The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1913-08-21
DARING SHOOTERS
Moonlighters In the Early Days
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 Night-Men
and Machinery Often AnnihiIated.
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 monopoly of the
trade, he could and did charge what
! ever price he saw fit
AS result Of this condition Of
affairs there sprang into existence a
number of bold spirits who began the
manufacture of nitroglycerin, 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
1ne for the first offense 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
hot oh hr
hight, 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 a
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 1t along with
him. He showed his treasure to his
Of it to Intricate 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 en-
glne for the scrap heap. A close in
spection Of the supposed lard oil re-
vealed the startling fact that 1t was
nitroglycerin. 1t was a frightened lot
Of men who glngerly returned the can
10 the fence corner from which the
driller had taken 1t.
1t proved to be the property Of a
moonlighter, who had left 1t there, in
tending to return for 1t that night.
In SO dangerous an occupation as
moonlighting many fatal accidents
were to be expected. I recall very dis
tinctly two that occurred within short
time of each other.
In the first, the moonlighter, big
blond Swede, had come straight from
his wedding to the we'll. The liquor
he had been drinking In celebration OF
his marriage had ruffied his usually
placid temper. He had filed the shell
with the glycerin and was endeavor
ing to slip the cap into place His
hands We're trifie unsteady, and he
fumbled 1t several minutes. Finally
losing his temper. he roughly jerked
the cap into place and struck the per
cussion cap a heavy blow with his
6st.
There was a crash that shook the
very earth. The derrick and everything
IN it was blown to finders- The men
who had been watching the operation
were instantly killed
Some time later another terrible &C
c1dent happened. The moonlighter
was 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 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 waa
called the 60 devil. would be sent down
- set 1t on. The moonlighter let the
rope, which was stretched taut by thu
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 wal
forcing the shot back out.
1T Ii coming outl For Gods sake
help me catch ttr' he yelled to the too
dresser.
With shrek the tool dresser ied
and the others. knowing their terrible
danger, followed him. The shooter
prompted by the mad hope of catching
the shell az 1t came out and thus avert
ing the disaster. stuck to his post.
There came a deafening explosion
that reduced the derrick to q mass OF
kindling wood. The boiler and engine
were twisted wrecks. Etrewn upor
Ahs ground were the mutilatsd remains
19 what had been 80 short q time be
6oce strong men, The moonlighter
who had tried with such desperate
courage to save them. had been com
D1etely annihilated
Nftroglycerin Ii when handled In
broad daylight and under most favor
able conditions a dangerous article
How greatly the danger was increased
~ handling IL an the mooBlighteru