The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-08-08
DARING SHOOTERS
MoonIighters In the Early Days
Of Our Oil Wells.
FORCED TO WORK IN SECRET.

FORCED TO WORK IN SECRET.
These Bold spirits, to Dodge the Owner
Of the Patent Method Of Shooting
Wells, Had to Operate At Nisht-Msn
and Machinery Often Annihiiatsd.
One Of the most dangerous and at
the same time romantic phases Of the
early oil business was known as moon
lighting. In the beginning Of the oil
excitement a certain man held the pat
emit on the method Of shooting the
wells. Having a monopoly of tho
trade. he could and did charge what
ever price he saw ct.
As q result of this condition of
affairs there sprang into existence a
plumber Of bold spirits who began the
manufacture Of ni~troglycerin. the ex-
plosive used. and shooting the wells
for much less money than the patent
holder charged. They were forced
to use the greatest secrecy in their
work, for the patent holder had men
employed for the express purpose Of
: spying on all the wells drilled. A stiff
6ne for the first ofense and a prison
term for the second were the punish
ments inflicted on the man unlucky
enough to get caught. These outlaw
shooters had their plants for making
the glycerin located in some out of the
way spot and when their services were
required did their shooting by oon
light, hence the name moonlighter.
Many and varied were the adventures
that befell these moonlighters. A
driller coming out from town to a well
one day saw a can half hidden in q
fence corner and stopped to investi-
gate. Taking of the lid, he saw what
he supposed was lard oil. Well pleased
with his find. he took it along with
him. He showed his treasure to his
mates at the well and then used some
Of it to lubricate the engine. For some
reason the men were called from the
vicinity of the derrick. They had got
but a short distance when there was
an explosion that fitted the costly n
CINE for the scrap heap. A close in
spection of the supposed lard oil re-
vealed the startling fact that it was
nitroglycerin. 1t was a frightened lot
Of men who gingerly returned the can
to the fence corner from which the
driller had taken 1t.
It proved to be the property OF q
moonlighter, who had left It there, in
tending to return for it that night.
In so dangerous an occupation az
moonlighting many fatal accidents
were to be expected. l recall very dis
tinctly two that occurred within a short
time Of each other.
In the first. the moonlighter, a big
blond Swede, had come straight from
his wedding to the well. The liquor
he had been drinking in celebration of
his marriage had rufled his usually
placid temper. He had filed the shell
with the glycerin and was endeavor-
ing to slip the cap into place. His
hands were a trife unsteady, and he
fumbled it several minutes. Finally,
losing his temper. he roughly jerked
the cap into place and struck the per-
cussion cap a heavy blow with his
fst.
very earth. The derrick and everything
In 1t was blown to flinders. The men
who had been watching the operation
were instantly killed.
Some time later another terrible &C.
cident happened. The m~Oonlighter
was a young fellow and noted for his
careful work. The well he was to
shoot had made a fine showing in the
sand, and the owner confidently ex-
pected a gusher. The shot was started
down. and everything seemed to be
going all right. There were several
men In the derrick, and q tool dresser
stood waiting for the shot to reach the
bottom of the well when the piece Of
o he held in his hand, which was
called the go devil. would be sent down
to set it Oh. The moonlighter let the
rope. which was stretched taut by the
weight of the heavy shot. run through
his hands. Suddenly the rope slack
ened. He knew only too well what
that meant. The gas in the well was
forcing the shot back out.
1T Ia coming out! For Gods sake
help me catch It" he yelled to the tool
dresser.
With a shrek the tool dresser 6ed,
and the others. knowing their terrible
danger, followed him. The shooter,
prompted By the mad hope OF catching
the shell as it came out and thus avert
ing the disaster. stuck to his post.
There came a d~eafening explosion
that reduced the derrick to q mass OF
kindling wood. The boiler and engine
twisted wrecks. Strewn upon
the ground were the mutilated remaina
Of what had been 80 short q time b.
a. = M E 81. .AFE ~ u "a -