Eastern Oil Company pur-
chased from Dale & Thompson a 12-acre
lease on which was one we'll producing 80
barrels day. for $14, 900. The same company
also paid Smith & Lydecker $4,000 for a a.
acre lease Both of these leases are off
part of the original Anderson farm.
The Eastern Oil Company got the tools
out of its we'll on the Saw Mill lot, and shot
it yesterday.
Lydecker, Smith & Co. are through the
1O0-foot on the James Campbell farm.
Lenz & Schlegel are fishing for bit in
the gas sand on the Critchlow farm.
Bolard & 6. have srig up on the Ump-
stead property. Unknown parties have