Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-09-30
Special to the Register.

Rpeclaf 10 the Register.
WESTON, w. Va, September 29.-
Dame fortune has inverted her pie
thorie cornu copias into the lap of the
Copley family on Sand Fork, Lewis
county, in the shape of prodigious oil
well. the equal of which has never been
produced in the State. 1t came in I'M
per hour. Since then it has increased
to about three hundred barrels The
oil men have lone their best to save
the oil. which was wasted in enormous
quantities to lie extent of thousands
of barrels, by daming the rivers and
other points where the fluid has col
1ected.
Sand Fork, the prospective field OF
development, is largely settled by
Irish. The people of that section are
loyal Catholics who, having lived hum
bly, for years, are now destined to be
rich from the production of oil on their
farms.
The Copley heirs are elated over their
great fortune and many are the anus
ing stories told on the old folks when
le great strike was announced. Lit
rally, they are like fish out OF water
Is sudden tide of prosperity has
te overthrown their equilibrium.
the old lady sat on the kitchen
Rrch last Sunday, succeeding the day
,ne strike, she and her son, Nike
ERE discussing the advisability OF
communicating the good news to Pat
in Pennsylvania.
Nov, sure, Nike" said the good old
unsophistocaled lady, in coniding
tones, I'VE must write to Pat, who's
in Pennsylvania about our luck"
Hist, marry bit, mither," wisely
ended her son. We'll telegraph it,"
And SO they did, Tor the old lady had
momentarily forgotten the possibilities
of their present wealth. She had lived
on Sand Fork for % odd years as a
humble farmers wife, without dream
ing OF the luxury Of telegram. Con-
sequently Pat heard of the familys
luck in short order. and fastened to
the old home place with all speed.
Like most of their faith. the Copleys
are devoutedly religious, and as is their
wont they walk to church on Sunday,
a distance of two miles, the convenience
of riding being deprived them on ac-
count of their limited means.
However, on last Sunday, the old
folks found on going to church many
SrA0ss at their disposal gfatui-
tous4y offered by their neighbors.
Nothing is now too good for the Cop
leys. say these obliging neighbors. Be-
sides the neighbors the Copleys find
themselves constantly beleagered by
millionaire oil spectators and hordes
of agents endeavoring to buy royalties.
But each and every would-be buyer is
informed in the Celtic brogue that no
interest in the oil is for sale. The
heirs are jealousy guarding their IN
terests against a serious consideration
OF the proposals of the agents and spec
ulators. They realize they have good
thing and will hold to it.
sand Fork Lies
fifteen miles southwest OF the county
seat. Weston, and the turnpike lead
ing to that point is swarming with
train of buggies and oil wagons, the for
ner bearing representative oil men and
the latter piping and tapkage. The way
Is strewn with TASKS of every descrip-
aliOu udNiuS WHlohS pNSf Ae~|o-N1'
Booze is an indispensable article, it
seems, in the promotion of an oil boom.
Every one who drinks, drinks more than
ever, and many OF those who never
drank. drink now Mingled with the
smell of the crude petroleum are the
inebriating fumes of liquor, Speak
easies are springing UP all over the
field like mushrooms in the night. The
1T.
section, are expecting a new era of
prosperity Their brands can be found
on sale in all the improvised liquor
joints. 1t is also a noticeable and
lamentable fact that boom is invar
iably attended by great degeneracy in
morals, for even at this early date
scores of lewd women from the nearby
cities are fiocking to the neighborhood