STATE GEOLOGIST. : 165 
Barrels 
US7(a4 Z a ee Ast tecave adeke: vite te 39,456 
1873 “ "ss ct A etine Cate iete meee 35,016 
1874 =“ fe * RAVE sea akcncesjavyereions 31,990 
1875 oy a pUREa vee ted ht ciekaus 26,606 
1876 4 rf <5 aR yc csUs eke SeaeeNe Fer 20,427 
1877 - i a Se Nahi oss Sieah egteusts 21,461 
1878 “ < of PSE Mee icray anne: secrete 22,929 
ge) = be Etenrste saya sneteh ante ets 22,370 
1880 e ao * Wh Sor apa carers ce cease 20,655 
LSS US i ss ss PAM RT oe e adouehetete core 16,994 
1882 > ts tae Seer ciiyarsiare 12,682 
Ieee} a : EE SOT ARBRE BACON tes 14,166 
1884. * is = he WER AERA ON RCI re 8,291 
HSS hme Oh ioe Oran si tre CON ejer cin aie euctose'eeselees| desea sles 12,000 
MO tailed areracctetenee teticuel suede ai Hey sehen e: cheta aoareiate 751,519 
Mr. Daniel Ward, who has resided in the territory since 1868, reports 
that the spring-pole method of drilling had been abandoned when he en- 
tered the valley. This crude plan was followed by the steam engine, which 
at first operated a string of tools weighing between 300 and 400 pounds, 
constituting a marked advance over the preceding method, but was slow in 
comparison with the present. A depth of 300 feet might be reached in 30 
days, and with good luck the Second Cow Run sand might be struck in 4o. 
There was usually but little trouble from water, but much from caving. 
This was prevented by casing the wells, the material being sheet-iron, of 
which the joints fitted together like stove-pipe. The worst cave was found 
in red shales lying above the first sand, and is probably the “Big red,” 
which has already been referred to several times in this report. 
There were formerly several famous wells in this field, but nearly all 
have long been abandoned. The following letter written by Judge L. W. 
Chamberlain, of Marietta, and published in the Marietta Register, June 15, 
1899, discusses the School House well, perhaps the most interesting one 
of those now producing on Cow Run: 
“There has been much written and printed recently in regard to early 
oil developments in Ohio and as might be expected, the writers have been 
at fault frequently in their statements. Recently quite a great deal has 
been written in regard to the School House well at Cow Run in this county. 
The history of that well is about as follows: 
“In the summer of 1869 Moffit Dye and several others leased of the 
school board of Lawrence township about one-fourth of an acre owned on 
Cow Run and occupied by a hewed log school house, situated within 20 
feet of the Run. : 
“Wells had been drilled all around the old school house, and the leasers 
proceeded to put down a well in front of the door of the old academy, and 
on the 21st day of October, 1869, the drill broke into a crevice at a depth of 
