Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-19
SHOOTING A WILDCAT WELL.
HOW MURPHY FOOLED THE LAND
SHARPS WITH A DUMMY SHE'LL.
The Ruxe Worked and Was the He
ginning of the Development Of
the ELI County POOI-An
Oil Field Story.

An oil we'll shooter who follows tn,
business ten years without a mishap count:
himself the most fortunate of men. The
rule is to SO on a sky excursion for which
no return coupon is issued in less time
than that, for there is no more hazardous
occupation in the world. and only the ner.
West men follow it. And no class of mer
have queerer experiences than these fell
lows who face annihilation Il dozen times
i day. Warren Van Curen. of Bolivar, n.
Y. has been shooting oil wells for eighteen
years. and has had many close calls. AL
though he had 4 brother blown into q
billion fragments by a nitro-glycerine eX-
plosion four years ago. he believes that
his good luck will stay with him and
that he Will go out of the world in u peace
full manner. He was in a reminiscent
first time the part he played in the OPEN
Ing of the Elk county pool. and incident
ally how he made $500 very easily.
Mike Murphy, Mystery Worker.
TT was when I was shooting for the
Rock Glycerine Company in the Kane, Pa,
shanty town in that end of Mexican coun-
ty We're as wicked as mining camps and
everybody had the oil fever.
worker who ever operated in any oil field.
had gone over into Elk county, twenty
miles, in advance of Developments. and
I'dSti nv sitleS OIL linu on ltlltt Mile nun
in the heart of a hemlock forest. and To-
Gated a wildcat well. Before the derrick
was up other lease hunters invaded Elk
county, and picked up thousands of acres
on every side of Murphy's we'll and lay
by to watch the result of his work. One
lrm paid $1,000 down, to hold a big block
of territory. Mike was regarded as Il mas
his money in testing the territory.
The progress of the drill was closely
watched by oil scouts. anxious to know
IIt result, The instant thai the drill
tapped the sand. Murphy. who was in the
derrick. ordered the we'll shut down and the
oil and keep the well from lowing. The
derrick was hastily boarded up and armed
scouts posted to keep curious people away.
Scouts employed by other lease holders
tried in vain 10 get into the derrick and
learn what Murphy was trying TO conceal.
Aitirphys agents attempted TO secure mora
release an acre. Then Murphy planned to
outwit them all. He announced that the
well would be shot. and if it did not make
rig and abandon the lease.
The next evening Murphy came into the
torpedo office at Kane and called me into
shot that night with 100 quarts and not
a drop of glycerine in it and he wanted
me to go and do it. There is 500 in it
for YOU he said. I saw the point and
told him it was a go. He said that a
trusted employe of his would meet me ON
the outskirts of Kane and pilot me to the
well.
How the Scheme Was Worked.
1T was a dark night. At 10 o'clock I
drove out to the storage magazine and
fliled thirteen eight quart cans at 4 little
creek that ran nearby and placed them in
the shooting wagon. Then l measured out
Il quart of nitro-glycerine and put that in
an eXtGa can that | slowed away in the
wagon box and started for the mystery.
miles away. On the edge of
The town [ found my guide waiting, and
he climbed to a seat beside me. For two
hours We followed the mountain ridge
road. then veered gradually down the |
side until we reached the forest, |
where the road became very rough. 1t was
a lumber camp trail. strewn with tree
tops and barred by sandstone boulders as
large as an ice house. Twice the wagon
tipped over. and ii was 3 o'clock when We
reached the well.
There We're perhaps half a dozen scouts
and land sharks concealed in the woods
developments. l unhitched the
team and carried the cans and shells into
the derrick. L filed the shells just os
carefully as though they were being loaded