The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-10-17
DARING SHOOTERS
iMponIighters In the Early Days
"A of Our Oil Wells.
FORCED TO WORK IN SECRET.
These Bold Spirits, TO Dodge the Owner
OF the Patent Method of Shooting
Wells, Had to Operate at Nisht-Men
and Machinery Often Annihisted.

I HHu fWdSfl'u'y OthVH SNt'il''hchths
/ 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
ent on the method Of shooting the
| wells, Having a monopoly of the
trade he could and did charge what
ever price he saw ft
As result of this condition of
affairs there spraug into existence a
number of bold spirits who began the
manufacture of ntrogIycerln. the ex
| piosiye 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 Tor tue express purpose of
sIrihc IN MI the wells drilled A stiff
| fine for the first dffenso and prison
term FOR the second were the punish
laertsy Inflicted on the man nnlucky
enough to got caught These outlaw
shooters had their plants for making
The glycerin located in some ont az the
way spot and when their services were
required did their shooting 10y moon
light. hence the name moonlighter.
Many and varied were the adventures
that bcfcll these moonIightcrs. A
diiIer coming ont from town TO n well
one day saw IAN half hidden in
fcnce Corner and stopped to invest-
cote. Taking off the lid. he saw what
M SUPPOSED was lard oil Well pleased
with his find. he took It along with
hhn He showed his treasure Ia his
hlates NJ the welt and then used some
of II to hibrieate the engine. For some
reason the men were called from the
vlihitr OF the derrick They had got
hot i short tliStince when there WAS
IN explosion that fitted the costly on.
zine ~. the scrap heap A close in
spection of The supposed lard oil re
vealed the startling fact that il was
nitrogiyccrins II was frightened lot
~ men who gingerly returned The can
in the fcncc corner from which the
cgillcr had takcu it.
II proved fo loo tho property Of \
iuooullghjcE who had loft il there. in
Tending 10 return for il that night
Ia 50. daugerous an occupation rs
noonIighting many fatal accidents
were 10 he expected ! recall very dis
tinciiy two that occurred within short
lime of each other.
In the first. the moonlighter. Zig
blond Swcde. had come straight from
his wedding to the well Tie liquor
Nc had been drinking In celebration of
his marriage had ruftied his usually
placid temper He had filed the shell
with the glycerin and was endeavOr-
inc,te ~Slip The cap into place. His
hands 1Stvere -trifle unsteady, and he
fHntlatr II several minutes Finally.
losing his temper. he roughly jerkcd
the cup Into place and struck the per
'aissioii cap u heavy blow with his
fist
There was crash that shook the
very ,airtb Tho derrick and everything
in II WAS blown 30 binders. The men
who bad been watching the operation
were Instantly killed.
Some time later another terrible ac-
cident happened. The mouulichter
was young fellow and noted for his
careful work The we'll he was to
shoot had made fine showing in the
sand. and the owner confidently ex-
pected a gusher The shot was started
down, aud everything seemed to be
going all right There were several
men in the derrick. aud a tool dresser
stood waiting for the shot to reach the
bottom OF the well when the piece Of
iron he held In his hand. which was
called the go devil. would be sent down
10 set II off The Inoonlighter let the
rope. which was stretched taut 10y the
weight OF the heavy shot, run through
his hands Suddenly the rope slack
cncd He knew only too well what
that meant The gas In the well was
forcing the shot back out
1T is coming out! For Gods sake
help me catch it, he yelled TO the tool
dresser.
With shrek the tool dresser fed.
aud the others. knowing their terrible
danger. followed him. The shooter.
prompted by the mad hope of catching
nthe shell as II came out and.ihus avert
big the disaster. stuck 60 his pest.
There caine dcafening explosion
that yeduced the derrick TO a mass OF
kindlihg wood The boiler and engine
were twisted wrecks. Strewn upon
,he ground were the mutilated remains
% what had been 50 short time be
fore strung Rene The moonlighter.
who had, tried with such desperate
courage io-save them. had been com
pietely anuihilaied
.Nlirogiycerin is when handled in
broad daylight and under most favor
able conditions a dangerous article.
How greatly the danger was increased
~. handling It rs the hioonlighters
were compelled 10 NAV easily bc un-
deusf16si, Il was without doubt
most hazardous occupation. hut the ex-
viiement connected with ~. 10 say
nothing ~ the isrge amount Of money
received fcr their services. proved irte-
sistihie 10 the reckless and daring fcl-
inTs who became mOonlishters.-pitis-