The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-07-01

beautiful souvenir badge bearing the
engraving OF an Oil Derrick and the
inscription Bradford, Pa, Pa. Sc.
A., June 22-25, 1897" An informal
reception was rendered from 6 to II
and all were given an opportunity to
become acquainted with each other
A number of addresses were then
made. Mayor G. G. Fasnon, r. T.
Wiley, Col. Lucius Rogers, Secre-
tary r. H. Thomas, Hon. Louis
Emery, Jr., Congressman G. W.
Stone and p. &. Boyle. Every per-
son ut the reception was presented
with boquet of beautiful roses, the
compliments of Florest Sage at Rock
City. The building in which the
reception was held is known as the
Oil Exchange and during the palmy
days OF the oil business transactions
amounting t. Sl3, 900 to Sl4, ,OOo..
o'o a day We're made in that building
Fortunes were won aud lost in a day
Speculation around the bull ring
equalled the "plunges" made in New
York and Philadelphia exchanges
In June 1875 Bradford was village
OF l4o inhabitants, but ten years la
ter the number had increased to l2.
600, now the population is over IT..
ooo All necessary municipal i'm.
provements have been made for the
last 20 years and the city is practio.
ally out OF debt. Bradford is locat.
cd IN Mexican county-the county
that produces more oil than any 9th.
or county in the United States
There are $4,000 oil derricks in Nc
kean county. These are a few of
the many things we cleaned from
the speeches. At midnight the re-
ception closed.
An OIL Well shot,
On Wednesday morning every
body was interested in seeing an oil
we'll shot and but few of us knew
what to expect. Two special trains
were provided by the Bradford.
Bordell and Kinzua Narrow Guage
Railroad Go. to transport the pas
sengers to Ormsby. When we reach.
cd this place we were told that the
we'll was short distance away from
the depot. We walked quite q dis
tance and were told it was still n lit.
tie further. The sun was hot, but
the road led through the woods and
after travelling two miles we reached
the coveted spot. tired, exhausted
party. The well was ready to he
shot; it had been finished 10 days
previous, but was held over for the
editors to see. Large tin shells were
filled with 1870 quarts of nitro glicer-
ene-the most powerful explosive
IN the world-and had been previous.
ly placed at the bottom of the we'll
which was 2ll3 feet deep. Miss Es.
tella Thomas of Mechanicsburg was
given the honor of dropping the go
devil as it is called. The "go devil
is a piece of heavy cast iron pointed
at both ends which is made so for
the purpose of exploding the charge.
An instant after the iron missile left
the young lady's hand. muf1led ex-
plosion was heard telling that it had
done its work. There were a thous.
and feet of oil in the we'll. Hun.
dreds OF eyes were now gazing at
the iron casing in the bottom of the
derrick. We were told that in from
3 to 10 minutes the eruption of oil
would begin its mad rush heaven.
ward. In vain we waited Is minutes
then 30 and when 45 or SO minutes
had expired and the gas could be
heard bubbling through the oil in
the well below it was considered
very doubtful if the eruption would
take place. The reception commit.
tee was beginning to feel as though
they had to disappoint their many
guests and the visitors were begin.
ing to feel as if they could kick them.
selves all over Mexican county for
going out. 1t was then supposed
that there was too much weight of
oil for the explosion and gas to
throw out. The engine was used to
over a large bailer, which, by the
way. is constructed with a lid or
valve like the upper bucket of a
wooden pump. The bailer being
owered to the bottom of the we'll
VAS brought up as rapidly as the
engine could bring it forcing a great
1eal OF oil out ahead of it. This
agitated the oil and in moment the
oll began to rush out the onen;no a.