The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-10-25
SHOOTING AN OIL WELL.


Talk Along the Way-The Response
to the Goodwill.
"say, can you fix this reel? I want
1t lust like this other one. Put your
best man on it, and tell him to take MS
time and do it right. l don't care TWO
cen+s what il costs, but if it isn't right
there will be a great big row. The last
one | got fixed only cost me $40 and L
nearly got done for with it and l don
want you to fix this one for less than
five dollars. What do / do? Well, any
one would know you were new TO the
Oil country to ask that with that Wa6oh
standing there"
The speaker was quiet, cookbook
ing man with a clear blue eye, who had
driven up in queer-looking wagon ana
thrown two reels filled with about
three-eight-inch lines on the floor. |
looked with much interest at the vehl-
Gle and outfit, which was well shoot
er's. and found an excellent set OF
springs mounted on first-class wheels
The seat was roomy and turned up on
hinges and disclosed a space divided up
so that a can of nitro-glycerine just
JllGQ RdCH uINlSlOI, WlllIll was Ne'A ~ -
Nv padded, both bottom and sides, and
the bottom covered with rubber that
came up several inches, to catch any
thing that might come from leaky
can, which is no rare thing.
"It might make good axle grease,
but I never wanted to carry the exper-
iment very far, although ! had can
once that [ was carrying in an ordinary
buggy leak down on the axles You see
there isn't much curl to my hair yet,
said the shooter, as he was showing me
the rig.
Each can holds eight quarts, which
weigh twenty-six pounds Some Wag-
ons are made for sixteen cans, although
this one only held twelve. A couple of
brackets bolted to the left hand side of
the body carried the pieces which.
formed the rack for the shells and an
ehors that make the torpedoes. The
arms of the rack are carefully covered
with rope or cloth, and come up high
enough to bring their load within easy
reach of the driver Behind the seat
was room for the reels, &c.
"Mr. Smith said you wanted to see a
well shot, and if you get that reel all
right and couple of go-devils ready by
the time I get back l will take you on,
and as I intend to use the reel you fix
you had better either fix itright ormake
your WILL" said the shooter, with
laugh as he drove off.
Just after dinner he came back, load
ed in one reel, put in the go-devils, took
me and started. The ''go-devils'' are
castings about fifteen inches long, with
kings extending out two inches each
way from a center. They are let fall
into the hole and strike the top of the
shell, setting off the illuminate of mer-
curry cap that eXplodes the glycerne in
the hole They must be of the most
brittle, rotten iron possible, so that they
will go into small pieces after doing
their work.
Soon we left the main road and went
twisting and turning among the trees
and rocks, and presently drew up be-
fore small board building twelve feet
square and eight feet high, that had
sign on both front and rear:
NITRO-GLYCERINE.
Keep AWAY
1t was without windows and the door
had heavy hinges, and a heavy bar
across it was secured by a strong, good
paddock; for, strange as it may seem, |
my companion informed me it was no
uncommon thing to have a magazine |
broken into and q wagonload of the |
contents stolen. On one side of the |
door hung a horseshoe held by a string |
Inside were arranged several wagon |
loads of cans; not shooters wagons, |
but stock wagons, that hold from sew
enty-t-wo to ninety-six cans. Twelve |
cans were quickly placed under the I
seat and we started again. Somehow
the road seemed rougher and the |
horses not nearly so steady after we /
were loaded, although / was assured /
that the wagon always swung easier |
when loaded. AS if this road was too
good, we turned off into a mere track |
where the trees had simply been cut I
down to enable wagon and team to /
get through. L would, much rather
have walked, but my companion
seemed very unconcerned, and I reflect
ed that if it was his ordinary occupa-
ton I would try to stand it for once.
He kept RECALLING me with anecdotes of
his experiences with those who wished
to ride and didn't know his business;
somehow would make him stop While
they got out and ran, while others
would get out and stay long enough to
bless him for not telling before they got
in.
AS the road kept getting sleeper and
stonier did not hear all the stories he
told me, but began to wonder if I could
not manage to get jolted out l am
afraid he guessed my thoughts as he
began telling about the rattlesnakes
and copperheads he had killed going
through this country, and he showed
me string of nine rattles he had in his
pocket. I hate snakes and decided to
hold on, but couldn't help feeling that
the fools weren't all dead yet and fear
ing that one of them might be any
minute, and without leaving much be-
hind him for his friends to mourn over
At length we reached the main road
and in few minutes well up on the
hillside was pointed out as our destina-
ton. Some more rough road brought
is to within about fifty feet of the der
rick door, when the horses were I'M
hitched, taken off some distance, and |
each one securely tied to a tree.
Now the real business of shooting the
well began. After learning the depth |
If the well and how far above the bot |
-om the sand was enough of the small
in pine known as anchors was BROUGHT | J