Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-12-16
ABOUT SISTERSEILLE.
AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW ABOUT TIE
WEST VIRGINIA OIL CITY.
Something About lis Rarly Hisbry-HOw Long 1t
Will Hold Out as an Oil Fisld-Ohsr
Interesting Points

seen at the Stamm House by Register
reporter talked very entertainingly
about the oil metropolis of West Vir-
ginia.
In a response to query about devel-
opment, Mr.. Stewart remarked:
ayes, myself and my father were
among the first to develop the field. In
1889 an oil company drilled what is now
known as the old 'Polecat' we'll on the
West Virginia side OF the river, bu
after il was drilled in il was abandoned
on account Of the immense quantities
of salt water it.produced which at that
time il was not known how TO control.
In 1890 father and myself with num-
Der of local people formed what was
known as the Mlllers' Rua Oil Co., and
put down what is now known as No.
/ on our farm. After some
delay incidental to the usual trouble 10
putting down well, we finally drilled
IL into what is known as the frst pay,
and got well which was variously es-
timated as producing from 40 10 90 bar
rels OF oil day. A short time after
this a Pittsburg oil man, Mr. James
Tenant, who had part OF our farm
leased, put down No. ,, and 10 was esti-
mated 10 be good for about so barrels.
About this time the company who
had drilled In the Polecat well aud
abandoned it, maze an attempt to ex-
haust the salt water, and after expert
menting in various ways for some
months they were finally successful,
and to-day they have one OF the best
paying producers in the field.
When the Tenant well was
bought In, two gentlemen, named
Twtcheli and Herzberg, from
PENNSYLVANIA who have been watching
the development Of the territory MADE
an offer of 500 per acre for 25 acres TO
the Miller's Run Oil Co., which was &C
cepted. These gentlemen Immediately
started to work putting no rig and
drilled q well on line with the Ten
nant well, which came in at the rate OF
$50 barrels a day. From that time un-
I'll the present there has been Al wells
drilled on the Stewart farm, and they
have ranged from 100 to 1000 barrels,
and Of the total number drilled there
has never been dry hole put down.
Ga the West Virginia side work was
pushed rapidly as soon as IL was found
that the old Poecat we'll was producer,
and among the principal opera
tors were Captain j. L. Jones,
Ludwig & Mooney and the Gillespie
Bros OF these people all have sold
out excepting Capt. Jones, who is still
actively engaged operating in the field,
and who is estimated TO have made
about half a million dollars so far.
Capt. J. T. Jones is conceded by AL
who know him TO be one of the most
public-Spirted men the town has ever
known, and whenever there was any
thing projected for the benefit of the
town or an individual his purse was al
ways open and at the disposal OF the
projectors, provided the affair was con-
Quoted in the proper manner. More
than one poor fellow who was 10 hard
luck has been the recipient OF favors
from the big-hearted and whole-souled
Captain"
Eyes, in my opinion the SlStersville
field is still good for number OF years
despite the reports made by other par
ties 10 the contrary. II has now been
in existence something over four years,
and With the new extensions recently
developed, l think it will continue to-
hold up it's end OF the oil production OF
the State for at least five years"
What do you estimate the amount
OF the production Of the Sistersville
field to date?"
"Well, Judge the daily average Of
the field for the past four years has
been about IL, 900 barrels, or $3.50, 900
for the year. At the present price OF
oil. about 90 cents a barrel, this would
amount in round numbers to almost
six million Of dollars year, or almost
twenty-five millions OF dollars for the
four years which the field has been 10
existence"
"What are the dimensions Of the
present ield?"
"On a rough estimate l judge that
the field at present is about four miles
wide and SIX miles long, covering an
area of twenty-five square miles. The
late developments, however, which are
going on in the Cochransville district
and west Of the head OF Miller's Run will
likely extend the field a considerable
distance. The principal work in the
field is now going on west OF Miller's
Run, and some gooi wells are being
found. Not a single dry hole has been
drilled on that territory, and the wells
flushed are producing from % to 200
barrels daily. At the present time
there are about twenty strings Of wells
running in that section and about
4 ID f,k l.
will be commenced at once. There Is
big lot OF undeveloped territory In
this section, and Ii is estimated that on
the leases which are considered good,
there could be 100 rigs put up, allowing
! five acres for each rig. All the new
production out In this section Is ahead
of the dry hole brought Ia on the
| Theile farm some ago by Carter IL Co.,
which condemned the territory In that
vicinity for quite a while, and none OF
the operators would touch il, thinking
il was no good Finally 10 the hustle
for new prod uction the land was taken
ND by a number Of operators aud some
wells put down with the result that
big extension of the already large field
has been discovered.
as there much work going on in the
field at PRESENT."
II am hardly able to answer that
question" Mr.. Stewart replied. Il do
not think, however. that there Is a
great deal Of work being done on the
West Virginia side at present: in fact,
only know Of two or three wells that
are drilling. On the Ohio side, though
there is quite a good deal Of work In
urogress, and l judge there is about