The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-11-25
''ANDY" OWNER Of
NEW OIL GUSHER
Rapp'S Head Not Turned BY
His Good Fortune
SIMPLE LIFE GOOD ENOUGH
Big Strike Also Brings Happiness to
Family of Man on Whose Farm
1t Is Located-Spiritu-
allst Concerned.

From the New York Herald.
To be suddenly transformed from a man
head over heels in debt, with little pros
pect of ever getting out. to one with an
income of more than $1,000 a day is enough
to turn the head of the average man and
make him want to get away from the
scenes of his poverty. Not so with Andy
Rapp, the Venango Pa.) farmer who
has suddenly become rich through strik-
ing one of the best oil wells that the
Pennsylvania fields have seen in the last
twenty years. The simple life in the back
woods is good enough for him
mo, I'm not going to town and build
big house." he said to a reporter the
other day. I'm going to stay right here.
These hills We're good enough for me
when I was poor and they will be good
enough for me when I am rich or
course, I'll fix up the old house a bit
When | get time, but that's all, unless
my wife wants to go to a city and build"
Clinton townships good enough for
me-" put in the Wife "I'n be perfectly
willing TO live in the same house. though
don't want to work quite so hard as
| have in the past. We've had a pretty
hard time these last twenty years. and
have tried to keep up my end of the
string by working steadily"
Wants to Pay Debts.
We'll, you shall have your rest. all
right" said the husband. Then Mr. Ram
told the reporter the first thing he intend
ed doing with his money was to pay his
debts. They were pretty big, he said
lie recently bought a lease adjoining the
land on which his well is located and was
compelled to borrow the money. Then
there are doctors bills Cfor only wear
ago one of his sons was nearly killed in
the explosion of gas engine). and many
other accounts to square up. After that
ne doesn't know what he will do with his
money.
Rapp's big strike, or the poor mans
gusher,' as it has come to be known. is
a most remarkable well. 1t is located in
territory that was practically regarded as
worthless All around the William With
erup farm, on which the well is located
are hundreds of small wells doing from
a quarter barrel to five barrels a day. On
the Witherup farm itself Rapp had twelve
wells whose combined production was two
barrels day. The sensation that was
caused when the announcement was made
this week that Rapp struck a we'll that
had started off at 1440 barrels a dav NAV
easily be imagined, Many oil men waited
to hear from the pipe line gaugers before
they would believe the statement. but it
was confirmed.
The facilities for taking care of the oil
were wholly inadequate. In very little
time the receiving tank at the well was
filled and then lines were run to all the
neighboring receptacles Word was sent
to the pipe line men to lay a line to the
Standard Oil company's pumping station
two miles distant. The men worked night
and day for forty-eight hours and finally
got the job completed, and the production
is now being taken care of.
Gets $94 an Hour.
AT the original rate Of production Ram
Will receive sS4 for each hour in the TWEEN
ty-four Witherup, the owner of the land,
who has been keeping boarders to make a
living, will receive as royalty s2SS a day
The Witherup farm has the distinction
of having been leased and sub-leased more
than any other property in that section.
1t was originally leased in 1869 to Robert
Ramsey, who was a believer in the super
natural and had a spritualist of Oil City
locate a well for him. After drilling for
a long time on the spot indicated he gave
up In disgust. Other parties took il and
let it go, the wells being so small that
they did not pay. Finally, in 1889. Rapp
got hold of 1t. At times the production
was so small that 1t scarcely paid him to
operate 1t, but he stuck to 1t, and his
recent strike has indicated his Judgment.
A peculiar fact in connection with Rams
gusher Is that it is not far from where
the spiritualist made the location for
Ramsey many, many years ago.