Our Oil Wells

 The Marietta Intelligencer, February 13, 1861

We are now on the verge of a very interesting period in the progress of these wells. A great number of them are just at this time arriving at a depth at which oil is anxiously looked for and sanguinely expected. In fact, for the last two weeks, it has been no new thing to hear that someone had struck, as he thought, a paying vein; or at least, an additional one of more or less consequence. A few weeks, or a few months, at farthest, will determine whether the valley is rich with this latent treasure, or whether there is only occasionally an isolated spot of wealth. Many of the inhabitants flatter themselves that we have already passed the point of indecision in that matter. 

It is rather amusing to strangers passing along the valley to have almost constantly in view, shelters of boards about the wells, popularly called "shanties." In some places there is quite a village of them. There are, also, derricks over nearly all of the wells. These are usually made of four poles, twenty-five or thirty feet long, raised in such a manner as to very much resemble the corners of a pyramid. At the top of these poles, a pulley is attached, over which a rope is drawn and fastened to a windlass down in the shanty, by which means the drilling apparatus is hoisted from the well. These derricks present rather a novel and somewhat imposing appearance.

There are constantly persons about negotiating for sites. One would have thought that nearly all the bottoms had been let long ago. Not so, however; many of them are yet in the hands of the owners, though every nook and corner will be looked into, as the prospect becomes more favorable. 

The well usually known as "Dutton's Well," situated in Aurelius Township, one mile below Macksburg, is thought to be seriously jeopardized by the rather close proximity of two or three other institutions of the kind. The former partners, however, made a good thing of it, and some of the present ones have made in it a rich investment. A good looking engine has just been set at pumping, and a very commodious building has just been erected over the whole affair; the aggregate cost of both being, perhaps, not far from $1,500. The well has been called a "hundred barrel well." That it has produced one hundred barrels in twenty-four hours, I do not doubt, but it has fallen very far short of averaging that amount. I think that a careful calculation would show an average of about twenty-five barrels per day, from the commencement. But this at the present price of oil would have brought the snug little sum of say $35,000 and that too, in a period of about 90 or 100 days.

A few weeks ago a vein was struck some fifteen feet from the "Dutton's Well," which was thought to be a fine thing. There has, however, as yet, been no great quantity of oil taken from it. They are setting up steam works to pump it and have bored it deeper. It is owned by Dudley McKee & Caldwell of Noble County.

On the opposite side of the "Dutton Well," and but a few yards from it, are two wells owned by a company in Erie County, Pennsylvania, the affairs of which are conducted mainly by Mr. J. B. Smith of the Company. It was thought that he would make a rich "haul" from one of his wells. It poured forth for a time an exceedingly rich stream of oil. Mr. Smith, I understand, expects to procure in a short time, steam works for his wells.

So there will then be three engines almost as near each other as they can be constructed. It is not unlikely that one company will ultimately own all these wells. The net profits of them would then be much greater than when worked by so much machinery. Such, however, will not probably be the case until their aggregate proceeds shall not much exceed the proceeds of a single well if run alone.

Ruralist