The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-22
.CTIpMUNK'S RICH SAND.
MANI FORTUNES MADE QUICKLY IN
NEg FORKS NEW OH FIELD.

Wealthy Suddenly - Riches That Have
Flowed out OF wells in Ne Months-A no.
mama on tho Seneca Indian Reservation.
BOLIVAR, N. ", Aug. 21.-Tho most curious
oil fold in the world has been developed In New
York State In the past year. The new pool 10
located along Chipmunk Run, n mountain brook
that emptios into tho Allegany River In tho
southeastern corner Of Cattaraugus county. The
field as defined ut present extends along both
sides OF the Chipmunk valley for four miles and
varies in width from 100 rods to two miles. Tho
mouth OF the valley butts up against the Seneca
Indian Reservation.
OF course Chipmunk has q history, but thoro
is no record showing why the valley received
such q name. Even the Oldest inhabitant does
not remember. The nRmc was there when he
came and blazcd a road among the tall pines and
picked out n level spot for a log cabin. 1t was n
year and a half ago. when George Sheridan Of
Olean, an oil man of experience, but no capital,
induced DIR. J. p. Colegrove of Salamanca, who
possessed capital but no experience, to test the
Chipmunk Valley for oil. Several wells
were drilled, but they proved to be value
less. Just enough oil was found in each
well to keep up tho experiment until
Colegrove was discouraged. Then came a
lucky turn. Newton g. johnson Of Bsad-
ford, drillers and contractors. were consulted.
In order to hold II lease OF tho King tract 1t was
ttSoN W NhAht" u u ob'Ns SOtNS pAa
Sheridan offered the contractors a half interest
in all their leases II they would drill q well on
the King lot. The offer was accepted after a
great deal Of hesitation. 1t was regarded as a
foolish move by the contractors, but they were
willing to chance 1t once for luck. 1t was to be
tho last test before giving up the field.
The progress Of tho well was watched with
feverish interest by Colcgrove and Sheridan.
The night before the sand was reached they re-
,n,tpaJ NJ fhn xpnl II UNA N atprYny piubf hut
they had too much at stake TO mind that. The
next afternoon, May l, 1896. at a depth OF 575
feet, the drill tapped twenty-five feet Of rich
gray sand and the hole filled with oil. A mes
sage was sent to a torpedo office and the next
day the we'll was shot. 1t made a fine flow and
started Off at the rate of $50 barrels a day. 1t
was the key that unlocked the field.
The owners were jubilant, but other oil opera
tors laughed at them, and said that no shallow
well ever lasted long. King No. l. as 1t was
christencd, paid for itself in four days, and in
the first thirty days it poured out g.. 500 worth
Of oil, and is still flowing $50 barrels a month.
This one we'll has produced n small fortune.
Colegrovo, Sheridan x Co. had great faith in the
field. and proceeded to drill more wells, but 1t
was carly in September before other operators
realized what a good thing C%hipmunk was, and
began to scramble for leases. When the time
came to shut down drilling for the winter, there
were ooo "cllS tOllpltteu, uLu u nlouIuls pTO-
duction OF the pool was $4,000 barrels.
SO great became the scramble for leases tho
some fabulous prices were paid to farmers.
Coast s. Son, of Olean paid John McCatfrey
$4,000 bonus and an eighth royalty for u fifty
acre slice Of his farm, and other operators paid
large sums for what appeared to be desirable
property. Some of the lease hunters bought
gold bricks, for there is not n more deceptive oil
field than %Chipmunk. 1t is a g~uesswork land.
drilled within 200 rect Of zoo barrel wells.
mouth OF the valley the ChIpmunk formation is
found, at a depth Of 1872 feet. and back on the
upper end OF the field the sand is thirty feet in
thickness. and further down the valley IL is
ley there is a heavy gas pressure in the wells,
and at the mouth Of the valley there is scarcely
%s,e gas ss sRa ihS wells IS , Ssss' sts aseSG on fE Ss A sHls
!, been been d 11U Hras oat o i.s salt nv water bnE b, but dx the ope
that trouble. Salt water. Which is the curse q
the field. underliss the oil sand, and II the drill
and there is trouble. Another popularity er
lists at the mouth OF the valley. Three oil sands
, ARE foand' 4 the ab nsSf iS at q depth ,5ah Of ai 29 NE feet t., Mhi to,
r $2.65 a barrel: the second at a depth Of 35i
, feet; WI, whi Eh contains an a small aIaan \ 1Ss Of oil and
/ spring the road up the valley was a yellow
t R Vision 81 Pt the Western sHs1nS New SSe1 York ri a aHs f Peans vi
4 | hhlh ! tloobco II u u luo Ntllcl
, days there was an Average Of atty cars loadei
8 A station was built, an agent sent there. and al
normous amount Of business done: a ,ele
t Hundreds Of people locked to tho new del,
. every day and dozens Of hemlock boarding
houses were built along the road up the valley:
): i Inst nnS ,,s s,v al ,opsI rat Began a buSt,ns q,
OF the oil country Is that operators shall keel
s back a reasonable distance from the Ieas
within eight feet OF each other or on adjoining
. farms, A company OF railroad employees lease,
8 and Pennsylvania railroad and drilled wells OF
9 both sides of the track for Il long distance
5 the ends of the ties and the right of way line
e and no sooner had they started these wells thai
road right OF way began TO buck the line an
drill, wells within n few feet OF those of hi
. f than three an acres @ri nions SG 9So Pail 70 + %f trsc Gn FL r.
result was that the territory was drained. On
well on ten acres is usually the rule.
% C%hipmunk oil is light green in color, "liyely.
/. and cannot be distinguished from tho best Penn
h sylyania crude. The operators think that
Independent refinery Is buying some Of the pro
d duct at an advance OF ten cents a barrel over tn
pipe lines cover every part OF the field. Tho o
d runs by gravity from the storage tanks on tn
e t tSe ssi iG yhG an ni9f R p ihen stf foTeed a thr sne % % ihre :
h inch pipe line to Clean. n storage station ON tn
c. Dig pipe llne tnhU runs 10 the SeabOaru reunerlei
n When the oil boom came the Chipmunk va
10 ley WAS q sleepy hollow, shut in by hills fv
L Der had been cut away and fro had run throug
the slashings. There were a few good farir
houses along the creek that wound down tn
10 valley, and slab and stump fences were man,
o, The nearest post office. was five miles ava!
Nd The farmers worked hard and never eve
" dreamed that the underside OF their farms wa
d lined with n flood OF oil that was waiting fc
70 the tap of the drill to bring them more none
ID than their old.fashioned leather pocketbook
st had ever held.
or An old tram road that had been used to ha,
10 lO~s from the upper end OF the valley to % SAY
mill. a mile above the railroad station, WI
70 turned to account last winter when the roa,
in became impossible, anda regular train schedu
90 - in operation now. The road was repaired al
N fitted up to haul freight and passengers. One
1t the little engines In uso Is OF II type long sin,
Id lost sight Of; 1t Is a cross between II hand car,
~ flaming mill. and Il Waterbury watch. but 1
In The rails are light. and there is no ballas
O. Through the swamps the rails are spiked to tir
Is- bers laid lengthwise. The coach IL a combin
re ton OF passenger, baggage, and observation Gu