152 ANNUAL REPORT 
“Oil had already been discovered at Macksburg, and what turned the 
attention of these men to Cow Run was a gas spring long known to the in- 
habitants in that locality, where gas had for years prior been utilized for 
heating and lighting purposes. 
“The well was put down to a depth of about 160 feet, where oil was 
found, but the surface water was a great obstacle in the way of successful 
pumping. Finally a ‘seed-bag’ was placed on the tubing and crowded 
down to the proper depth to cut off the surface water, and after pumping 
off the water below, a fine production of oil was procured, and the Newton 
well was started on its successful road to fame and fortune. From this 
time on the development was quite rapid, and other wells were put down 
by the slow process of the ‘spring-pole.’ This was a tedious means of get- 
ting them, but two men would tramp down a few feet each day, if no bad 
luck interfered, and finally the rock would be reached and the reward ob- 
tained, unless the operators became discouraged and sold out for a mere 
pittance. One well actually changed hands three times during the drill- 
ing, and was many months getting down, the last and successful operators 
drilling but a few feet before striking a valuable production on an outlay 
of but a few dollars. 
“The Newton leases were for one-fifth of the production as royalty, 
but afterwards the excitement ran so high that one-half was paid as roy- 
alty, the lessors to furnish barrels to haul the production. After a few 
years the Newton property fell into the hands of the Bergen Oil Company, 
a corporation from the east. This company, loaded down with many pur- 
chases in addition to this tract, finally became involved to such an extent 
that judgment was rendered against them in our court for about $30,000, 
and the property was put into the hands of a receiver, the court appointing 
Sheriff Hicks receiver, who proceeded to pump the old well and sell the oil 
until the judgment and costs were satisfied from the proceeds of this well, 
and the property turned back to the company. During the receivership the 
oil was sold at auction, and one lot sold at $15.25 per barrel at the well. 
No wonder that judgments could be paid and fortunes made at such prices — 
for oil. All the world seemed to drift toward the Mecca of Cow Run then, 
and fabulous prices were paid for interests and the territory was cut up 
into small holdings. Finally leases began to expire, and the territory was 
bunched up into large tracts, and to-day the two largest holders are the Ber- 
gen Oil Company and the Lehmer tracts, our fellow townsman, George S. 
Lehmer, operating more than twenty wells. At one time there was a com- 
munity of thousands at the Run, and the hungry prospector had a hard 
time to find rations. 
“Many men were making ventures by putting in their labor and rely- 
ing on borrowing or hiring tools and much borrowiing was done when the 
owner was not looking. Two poor fellows had been tramping the treadle 
all one cold winter trying to get to the sand, one with a family of half- 
