The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-31
WEST VIRGINIA OIL CRAZE.
Sudden Fortunes Brought to Owners
of Poor Lands.
From the New York sun.

From the New York sun.
Parkersburg. w. Va. Dec. 22.--West Vir-
ginia is passing through an oil craze at
present. A stranger at one Of the hotels
anywhere hereabouts viii hear nine men
ont Of ten talking about the clinal and an
ti-clinal. salt sand and Berea grit, gas.
pressure and leases, 45-degree line ana
ROYALTIES and a thousand and one other
things which are more or less meaningless
to him. What he does understand all re-
lates to oil Some men and women are
growing rich while others are losing every
thing In the rush for oil.
Nature, in this instance, has been mos
charitable as the greater part OF the De
velopment thus far has been on lands so
poor that the owners were put to 1t TO
make a living. Rough and rocky hills ana
soiIloss creek bottoms, almost worthless
for farms, produce nine-tenths OF me OH
in West Virginia. and hundreds or poor
farmers who a few months ago found II
dificu|t to raise the cOmmonest kind OF
food and pay for the cheapest of clothing
are to-day monthly depositors i'm the banks
of this city. Royalties and rentals are be-
ing paid in sums ranging from a rev dol
lars up 10 thousands every month to far-
mers clad in rusty butternut and ragged
clothing Drake farm was rented SIX
months ago for $3.50. The man who leased
the place lost confidence in the territory
before any development was made ana Of
fered il to an oil land Spectator for $40.
His offer was refused by this Spectator,
bur was taken by another A few days
ago the lease was sold for 100000 and the
owner of the land has an income from
his ROYALTIES and rentals of 10000 A year
ago Young farmer living near this city
was head over ears in debt ana was az
last compelled to move TO farm owned
by his mother, fourteen miles north, III
order 10 make a livelihood He leased the
land for oil purposes a few months ago
and in less than sixty days three paying
wells were struck on the place. They were
all good wells and the royalties amounted
TO almost an independent fortune
The farmer paid his debts and put some
money into a bank and was about 10 start
back Yesterday when he received the intel
ligence that another weil-a gusher this
tirne-had been struck on his farm. The
last well is considered the best shallow.
sat sand well in West Virginia, and is re
ported to be flowing 100 barrels an hour
In a law office here there is notary pub
lis who seldom had a dollar to spare. The
LAWYER received several months ago, IN
return for legal advice, a twenty-acre lease
of a farm twelve miles away. As reward
to the notary for little acts of kindness
the attorney gave him a fourth interest
Last Tuesday a well was struck on the
lease, and 1t is now quoted as a twenty
barrel-an-hour well.
on scouts are travelling, all over this re-
gion hunting for desirable properties. The
scout keeps tab on all the wells, producing
or dry, for miles around. lie thereby Sc
cures a knowledge through which his en-
Movers some wealthy firm or corporation
are enabled to get the best paying territory
OF. to buy out good producing wells. Nearly
every large oil company has i'm It's employ
a number OF scouts. Following the scout
comes the leaser of lands. His business
is to select what Is considered valuable
territory for prospecting and 10 secure
leases binding himself 20 sink or begin a
certain number Of wells in certain num-
Der Of days, and to pay a certain monthly
rental These lcases are all plotted and
offered for sale to the Spectator or pros
pector Sometimes IL occurs that a lease
Is refused as valueless and Is given up
when, perhaps, within sixty days develop
ment IN its vicinity brings u within the
producing boundary and there Is rush
for lis possession. one prospector may
offer 500 for IT, and en- less than twenty
four hours nnoi her may increase the bid
to 1000 or even 5000 with "a royalty OF
ons-ctg htn OF 0uC-fOurth Of the OIL.
Al these things add 10 the excitement
OF the pursuit. which o. not. however. con-
fined 10 tho search Zoe oil. Natural gas
which some years ago was allowed 10 80
10 waste ns usolosr. is now eagerly sought,
Good elH wells are ln many localities much
moro valuable even tDpn good Oh wells, one
gas Wcli may produce enough gao - ruu
"a whole pool or section Of oil wells. Wink
others are sold ~ che 1.s RaH comic ~.
and ihe product o. D'pad 40 distant towns.
Tho coy ~ FnfhersDufg Is an Instance.