The first step of spring pole drilling was to bore down through the clay to the rock. This part of the job usually took an entire day and was accomplished by using a large auger driven by horses. The auger was pulled up and dumped every three metres until it struck rock, at which time a "conductor" was inserted in the hole In the early days conductors were simply hollowed-out tree trunks. Later they were made from lumber nailed to form a hexagonal channel. Sometimes drillers would return in the morning to a flooded hole and they would find the conductor afloat, sticking up in the air as much as six metres. Once the conductor was securely in place, however, the bit could be lowered into the hole. The two men standing at the left in this picture would step on and off the small platform attached to the end of the spring pole. This action would cause the pole to move up and down while the bit, which hung down from the chain in the centre of the photograph and weighed from 120 to 160 kilograms, would chip away at the rock. Eventually the use of man power was superseded by small steam engines Note the lengths of pipe lying on the ground behind the girl in the middle. One can only speculate as to the reason this photograph was taken. Perhaps the owner of the well, on the right, is paying a visit to the site with his children.
