The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1919-07-18
o. N. POTTER.
(Akron Ohio, Daily Times.)


The Chatham oil field in Medina
county, about rs miles west Of Akron,
which was first prospected by E. R.
Edison & Son, Of Cleveland, in an ex-
perimental way, year ago, is rapidly
developing into what operators con-.
slider the leading "Berea Sand" oil
producing territory in the state. The
little hamlet of 10 SOULS, with it's band
stand in the square and quiet vistas
Of maple lined streets, is doing it's
best to 'slook pleasant" and get ac-
climated to the 'raucous sounds,
oleaginous aroma and sundry other
perquisites Of bona fde, adolescent
oil center
The field, roughly speaking, Is
now IL miles long, by six miles wide,
, extending from Chatham to Litchfield,
on the north. to Lodi on the south and
Lafayette on the east. It contains up
wards Of 150 producing wells and an
average of two or three are being
"broughtain" daily.
Wells are sunk on the premises Of
the best residences in town, almost
contiguous to the soldiers monument
in the town square on the postoffiee
block and beside the blacksmith shop.
The stentorian exhaust and chug-
chug of a drilling rig is SO near it
rattles the windows of the Congrega-
tional church, structure not without
historic interest, by the way, since it
was for number Of years the scene
of the ministerial labors of the father
of Ex-Governor Charles S. Whitman,
Of New York. And striking neigh
borhood tradition Of his precocious
son relates, according to those who
heard it, that at the age of IA he "sup-
piled the pulpit" in the absence Of his
clerical parent.
There are wells and tanks Of oil had
by two of the three stores in town,
the waste of the coveted liquid has
run down the draws" and the in
fammable spray from shooting wells
has satuated the grass in all direc-
tons. One hundred or more tanks Of
oil are stored within the bounds Of
the village and, as there is no fire re-
lief near-and no water if there were
1t is the opinion of the oil gauger
and other observers that nothing but
the absence of spark or stroke Of
lightning stands between the village
and a big fire.
The Buckeye Pipe line has a
branch from the field to Lodi, four
miles distant, through which the oil
is piped, from which point it is
shipped by rail to Cleveland for re-
fnement. The producer furnishes the
power for the piping, the Buckeye
paying for the pump.
Production Delayed.
But there is only storage in Lodi
for 1000 barrels, and as there is
shortage of cars, production is being
/ held up. Three thousand barrels are
now in tanks in the field awaiting
shipment. There is no little chatting
over the situation and several means
of relieving it are in contemplation.
1t is understood the Tidewatef Pipe
line, which is now at Easton, 15 niles
distant, has been investigating the
field with a view to possible connec-
tion. Also the plan Is being considered
of transporting the oil to Cleveland
BY trucks, as there is paved road
from the Sixth City to Litclfield and
Spencer, which are within four or five
miles of Chatham.
Some 40 companies are now il, the
field, including oil men from Texas,
Kentucky, Oklahoma and illinois, also
from Cleveland, Columbus, Akron,
Canton, Elyria, Mansfield, Ashland,
Lima, Findlay, Ashtabula, Fremont,
Bowling Green, Bremen and Pittsburg
and Butler, Pa, and Sistersville and
Parkersburg, W. Va.
There are a number of widely
) known concerns that operate or own
4 important holdings. The Ohio Fuel &
Supply Go. has q number of wells,
sunk since the beginning cf operations
il Chatham township, and they have
$500 acres of leases acquired within
the past year. The Logan Gas & Fuel
Go. has several thousand acres, held