Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-02-11
RUMOR OF OIL GUSHER
ON RUTHERFORD FARM
Reports Circulated Last Evening caus-
ed Some Excitement for
A Time.
FROM The World Of Friday

From The World of Friday
Considerable excitement was caus.
ed around the hotel lobby and other
E'aces yesterday evening when the
rumor was spread that thousand
barrel oil well had been struck on the
Rutherford farm a couple miles south
of this city.
Rumors during the present week had
been to the effect that Mr. II. II. Ruth
erford was drilling for oil on his farm
near Darkesyille Later IL was said
that the we'll drillers had gone down
over 800 feet and early yesterday af-
ternoon It was reported on the street
that the oil sand had been touched and
thar the oder Of oil in the vicinity OF
the drilling was so strong that it was
noticeable for quite a distance.
These earlier ru7nors had been pref
ty generally circulated, and when the
more sensational one of having struck
oil was heard, there was consider
able credence given the matter
Mr. IT, H. Rutherford was seen by
a representative of The Evening
World yesterday evening but he only
laughed when he was asked about the
gusher. He said he did not know how
the rumors had gotten circulated. and
that there was no ground for the one
that thousand barrel gusher had
been struck
Mr., Rutherford was very reluctant
TO talk about the matter, and said
there was nothing in the reports. He
said he had been doing some prospect
ing on his land and that he had a drill
at work, but that he had not yet sunk
the hole to a depth of 900 feet, and
did not know that he would 30 that
far. He also said that the machinery
he had in operation was not the kind
used in drilling oil wells.
Mr.. Rutherford is an extensive own
er of limestone and slate land and he
has drilled many holes in the lime
stone to find ont the quality of the
rock.
Many people in the county have con-
tended for years that there Is oil and
gas here and that all that was need
ed was some one with nerve enough
to spend the money to find out, and
when the rumors spread that Mr.
Rutherford was at work, there were
many who believed that the actual de-
velopment Of the oil land was about to
begin.
One hole was sunk west of this city
some years ago. but for some cause
the hole wa abandoned without set
Ting satisfactorily whether there was
oil there or not.
Since the heavy blasting at the Ma
tional quarries south Of town, it is
claimed that assures have been open
ed and that in many places oil is or
ing out of the ground, and that pools
of water sfter standing awhile are
covere with on oily scum.
1t is known to be fact that Stand
ard Oil experts have been in the coun-
ty and that they have made tests, and
it is claimed that they were satisfied
that both oil and gas would be found
here in quantities
Whetntr or not there is any f0un-
dation for the rumors can not be def
nately stated. Many hope that they
are true and that the prospecting will
continue and oil will b. found.
1t is said this afternoon that one OF
the Standard Oil experts had been
telegraphed for last night and that he
was expected to be on tehe ground at
any time.
These rumors may be all fake, but
there are enough people about the
city, who know SONS thing of the effort
to locate oil here and are sincere in
their belief that there is something
Going, and the balance of the people
hope that they will turn out to be
true.