Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-04-06
A Rich Letter from the Oil Springs.

Choose mates in thls Bissextile year.
A Rich Letter from the Oil Springs.
As the Oil Springs are creating great
deal of interest, we prevailed upon the Fat
Contributor to go down there last week,
in order that We might furnish our readers
with an authentic account of the locality.
We have received the following unctuous
letter.-SpndusLy Register.
DEAR REGIsTER-Everythi thing about
here is SO greasy, it is with extreme diff
Guilty that can write at all. My pen
slips out of my fingers; there is an oily
scum on the ink ; the paper is fairly trans
parent, and slOsh around in my chair in
an unpleasant manner Patience and per-
severance Sweet oil is unnecessary, here)
will, however, overcome many obstacles.
AN OILY TRACK.
/ arrived here at very late hour last
night, on an oil train, and light as well
have come on train oil, as We were sixteen
hours behind time. All trains are behind
time here, | learn, owing to the accumula-
tian Of oil on this end of the road. The
oil fries out Of the ground, and lubricates
therails for great distance. We should MT
have arrived at all if the passengers hadn't
got out and spriukled the track with cigar
ashes.
slipped out of bed tnObOdy "arises"
here; We all slip into bed aud slip ouf,)
at an early hour this morning, aud began
Investigations. found section, euibra-
cling fourteen thousand acres Of land, chuck
full Of oil springs.
HOW THE WOMEN FRY DoUGH-NUTs.
Drilling is unnecessary here, as the oil
boils up in springs, sometimes to the height
of twenty-five feet, and i. caught in tin
pals as it comes down. Ga hot day,
am tod, it is no unusual thing to see the
women frying dough-nuts in these jets Of
oil. The balls of dough are dropped into
the jets, where they are allowed to toss
about like corks in fountain, until they
are fried by the heat Of the sun.
SLIPPERY ELM.
The only specie of tree which abounds
here is the slippery elm. These trees are
so slippery squirrel can't climb them
without dipping his paws into Spalding's
Prepared Glue, small bottle of which be !
always carries suspended about his neck.
There are few maple trees here, but no
sugar is made, as nothing but oil runs out
when they are tapped.
ARIvER OF OIL.
There is one considerable sized creek !
running through this county, which is all
OIL Ii was discovered ashort time ago in .
a singular manner. Three boys went in
bathing, and wheI they came out they
were SO greasy they couldn't stay in their
clothes. As fast as they slipped them on,
they would slip of again, and one of the
lads, in needless moment, narrowly esca-
ped slipping out of his skin. On reach.
ing home, thei. parents, being exceedingly
frugal, wruug them out, and extracted /
about fourteen gallons of pure oil from the
three boys. Fact. A company are erect
ing large candle factory on the banks of
this river, preparing to dip candles 10 it.
ADJUSTMENTS.
The principal amusements here are climb
ing creased poles aud catching oiled pigs,
the necessary appliances being always on
hand. Sliding down hill is popular among
all classes during the summer months This
is effected without sleds, on hill Of solid .
tallow, just back of the tavern. As /
write, laughter rich and gushing is waited
to my window from number of the beau !
ties, as they swcetly dissolce down in the |
sides of that melting slope.
CREASED LIGHTNING.
There was thunder storm this after.
noon, and as the electric fluid ran down .
one OF those slippery elms told you Of,
l was treated 20 my first view Of "ereased
LIGHTING" 1t is quite common, here,
they say. Thunder is divested of all its
harsh intonations by the minute PARTICLES
of oil which till the air and grease the
wheels of JOve's noisy chariot.
If any of your readers think have "cut
it fat 10 this letter, let them visit the Oil
Springs and see for themselves.
Yours, truly.
FAT Communion