Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-08-17
Spee;al to the Register.

spec:al to the Register.
WESTON, w. VA, August 16.-Never
in the history Of oil development. in
West Virginia, say experienced opera
tors, has there been such mad scram-
BILE for wildcat territory as III Lewis
county during the past few weeks.
Thousands of acres are under lease,
which have not only never been actual
ly, but have not been approximately
tested. 1t is looked upon as promising,
however, and many Weston citizens sre
just now enjoying the rather novel ex-
perience of dreams of opulence, which
developments of the next six months
will realize Or shatter. Enterprising
individual operators have been first in
the Geld, and some of the representa-
tives of the big companies find them
selves shut out for the time being.
Weston is already reaping the benefit
of the prospecting No less than a
dozen leasers have been at work
throughout the county, with this COM
munity as their headquarters, and this
new population, together with the
strangers attracted by the hospital in
vestigation, are taxing the modest ca
pacity OF the hotes5.
The big gasser recently struck, about
two and half miles north of Weston,
has given an impetus to the boom, and
in fact is directly responsible for it.
Seldom has SO much contiguous terri
tory been under lease without having
been tested. The oil development in
Lewis county has as yet not assumed
proportions worth mentioning, but it
will be a very few weeks until the drill
will be ,pentrati2g the earth in a dozen
different locations. The eastern and
southern oil companies have large holi-
ings, but a numbes' of individual spec
ulators have gobbled up what looks like
the choice stuff, judged by the indica-
tons upon which experienced operators
base their opinions.
Over in the northwestern portion of
the county is what is known as the
Fork field extending into Doddridge
at that point, and has eight produc
ing wells in Lewis, flowing from Is to
40 barrels. None CT them have been
agitated, and it is generally thought
that they might do considerably better.
Ten miles east of Weston, a showing
Of oil was made in the Summers we'll.
Between Fink and the Summers we'll,
two and a half miles north of Wes-
ton, and separated by only several
hundred yards, are the two big gassers.
The second YVES drilled in very recent
ly, and is reported to have pressure
Of 1000 pounds. Operators have fig
ured On the affinity between gas and
oil, and their usual proximity to each
other, hence the scramble for wildcat
territory.
The Eastern Oil Company has leased
thousands of acres northwest of this
place, and the Southern Oil Company
has secured several big blocks Of land
southwest CT Weston. A Baltimore
concern has made a location nine miles
west CT this place, on a line between
Weston and Fink, and drilling has
commenced. The likely territory east
of Weston has been gobbled up by in
dividual operators.
A flow OF gas in the big gassers was
struck in the fifth sand, and it is re-
garded as significant that the showing
of oil in the Summers we'll was also
found in the fifth sand.
In the southeastern part of the coun-
ty, oil men think indications are good
for a shallow field, possibly extending
across the line into Upshur w
Sparkling & Co., of Pittgburg, got a
20 barrel we'll in that territory, at q
depth Of AGO feet. AS matter of
course everything said Of the Lewis
field at present would be purely con-
jectural but the scramble for leases
indicates how experienced operators
feel regarding the future of this coun-
ty.