The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-01-05
THE HOMEWORTH
OIL FIELD.
Personal Investigation to Get
at the Facts.
WHAT THE FIELD CONTAINS
And what the Prospects For the Future
Are, Set Forth BY one who In
yestigat In an Unbiased

SpiEib'
The editor of the Salem Herald made
a thorough personal investigation of
the Homework oil field, part of which
is in Stark county, and in two column
article gives an exhaustive description
of the present condition of developments
there. In part he says:
While awaiting for developments,
CLEANED considerable information in re-
gard to the new oil field. 1t has been
prospected by ten wells since June OF
this year. The first was put down by
the Grove company just west of West
Vile, to the depth of 1,400 feet. 1t
proved duster and the rig still stands,
a monument to a wasted thousand or so.
Soon leasing began in earnest. The
Renner Brewing company, of Youngs-
town, holds much territory.
Individual parties control so many
smaller tracts, until it can be said that
all available lands have been taken up,
with two exceptions.
The territory is easy to prospect, Be-
rea sand, the only Ohio oil strata, being
struck at about 725 feet. Such test
can probably be made for about $1,000.
John Post, son of Joseph Post, and
E. NJ. Hukill, of Pittsburg, put a well
largest producer in the field, and when
water can be had will pump from six
to ten barrels a day.
The Commeron we'll yields two barrels
a day by pumping. About 25O barrels
have been tanked on this property
This is worth something with crude
oil at $1.66 barrel. A few other wells
would be on about the same standing if
worked
Wednesday night E. NJ. Hukill shot a
we'll on the Rumsayer farm. One hun
dred and forty quarts Of nitro glycerine
were used. The charge was too heavy
and the casing collapsed and slipped
down. This hole is flowing water now
in large quantities. A well on the
Knoll farm, south of Homework, will
be shot Saturday.
The above covers all the work done
in the field, except Joseph Posts. He is
an old and experienced operator and
his tests are being watched with a great
deal of interest. The shooting of
Thursday attracted a crowd of nearly
70 men, women and children.
The 100 quart charge was brought over
land 40 miles, from Scio. The nitro
glycerine was frozen solid. Some three
hours were consumed in thawing the
stuff. 1t was handled gingerly, much
as a man handles his first born babe.
To drop a can of it meant asingle fare
trip up or down, as the case might be.
This depended entirely on the religious
proclivities of the man behind the can.
At o'clock everything was in readi-
ness and the weight to fire the charge,
which had been carefully lowered, was
dropped into the hole. A moment later
a muffled crack rang out. A deep
rumbling followed. The earth trem-
bled. An instant later an eight inch
stream of water, oil, steam and mud
spurted up, carrying away portion of
the top of the rig. Up, it went to a
height of 15S feet, and then fell in a
spray all around. 1t was a grand sight
that once seen is never forgotten.
Investigation showed that about IL
feet of the top casing had been blown
away. This was readjusted and driven
down. Water poured into the hole.
Experienced persons claimed a very
successful shot, although the produc-
tiveness of the we'll will not be known
until it is pumped a few days later.
The cost of shooting a well alone is
estimated at $3.50 so it may be
known that prospecting for oil is not
always done for fun.
A reasonable amount of excitement
and large amount of interest is being
manifested in the field which is limited
to Knox township. No oil has been
shipped as yet. Certainly no big pro-
ducers have been brought in yet, but it
must be remembered that testing is in
the embryonic state. The general opin-
ion is that fair sized pool of oil exists
some where in the field and lucky will
be the man who strikes it. The condi-
tion of things at present precludes any
roseate accounts but it is not amiss to
say that the territory now being tested
in Knox township may, at not far dis
,tant date, attract the attention of big
oil operators throughout the country.
The meager prospecting so far, with
the fine results attained, have been suf-
ficient to enhance the price of real es-
tate in that vicinity.