COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY Of Henry County, Indiana B.F.Bowen 1920 Page 331 and 332 and 333 Surnames in this biography are: Hughes, Burritt, Moore, Collins,                                                  HENRY J. HUGHES.          In years but recently gone the flow of natural gas in Indiana was a prolific source of income to many individuals, who generally united their interests incompanies or         corporations, but the flow of late years has considerably abated, while the supply of coal oil or petroleum has not so perceptibly been diminished, as new wells for the production of the latter are, not infrequently opened by experts. Among these is the gentleman whose name heads this biography.  Henry J. Hughes, contractor at Middletown, Henry County, Indiana,for sinking gas and oil wells, was born in County Tyrone. Ireland, May 20,1845. Edward Hughes, father of Henry J had come to America about the year 1849 and located in New York City. About a year later Mrs. Hughes came over with her two children, Henry J. and Mary Ann, but on arriving in New York, via Canada,was confronted with the sad intelligence that the father had been called to his home in another sphere. A few weeks later the sorrowing widow was called upon to join her husband, and Henry J., then but five years old, and his younger sister found themselves dependent upon the care of strangers in a strange land.  The children, however, soon found homes, Henry J. living with one family until twelve years old, when he began to work on a farm and was so employed for five years. He had but limited opportunities for securing an education, however, and quit his studies when but seven years old, his teacher having been too tyrannical,while the family with which he lived was not urgent as to his attendance,preferring to have his services at home, and for five years the young lad faithfully did his duty in this respect. Henry then went to work outside the home at times in lumbercamps-and when twenty-one years old went to Michigan, where he worked one year in a sawmill and at dock labor in Detroit. About 1867 or 1868 Mr. Hughes went to the oil region of Pennsylvania where he became initiated into the mysteries of his present calling. After reaching the oil district, however. Mr. Hughes began work at chopping wood, receiving for his labor one dollar and twenty-five cents to two dollars per cord, and at this and other classes of labor laid by nine hundred dollars. This sum he invested in an oil well and in six weeks lost it all and incurred besides a debt of one hundred dollars. But this spirit was invincible and he began working by the day at drilling wells, handled sixty-nine of them consecutively, and this has since been his occupation. He next began in Pennsylvania to take an interest in wells      in compensation for his labor and of these he sank seven before he struck oil. To          reach this result it required about seven years' labor. In the meantime Mr. Hughes    bad exhausted all his earnings and again began working by the day on contingent success but did not again find oil until 1879, but this was an & quot;off" year for oil, as it brought but forty cents per barrel in the market. Mr. Hughes constructed tanks, in which the oil was stored, but there was no improvement in price and about nine months afterwards the stored-up oil was sold at a loss. Mr. Hughes was not altogether discouraged, however, but went to the oil fields in New York state, then returned to Pennsylvania, worked in the fields of Warren County, and then in1886 went to Lima, Ohio, where fields were just being opened, worked by the day at drilling for a year and then had charge of a drilling gang for another year. He next secured a kit of tools for himself, came to Indiana and here he next worked for a time at Lafayette about 1888. He next worked for a time at Sidney,Ohio, then returned to Indiana and drilled the first well at or near Chesterfield on the site of the Spiritualists' camp ground. The well producing gas and artesian water. In July 1888, Mr. Hughes came to Middletown and worked by the day for Arthur Burritt, the contractor, in sinkinga well on the site of the old sawmill, this being the second well sunk in the city. Mr. Hughes next drilled at Mechanicsburg, then contracted for three wells north of Chesterfield, and the same spring drilled another.  He then returned to Lima, and in July 1889,began contracting and working for the Richmond Gas Company with his own tools.This arrangement lasted three seasons, after which time Mr. Hughes worked on contracts at different points until his coming to Middletown to sink wells forthe tin-plate company. While thus engaged he invested fourteen hundred dollars in lots in the Tin-Plate addition to Middletown and erected four houses. He has in addition made many other contracts in Henry County and some in Madison county, keeping employed four regular workmen and several teamsters.  Mr. Hughes for many years kept a diary or record of all the details connected with the wells, which he has drilled and is well satisfied with the complete and lasting manner in which his work has been done. He has been particularly exempt from accidents. No person has ever been crippled while in his employ, but he has several times been the victim of conflagrations that have destroyed his derricks and large tanks, principally caused by lightning setting fire to gas: a derrick costs about five hundred dollars. Mr. Hughes has frequently found himself in embarrassed circumstances, but with indomitable pluck has always worked himself out of difficulties. At one time he ran about nineteen hundred dollars in debt, with nothing to show for it. He was sinkingwells and supply companies refused to extend him credit and he was obliged on one occasion to pay twenty dollars for the use of two hundred dollars for two weeks and on another occasion paid seventeen dollars for the use of a similar sum for the same length of time, but he pulled through. In Pennsylvania he went to rack and ruin over a dry hole, owed fifteen hundred dollars and lost everything but his tools, but had no money with which to remove these. He was to receive six hundred and fifty dollars as soon as he had a well cased; he borrowed two hundred dollars, for which he paid twenty dollars, kept up appearances and soon afterward received his six hundred and fifty dollars,which put him on his feet again. Mr. Hughes continued his struggle bravely and now is possessed of a competency, is interested in the Home Gas Company and is the principal stockholder inthe Home Gas and Oil Company, also owning stock in each of the various factories in Middletown, and all this is the result of his indomitable courage and unceasing personal exertion.  Mr. Hughes was united in marriage at Greenfield, Indiana, on Christmas Eve, 1899, to Mrs. Emma Moore, of New Castle. This lady bore the maiden name of Collins, her father, Joseph Collins,having been a pioneer of Henry County and now residing in Kennard at the age of ninety-three years. To the marriage of Mr. And Mrs. Hughes no children have been born, but Mrs. Hughes has two children by her first husband, viz: a daughter, who is a member of the Hughes household, and a son. W. H. Moore of Middletown. Mrs. Hughes is a Wesleyan Methodist in her church association and is a strong advocate of temperance, aiding the Prohibition Party in every conceivable way. Mr. Hughes is a Democrat and is ever active in his work for the party in all its campaigns. As a self-made man too much credit cannot be bestowed upon Mr. Hughes, and his example is one, which may be studied with profit by the rising generation and by all others who have yet to realize fortunes for themselves.