Evening journal., 1919-06-19
CHESTER'S 4-INCH
WELLS YIELD OIL
Seepage Found by John ].
Lewis Estimated at AZ
Gallons a Day
RESIDENTS HAVE
VISIONS OF RICHES

The latest thing in oil wells has beer
developed by John j. Lewis, Of Lyn
dell. Chester County, Pa, who simply
digs row Of them. foot deep, along
side Of the house with a garden trow-
el While this does not result in the
production OF the usual crude oil on
largo scale. it seems TO produce enough
nil on great natural refinement to keel
me home lamps burning. Indeed, some
of the ncighbors say the kerosene
which Air-Lewls draws from the tank
I'M the basement of his general store
burns no better in their lamps than thai
which he scoops with a tin dipper from
his hand-dug wells on The bank OF lhC
east branch Of BrandyWine creek, Wlllch
runs beside H.
Al FIRST the wiseacres smellcd a lear
from the tank. but The amount oil ih,
seepagc and the extent TO which the OH
From the ground differs from pure kero-
sene seems TO have caused them TO nave
abandoned this theory. Moreover, no
leak I'M the tank could be found and amy
attempt 10 fool anybody in The matter
did not tally with Mr.. Lcwiss reputa-
lion among his neighbors.
Next a possible leak from some neigh
boring pipe line was suspected as the
explanation Of the, mystery but the
nearest ones are far, far away. and mo
one seems TO have been able TO locale
any OIL like this In them anyway, so
hat this theory has lost popularity lat
.erly. The result has been That more
md more Of those who came To soon
RENAME 10 pray that the proposed op-
.raiions Of the oil men who have been
requiring leases on ground near py
nav prove successful. either because
they have leased their ground ON the
usual one-elghth-o the output basis
have become stockholders In one OF
,he companies formed or forming, or
slse have declined 20 lease and will sink
wells themselves n the other fellow
discovers new oil neld.
n the "heldn pans oui, as the san
vuine are hoping that 10 will, man VIII
Dnoe more be indebted 90 the horse,
who so eften figures In the stories OF
The pr0sprrtor's lucky tnd, though in
lhis ease Mr.. Lewls's horse Will have
10 share honors with the much-cursed
punciured tire.
II appears that Mr. Lewis, who had
been brought up on a farm in the
neighhorhoOd, two years ago bought
tho general tstore at Lyndell, beside
which the Brandywine flows, and a
year ago bought horse 10 help in the
work Of delivery. II the banks were
90 sieep TO make possible the leading
NJ the horse 60 water, so far as making
aim drink was concerned the effect 'ot
bringing him water In a bucket from
NE nearest point Of the stream was the
same
He wouldn't touch Il on account Of
Nhat was then called scum" This
/oeeved. Mr.. Lewis a bit then, for II
meant carrying the water further, but
he crouch has disappeared and the
scum" Is now held In reverence, for
NE action Of the horse and the remarks
81 Mr.. Lewis caused the matter TO be
discussed in the ncighborhood.
TWO months ago some of the neigh
5ors started 20 Harrisburg 10 attend
4 teachers convention and were ield
np by a puncture near where some
irillers were at work. After The fash
on OF OH men, the drillers in the con-
gersation which ensued during the re-
pair. inquired whether there was "any
bin down your way Being told, half
lestingly. IL was running away down
nc creek they decided TO investigate
later and did.
This brought on 10 the scene the
Farmers OIL Company, Inc, Of Lam
,aster. for whom the drilling at Lea-
nan place was being done. Accord
ng 20 H. o. llartzell Of this company
h has acquired oil leases on 1900 acres
Of land adjoining the oil secpage and
will commence drilling as soon as a
new parkersburg OUTFIT purchased for
The operation can arrive and be set up.
Mr.. Lewis and many Of the farmers In
The vicinity now hold shares of the
company.
70 seems that The operation Of the
Farmers OH Company, at Leaman
place was undertaken as the result OF
the sudden appearance Of oil very like
that now found at Lyndell In q well
which had always been used for drink
ing purposes, the change in the well be-
ng so sudden as 10 make the owner
Inspect malice on the part Of a neigh
Dor. This oil appeared first mmedi-
ltely after some heavy blasting Not
long ago the Penn Trap Rock Company,
since been operating near Lyndell on a
much larger scale than heretofore. us
Ing charges Of dynamite OF very unus-
ual size. That this blasting may have
caused some cleavage of the rock for
nation and allowed the oil TO find its
way to the surface I'm greater quantities
Than heretofore is the theory held by
some Of the residents Of DoWningtown.
among them William r. Smedley and
Justice Of the Peace J. Hunter Wills.
The appearance Of oil at this par-
icular place Is not. it is said, entirely
0ev. The former proprietress Of the
store for years complained that she
smelled Of oil after cutting down The
brush along Tie bank of the creek
Directly across the road from the
store, Mr.. and Mrs w +. Muir oper-
ate a pasteboard mill on an eleven-acre
tract Though they decline TO con-
slider a leak from a tank as possible
explanation of the presence Of the
,il. their attitude seems TO be that oil
n any quantity would be too good 90
)e true, especially oil OF such nature,
which, they say men connected WITH