130 ANNUAL REPORT. 
became the property of the Cumberland Oil Company. In 1807 
P. Be Vore drilled) a swell on) the Hlopkins) farm, istilljtarther cast, 
and, securing a small producer, sold the lease to the Octo Oil Com- 
pany, of Pittsburg, which drilled 25 wells on the farm, 20 of 
which were producers. A year later H. H. Burns, of Manning- 
ton, West Virginia, purchased from Swayne and Bailey for $7,000 
the lease on the second J. Mozier farm, and in 1899 drilled 20 wells 
on the place, 16 of which were producers. These operations seemed to 
have determined the limits of this part of the field, and the following year 
was given to the development of the territory confined within these lines, 
though some effort has been made to extend the productive territory. 
In 1899 drilling began actively in the territory south of the Dale farm, 
and has been progressing since that time. In 1902 wells were being 
sunk west of Federal station on the M. C. & C. railroad. The sand in a 
valley was found at 53 feet, the interval between the Ames limestone and 
the oil rock being 65 feet. The wells are small and the sand spotted, so 
that very little can be expected from this part of the field. 
In the spring of 1899 a well was drilled on the land of E. J. Lambert, 
two miles south of Chester Hill. When put to pumping iv started at 60 
barrels, but the production decreased so rapidly that the well was aban- 
doned the following December. Within a year 40 wells were drilled 
in this field, one-half of which were failures. In December, 1900, the 
Southwest Petroleum Company and A. J. Lovell bought the pool for 
$37,000, the production being 37 barrels per day. The first well was 
drilled on the Crayton farm between two dry holes 400 feet apart, and a 
30-barrel producer secured. With this encouragement other wells were 
drilled in quick succession and the pool was soon connected with the pro- 
duction lying to the northwest and to the northeast. 
While the territory west of Chester Hill was being developed the drill 
was busy in the valley of Wolf creek, east of the village. Oil had been 
known in this valley for nearly 40 years. A well is reported to have been 
driJled in 1864-5 along this stream on the Mercer farm, in the northeastern 
corner of Wesley township, Washington county. It produced for a short 
time only, but demonstrated the existence of the liquid. However, this 
discovery was of no pecuniary importance, since further exploration was 
not made for 35 years. ‘The first of the modern producers was drilled 
in March, 1899, on the northeast corner of section 2, Marion township, 
Morgan county. Other wells followed in quick succession, and a small 
pool was developed which later was connected with the principal strip along 
the creek. 
In the early spring of 1900 Lane & Vanlaw drilled a well in the ‘ex- 
treme northwest corner of Wesley township, Washington county, on the 
H. A. Vanlaw farm, about one-eighth of a mile from the creek. A small 
producer was secured, and another well was begun. Before the latter 
