Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-06-25
N TIE OIL FIELDS.
Sistersville a Hustling, HurTying
LittleCity.
It is Attracting Attention From
all Parts of the Country Now
On Account of the Recent Good
Strikes There Oil at Colerain,
General Oil NeTs.


The oil Interests OF this State are
daily growing in proportion and wealth
and perhaps the most important place
in the State at present Is Sistersyille.
It Is certain that it is attracting more
attention Just now than any other field
in the country. Wlthla the past two
weeks there have been wells of much
Importance drilled ir-.the well on the
Freeden farm and Capt. Jones Dye
Brooks well. These wells are all in an
developed territory, and when it was
learned that they were both fTst-class
producers I. caused quite a furry
among the oil fraternity. These wells
are still holding up their production and
there has been q wild scramble for
leases. IL some Instances enormous
prices have been paid for leases and
it is altogether possible that somebody
will get stuck.
Be that as it may, Sistersville IS
without a doubt one Of the busiest towns
in the State. There are hundreds of
people coming and going every day and
business in every branch is very brisk
A representative Of the Register visited
that hustling little city yesterday, and
everywhere was to be seen evidence or
the hustling incident to an oil field. All
the stores were apparently doing gooN
business. as they were filed with peo-
pie. while the streets were crowded.
At the hotels the proprietors reported
all the guests they could accommodate,
and in many instances they have been
compelled to turn away customers.
The advent of new blood into the
town has worked wonderful change in
il during the past few years, and now
the place is laying some pretentions 10
a city, and it will make some of the
larger places hustle to hold their place
in the standing of cities pretty soon.
The town has had first-class volunteer
fire department and water works for
some time, and now the streets of that
busy, hustling place are being paved
There are some handsome new resi-
dences and business houses going up
which, when completed, Will add much
TO the appearance of the town. Promi-
nent among the buildings spoken of is
the Hotel Whittlesey, formerly the
Newell, which is undergoing a thorough
renovatlng under the superintendent
of Mr.. George E. Work, the new and
efficient manager.
Yesterday was a day Of excitement
at Colerain. The little town was
throneed with visitors before daylight
and operations at the well were watch
ed with intense interest. In the crowd
were a number of Standard Oil Com
pany representatives m well known
operators from Sistersville and points
in Pennsylvania
When Col. Thompson and Dr.. Gas
mire arrived at 1870, preparations were
just being made for resuming the work
OF drilling The drillers were at work
about i've minutes when it was discoy-
cred that the flow Of gas was so strong
as to seriously interfere with the work.
After drilling for an hour, during
which the Berea grit sand was pene-
trated for a distance Of five feet only,
the oil started to come. II was sent
up in a spray over the top OF the der
rick, and formed a small stream which
flowed down to a pond. Samples of tho
grease were secured. and last night it
was stated that the gravity Of the oil
was equal to that found in the lower
DEPTHS at Sistersvilie and Mcdonald.
At 1890 o'clock the men again sus-
pended work, and the boiler was moye1
zoo feet farther away. to prevent the
danger of the gas being ignited.
About two hundred feet of pipe and
small tubing was sent out, and the hole
will be drilled again to-day The
owners Of the well are in a jubilant
frame of mind, and express themselves
as confident that they are on the edge
of a big pool of the grease. They are
now but five feet in the sand.
Mr.. Cushing. of Washington, Pa who
REPRESENTED the Natural Gas Company
of West Virginia, stated that it was
the biggest gasser ever struck in Berea
sand. Mr.. Mellon, a well known Nc
Donald operator, is said to nave offered
TO write his check for $4,000 for a lease
on. 100 acres in the vicinity of the well,
which offer was refused.
Special to the Register.
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