The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-02-19
DISCOVERY OF PETROLEUM.
The Men That Paid Tor 1t Were Not the
Ones That Got Rich.

/ ~ 0A@7~O'SAN VI lSNAOAN hAiA III
sylvania was the signal which brought
hundreds to the lucky section of that
state in quest of easily made fortunes,
and, while the few struck bonanza,
many left there well equipped for a
cross-country expedition to their own,
their native heaths. OF course the oil
could not flow on forever, nor could the
small producers continue to make
money when pumps were resorted to,
so they transferred their rights and
property to corporations opulent enough
to equip scores of wells with the neces-
sary apparatus and then made money
off the sales. Along in the last decade
the Pennsylvania fields were practical
ly deserted as far as further expert
ments were concerned, for the ground,
being punctured with enough holes to
give it a screen-lil1e appearance, were
miniature of the surface of some
counties produced. The derricls were
sold and their timbers became COM
| ponent parts of the buildings, the drills
were Opposed of as best they could
be, and the operators waited their
chance to invade new territory Fl
nally, the discovery of that dirty, black
| oil which escaped from the ground in
northwestern Ohio when it was given
an outlet was announced From the
deserted fields of Penn sylvania, the
scenes of building up and wrecking of
fortunes, there came a horde of men
into the quiet town of Lima. Not an
acre remained Unbiased, saving where
the owner figured out that If any bene-
fit was to be derived from his property
he would be the beneficiary. Soon the
rasping of saws and noise of hammers
proclaimed the erection of derricks, to
be followed by the putting of steam
which had served to operate the drills
Oil had been found at certain depth
and when the drills reached the maxi
mum, unless oil had been struck before.
they were hauled from the ground. and
If the Oil had not been struck in paying
qualities the producing sand was
treated to a dose of nitro glycerine
sufficient to destroy any building in the
country. SO plentiful was the oil at
first that the efforts were generally
SNNNNoShuts anu do SOOI Inc pipe lAlt
companies became prepared to receive
the oil the producers lived in clover de-
spite its cheapness.
As it was in the old field so it was in
the new, the land was soon leased up.
the oil began to require pumps and op-
orators donned their thinking caps.
Gas had been found around Findlay and
Bowling Green and was cheaper than
stealing coal or wood Arguing that
the oil belt must run in the same direc-
ton from Lima some men who were
backed by years of varied experience in
the Pennsylvania region did little ex-
ploring, and subsequently opened up
what has proven the most. productive
field in the world, but it wasn't their
fault the discovery occurred when it
did. Determining upon a location near
the dead little town of New Baltimore,
they leased few hundred acres and
let the contract for drilling a well.
One of the provisions with the con-
tractor was that when the drill reached
a certain depth work was to be sus-
pended and they were to be informed
by wire. The greatest precaution was
necessary for If the well panned out
as they hoped. they expected to lease
tens of thousands of acres and control
the field. If it were a failure they
would abandon it In sinking these
wildcat wells the greatest secrecy is
observed, and sometimes armed sem
tinels have been posted at regular in
tervals to intercept spies. VINO in turn
might be concealed in the foliage of
high trees on knobs and intently OBJ
serving the operations by means of
telescopes
Day after day the drill kept sinking
into the soil Finally Il reached the
limit and the contractor shut up shop
and made for the nearest telegraph
station to inform the owners that every
thing was ready for them. He left his
helpers behind him and had not been
gone long before a plot was concocted.
Say. boys" said one who had fol-
lowed the business for years, none of
us are worth a cent. and we won't be.
either. If we wait for those fellows to
drill this well in. so propose that we
send the drills into the sand ourselves.
Ii we strike oil we Will have ali the
work we want: if we don't we won't be
anything out What do you say"
All that was needed was leader and
the others were only too glad to find
one in their companion The fire was re-
kindled and the drill was soon forcing
its way deeper. The sand was finally
reached and rumbling noise was
heard down the casing. 1t grew louder
and the rope became slack. Then it
was crowded out OF the mouth of the
casing followed by the poles which are
above the drill and at last the drill was
violently hurled 20 the top of the der
rick. The oil shot from the hole ike a
geyser, with force which sent il
above the derrick and drove the men
away. They realized what they had
done and left the scene in a hurry.
knowing that should the owners fad
them there the dispute would have TO
be settled by revolvers and knives The
well flowed on and the thick oil ran
down the hills like rivulets. forming a
lake IN a dale near BY. Thousands of
barrels were wasted before twenty-four
hours had elapsed and the news spread
ike wild-Fire- The fieetest horses in the
neighbOring towns bore the leasers as