From the Friendship Chronicle, April 27, 1881.
Transcribed by Karen Meisenheimer.
FRIENDSHIP TO THE FRONT!
THE LARGEST GUSHER YET
THE RICHBURG WELL SHOT TO-DAY
Twenty Barrels in Two Hours
WHERE IS WELLSVILLE NOW?
Glory Enough for One Day.
The Allegany oil field which has been allowed to drift off towards Wellsville has for some time been playing the coquette with that place and now seems decidedly to be favoring Friendship. The failure of the Utter and Middaugh ventures over which the Wellsville papers found so much satisfaction are no longer to be thought of in view of the Richburg well which now proves without a doubt to be the finest well yet put down in this county. For several days it has been evident that the Richburg well was destined to be a gusher. The excitement at Bradford and Wellsville showed what would be the result of this. This morning at 30 quart shot was sent down and the grease went up 25 or 30 feet above the derrick. It is estimated that twenty barrels flowed in two hours.
The greatest excitement prevails about Richburg, in which with good cause, Friendship takes part. The only outlet to this new and most favorable oil territory is Friendship.
To Wellsville we extend our heartfelt sympathy, - long has her prospects been darkening, and now to be declared entirely off the belt is too cruel indeed.
Other wells will go down at Richburg and that territory so satisfactorily tested will soon be operated to its full capacity.
Concerning the Richburg strike a correspondent of the Bradford Era has the following: The Richburg well struck sand at 1,213 feet, Thursday, and temporarily shut down. They resumed drilling, and after going twenty-four feet in the sand, the tools were drawn. Friday afternoon at three o’clock there was from six to seven hundred feet of fluid in the hole. At eight o’clock Monday it filled up and run over the top of the casing. The gas only threw the oil has high as the derrick roof. Oil gathered off the derrick floor today shows thirty-eight and three-quarters gravity, dark green in color, resembling Triangle oil. The sand appears rich and resembles that found in portions of the Bradford field. There is an ordinary amount of gas, and a showing of oil better than any found in the Wellsville field. The well is on lot 33. Wirt, and ten rods north of the Bolivar line and six miles directly west of Triangle number two. The result is a surprise to every one, and upsets the theory of a 45 degree line. The Campbell well a small producer, is two miles east of one hundred rods south of the Richburg well. It is also on a direct line west of the gasser at Stannards Corners. The well is located thirteen miles from Wellsville and seven miles from Friendship. It corresponds in depth with the Triangle wells. When shut down there was indication of slate, but it is not known if more sand will be found or not. The well is owned by the Richburg Oil Company, composed of O.P. Taylor, Riley Allen and a couple of gentlemen residing in Friendship. Fifty acres of territory on which the well is located were purchased for $5,000, Friday, by Mr. O.P. Taylor.