The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1897-08-05
Mac Rioh BY His Nose,

Made Rioh BY HI. Nose,
Ole OF the best.known and thoroughly
unique psrsonsges 10 the West Virgins
oil fields was killed by railroad ttsiI
near this city yesterday evening, says
story from P.rksrsblrg. W, Va, in th,
Plttsbutg Dispatch.
He was John Moosmau, sixty-three year.
old. and native OF Switzerland. Til
1889 he lived on q small farm back OF ST
Msry's, snd had neither wealth nor promi
nence. When he died be was known per
sonally to every oil man 10 the State, and
wss worth S2OO,000
He was W hat was known as "smeller. "
He possessed the rare gift, believed by
oil men to be supernatural, Of locating oil
by merely passing over the surface OF the
ground. without any OF the witchery OF
hazel switches, pescb-tree forks. or other
devices, supposed years ago TO accompany
such efforts to locate water wells. That
lie possessed this faculty no one doubts,
| for there are hundreds Of msterisl proofs
OF his work.
When the oil excitement first struck the
vicinity OF Belmont. this State. about ten
years ago, Moosmsu tried to induce some
of the prospectors to pay him fee to
select locations lor wells. His proposition
that he could fua oil, il it existed. was
laughed at by some. bat when wells were
drilled where he said there was DO oil,
and none was found, moro credenoe was
placed in his word.
Later he secured Wilson Hurley for
a client and located FIVE producing wells
for MIN ia ihs vicinity OF ten acres. This
feat made Moosmsn's reputation. From
that time on bis services were almost in
constant demand. and hundreds OF gush
era have been drilled on spots which he
selected. while Is many projects have
been abandoned because be declared there
was no oil under the spots sels cted by the
projectors Of oil enterprises.
Among the most noted OF bis locations
was the famous Lubbock Oil Company
gusher, near Cairo, which has made all
the members Of the original company
wealthy, and which led TO the develope
ment OF one OF the largest and richest
fields 10 West Virginia.
For the last few yeArs he was able 10
com ~ and fabulous sums for locating wells |
and as hs grew more wealthy be cared |
more for his ease than the oilers OF bis |
clients. Lately he had operated 10 oil
himself, and With his wonderful faculty
bis success was phenomenal Wealthy
oil concerns. among them the local cor
porations Of the STANDARD, kept detectives
constantly employed to watch Moosman
whenever he went from home, With IN
struclioDs to buy or lease land at any
price in the vicinity OF places where be
located wells for himself BY this plan
many people have a share in his pfosperi
y.
He leaves q family, and one Of bis sons
was supposed to possess bis talher's fac
ty. bat experiments made by Moosmsn
himself proved the isllscy OF this belief.
The old man would take the boy with him
on his expeditions, but 10 10 instance did
the younger Moosm,n show any ability
to detect what appeared likeau open book
to his father. ....
How the old man read the geography
Of the oil pools, located frequently irom
two TO three thousand feet below the sur
face. is a mystery which be never yolun
teered TO clear up, and which offers OF
cash would not induce him 10 explain.
De was stone deaf, and had not spoken .
word for more than twenty years.
His comm uDiostlons were all by hnger
signs, be being poorly educated, and not
capable OF msklng himself clearly under
stood by written characters, Even the
deaf add dnmb slphsbet wss OF little use
to him, Snd be conducted ueurly ell bis
business through the Interpretation Of bis
family, all OF vLom could understand his
every motion.
Persons Of = soieBlld, tuTn have attempt
ed TO get from hin some st,lemsut
v whet5er he read lbe presence q oil by
meaus oi Berons Impressions, whether
the sens.liOus produced were .kIn
to electrical pheDomens, OF whether
the knowledge came 10 h:m as revelation
IRON soms supernatural force, bat these
sfors oil proved iuliIe, though be child
rep, Who are educs ei sod Interested 10
ID. scitnlihs side II the osss. made every
snort to aid. /,
Az stated shove. M5osusn vts stone
deaf. aud that was what led 70 hls death
His children hsd often warned han Of the .
DANCER Of wslking ou The r.ilroscs, bat
be aid DO s,tsntioA 10 them, ,ni on ssV :
raj occuioas bad narosly esosped lie 1
,vsran down by trains. HE cath wss /