Mexico weekly ledger., 1901-05-16
OIL AT VELLSVILLE.
THE LEDGER GETS THE FACTS
FROM A SPECIAL COR
RESPONDENT.
THE TOWN IN GREAT EXCITEMENT.
---y-----
John J. Callum Writes Most Inter
esting Letter in Reference to
the Outlook wellsville
Close to Mexico.
THE TOWN IN GREAT EXCITEMENT.

| The LEDGER, desiring to get direct
facts in reference to the outlook foi
! oil at Wellsyille, has arranged with a
Especial correspondent, John J. Cal.
lum, to give us the insidenews. Wells.
| vile is only twenty mi-es from Mexico
and if there is oil there there is oil
here. A few years ago we bored a
hole in 'Flat Rock some 1000 feet
deep, but we understand that is not
deep enough to reach oil, even II
it is under US. Mr.. Callum writes the
LEDGER as follows;
Correspondence OF the Ledger
| WELLsvILLE, May 1O.--The town OF
Wellsyille is ina stage Of intense ex-
citement over the discovery Of the in
dication Of oil in this section Of the
county. Excitement is running high
and every one that can is leasing and
taking options on land in and around
the vicinity Of Wellsville.
A. F. Davis, merchant Of this city,
dug well underneath his store about
10 years ago and for a long time the
water was pure and used for drinking
water, until after the earthquake that
occurred a few years ago. After that
the water began to taste bad and con-
tinued TO get worse until he had to
abandon the use of the water en-
tirely. Mr.. Davis went to work to try
to get some one interested, but never
succeeded until a short time ago he got
the Western Union OilC of st. Louis
interested. They sent a representa-
tive here and he took some Of the
water from the Davis well and cou-
pleof springs near town, known as the
Appeing and Whitehead Springs, to
st. Louis and had it analyzed by a
chemist and he said there was no
doubt that there was "oil" in this
section of the country. The company
seemed to be inclined to be conserva-
tive and said they were willing to goI
on record as saying there was oil here
and Of good quality, but would not
say whether it was in paying quanti-
ties or not; but they we're willing to
risk it and would go to boring here
in the next thirty days. Slate rock
has been found in abundance east OF
Wellsville and a piece W. H. Reed has
at the bank. when 9lehed with al
lighted match, sends of an odor that
has an oil smell to It,
Among the companies here are the
Western Union, Plttsburg, Pa, and
the Alleghany OH Company. The
Western Union, of which II. A. Brad
ford is president, has leased over 1000
acres of land, the Allegheny Company
900, and the Pittsburg about $500.
Private parties have leased all they
could get hold Of
A letter dated May 5 from the
Western Union Oil Co. say they will
be on the ground by the 10th to get
ready to go to work. There is no doubt
but that the Indications are very
fiattering for oil at this place. The
only question is, is it in paying guam
titles? That can only be determined
by boring to find out.
There are number of wells that
have been abandoned for more than |
years. ]. L. Swope abandoned we'll |
about two years ago and took his
windmill down; the well is about 100
feet deep.
Mrs. A. R. Stitson, living one and a
half miles east of town, has well she
has not been able to use water out of
for several years.
Land has taken a boom and every
one is in the highest of spirits. Wells
willie bids fair TO have second Beau
mont gusher.
JOHN j. CALLUM.