The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-29
Eastern Oil Company's Developments
Are Beginning On Line With
Civil War Entertainments.
OIL FOUND FORTY YEARS AGO
"Gushcr' 2,5O0 Feet Below, Biologists
Claim, and Flow Will Be Strong
Enough to Garry Oil to Railroad
Through Pipe Line.


With each crevice in the land Of their
holdings seeming to be eager to pour
forth its share of q precious product
which they claim cannot be exce11ed
for quality in all the country. the
Eastern Oil Company Ia pushing all
Its force to begin the process of drill
ing their wells within the next month
or so in the new oil fields at Highland
Springs. in the locality known as the
old Moore Farm. Reports of biologists
and competent engineers. according to
statistics in the office of the company,
show the prospects here to border on
the sensational. and the organization
has promises of an almost unbelievable
development of Its hidden resources for
wealth.
Tell OF "Befo' the War;
The land where the proposed wells
will soon be In the course Of operation
lies on the border OF the village Of
Highland Springs. Ave miles due east
Of Richmond. Just of the Nine Mile
Road. The farm. purchased by tho
company recently from Postmaster
Moore. at Highland Springs, was a
hourishing plantation in "befo' the
war" days. and few of those who
worked there in the slave days are
".
oil rumors have risen broadcast in this
neighborhood. these old "uncles" can
bring to mind much information that
tends to confirm the beliefs of those
who contend that the old plantation
will soon become one of the richest oil
fields in the whole country.
1t Is historic place. possessing
much OF a reminiscent value along
with its commercial worth. 1t lies in
the heart of the territory over which
the Blue and the Grey tramped across
and back again, and struggled and
fought and died. old landmarks still
in place showing scars and mars de-
livered by shrapnel. canister and min
ME ball when Richmond's defenders,
sixty years ago. threw themselves
against the forces Of the North An
old oak tree, so ancient that IT might
well have been the abiding place OF
some dusky savage in the early days
when he chose to shelter himself from
the suns heat for a time. and SO
huge as to well afford him shelter for
a night. displays some gaping holes
about lts trunk which upon a closer
view show the signs of rife balls that
scaled its sturdy body II Is said that
young Southern captain hid himself
behind this tree on an occasion. while
dozen OF the enemy shelled his hid
ing place. until finally a stray bullet,
Ktancing sidcwise. drilled him through.
Confederate signal station.
Another tree. standing now alone
nearby on a hill was the Confederate
signal station. visitors are told, where
on one occasion a detachment of troops
that had crossed the river In the dis
taucc were hailed back Just in time to
save another body Of men from annihi-
lation by Federal troops and negroes
crsxed With liquor from a looted dis
titIory not far down the road All
about the place. the old line trenches
thrown up in the dark days of the
Confederacy's attempt TO turn the Union
armys march 10 Richmond. then the
capital city OF the South, are plainly
In view, but growing dim with the
Xears, in keeping with the vanishing
sparks of the old fame that threatened
t. consume the Union. but is now fast
disappearing.
Not far away is the Chickahominy
River and the topography of the
Moore Farm shows that the land slopes
gradually to the waters level The
boundary is sliced here and there with
bitches. through which small streams
OF water flow, and of recent years In
these sheltered. quiet hollows traces
OF the valuable oils have been found
most abundantiy. All about the place
appear outcroppings Of peculiar
sandstone, which authorities say are
known to appear only In a country
where oil Is present
OIL Traces Forty Years Axo.
An old negro. who does not remem
Der his exact age. but does remember
the incidents around his stay on the
old Moore Farm. which was years ago
the Southworth plantation. tells long
story OF how oil was found in springs
and wells there more than forty years
ago. They had big spring he said.
which lay slightly lower than the rest
OF tho land. below a Hill and nearer
the level OF the river. In the winter
this water was the finest on the farm,
but In what he designated as June
OF de summah." a-scum would come
upon the spring. and he would tell his
master that the water could not be
used because of the grease. 1t Is fire.
auent that springs anywhere become
infected at certain seasons from GER
tain natural causes. due 10 their sit
uation and size. ard each summer
when the oil was found on the spring
1t was abandoned until cold weather
came to draw the petroleum. flow
back in the ground again.
Another evidence of the presence of
oil In these regions years ago, comes
from a well grounded story which
came to be almost a proverb with the
negroes who lived there. In the sum
mer. during the warmer months. the
servants were accustomed to knock
Off, half a day and go to the Chick
ahominy to fish. Frequently they
found the fishing useless. because of
a scum that rose on the river and this
condition was so repeated that at their
work or, returning from the river
when the Ash wouldn't bite. they sang.
"Ole oil dribe all de fish erway." ring
ing into a chorus significant fact
that promoters think Will mean wealth
to them In a very few years,
At the Highland Springs schoolhouse.
a short distance from the Moore Farm.
recently the digging OF well was be-
gun, and at the distance of 307 feet
pool Of oil was found. This was the
first strata that biologists had declared
would be found just about the point
where 1T actually showed up. Farther
down, the flow of oil Is not so distinct,
and II is estimated that the drill will
have to go perhaps two hundred feet
more before the second strata of oil
sand will be reached.
Everything Is now in readiness for
the beginning OF operations leading