New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-09-08
THE OIL WELLS or PENNSYLVANIA.
Of tn. n Y. Tribuns, -.-

|
MEADynLE Pa, Sept. 4, 1860
have just returned from visit to the scene of per-
bsps P,ener excitement than any other at present 10
our country, name, the oil region Of Western Penn
syvtDis and suppcee some OF yoar readers will he
interested in account Of it. Those 40 have
| Travelled over PeDnsy wants form idea of t1e
wdress and beauty lie scenery, and Of the i'm
quantities Of land s In ,be possession Of the native
forests and bidding defiance to cultivation for ages TO
cone. North. essrn Pennsylvania, tbough not boast
| Jog Of suy high mountain peak or lofty range, is
broken up by nbpmersble hills aud streams and be-
tween these lie lovely and fe,tile valleys diten'g
greatly in width and accessibility Among these, that
Of Frrpch Creek or Venspgo River has always been
nots aud here msy be farms equs to any 10 the
country and region inhabited by an intelligent indus
tIicus and thrifty community.
| Meadville county seat Of era Word County, eitu-
eted at the juncton Of the romantic Cussewago and
French Creeks has a wide reputation for its natural
beauty and for the cultivation and refinement OF it's
citizens. Here are located fourishug college and
theological tcboo and satstcs show that tn, people
GEEK information and diffuse il. by the fact that the
post-ofce does mucn larger business than any place
q, its size 10 the State. In politics. the coulty eucs
ON 700 to 800 majority for any Democratic candidate
lie now cure for 0C0 OF 200 majority for any RepuS-
csn. The sentiment of the people isyery thoroughly
| Anti Slavery.
| S. ulh-esst Of Meadville % miles is the Borough
of Titusville, an insignificant collection Of houses
on the banks Of Oil-Cfeek. cannot learn that this
place gained any reputation prior TO ast S1mmer,
| when Col. Drsbe. who bad farm about mills aod
half south Of the village the Creek, determined to
deepen bis well Some cay he thought he would try to
get eat end others that he really endsavoring to
fod oil This article Dad be-u collected in small guam
,es for any years the banks Of this creek, and
| hence its name. In come places say pits where
tie oil he'd been taken from tie surface by blankets.
| Drake, however, bored down 90 feet, and was sur
prsed by finding good supply of oil. He commenced
pumpiDg it out, found it article worthy of at
| teut-on. The news spread, other wells were bored
Wih fuccefs and hundreds focked 10 to zee the
deIful discovery. As others bored different accidents
occurred to well the excitement, such the oil burst
IL up through hole drilled in the rock with great
violence and to hight Of about ten feet from the
ground. We saw of theee wells Chase g. Aldsnsl,
bu il only spouts occasionally and the rest of the
time il is kept corked mp. There ia well
ping spontaneously any length OF time az Tidioute
hich il the wonder of the region, did run for
bile at the rate offs barrel (i0l gallons per minute.
This discovery worked wonders on the tauk of the
hitherto quiet and neglected oil creek. 1t flowed
tbr, ugh region Of primitive nature, high and steep
hills covered with trees lined each side and the farms
were few AID far apart. The people seldom saw
stranger except the umbtrmen on their rafs, running
thr 10 the times of fesHes tC the Allegheny River,
and thence to Pittsburgh.
Although brakes well was opened 10
August 1859, the terer did not reach lite hight till
the pre-. ut lnmer and doutt very much whether
il bas now atta ed IL. Indeed at former time have
so mar adyentureri been fockipg into tits promised
land" aud every day several new wells are com.
nepced. Those who have bored and are at work are
perfectly sanguine declaring that there is no invest
ment in the world equal TO it in yielding speedy aud
hards me return. The oil ly msteria expense is thu
purchase OF lease of a site and Of this is daily
increasing in the most favored local les Efforts have
proved successfu siderable distances apart good
productive wells being 10 operation 80 miles from each
other.
From Ttuiyile TO the mouth Of Oil Creek the road
is very hiIy snd cat up by the heavy wagons which
pass daily over it with barrels Of oil 10 Winter this
road will be impossible unless much improved. Wnai
lie called the of the oil region is at McCntocks-
vilIe twelve miles from TtusviIle, aud niue from
Franklin. Hamilton McClntock, the fortunate pos
set sor of several hundred of land has suddenly
become worth bic huodrsd thousand dollsrs-and his
daughters from milk maids and country lassiss are
row beiresses of fortunes He ge,s certain proper
ton of all te oil derived FROM the wells on his land,
and Of be If at expense. His house the only
one for miles before this excitement, is the stopping
place for travellers and visitors and every night it
cranmed. Each room has four or five beds, aud mat
tIesses are spread over the loft floors Mr.. Nee is
building he house of ample dimensions, no viewer,
in bch TO entertain company. The charges are GER
taiply moderate, being only 50 week for board.
At this place is the appearance of California
ranch or settlement. A hundred or more rough
beard shanties have been erected and on every
side you will zee the carpenters busy with barus.
sheds and houses Of every description, the idea
predominant, however, to do nothing permanent.
There must be lack of faith somewhere in this
oil butiness or people would build more endur-
ing structures and those better adapted for the Winter
bss;s All are making haste be rch aud the whole
affair is 20 ell and startling, and bewiderng that
we cannot blame the oiseekers much for their hurry
to get into the ground or to strike VEN, we
should think if the ,ppply of oil continues, there must
be Hourirhipg town here and that mechanics of all
| kinds would find employ ment. What is said to be
wanted is a good store--thers is nonel now there.
Lsborers receive from $40 to so per moth From
McClintocks TO Franklin one is out of eight OF
the peeulior institution" Of this region viz; the
Derrick and in The latter town every man almost mas
one in his garden The Hoover well mile South OF
Franklin on the Allegheny river is one OF the best
yet opened, and thi, encourages everybody to bore
away.
The apparatus for boring is very simple. A derrick
| is erected consisting Of four timbers from ~ 10
40 feet connected with framing 10 feet square at tho
base snd out or 8 at the top. Most OF these are
/ L.. L L L. hnt ma eXceDt at