East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1861-01-17
The OIL Question Again

While they are digging and horing all
around ms for that mineral oil, known aS
petroleum ar rock OIL with more or less
success, nothing has as vet been done in
this line in the State of Michigan, though
the latter lids fair to become the richest
of the oil-prnlucing countries. In the
oil district of Pennsylvania, comprising
pri ci ally the counties OF Warren, Craw-
ford and Venango, during the last two
years 400 wells have been sunk: average
del tn 100 icet), although a considerable
mum er of them have never yielded much
or have ceased To How. In the Ohio oll
districts. in the vicinity of Meota, Trum
bull county, more than 600 wells were
sunk during the past eleven months at
an average cost of S15, most oi them
pro lucing OIL; several mp to 10 barrels
per diem The necessary capital u sink
a well construct buildings, vats, including
steam engine anl barrels to start with,
is sall to amount there To about Sl,sOU.
Virginia has also her oil springs Oil the
Kanahwa river, but the same are very
difficult of access. In Canada West,
very " nv US, scNtiai Nv" "Si' 49,
opcnel Ia the town of Ennlsklllen last
summer, and they are now digging
GREAT many wells near Bear Creek about
ID miles southeast of Port Sarnia. Thus
Canada oil is said to he inferior To that
of Pennsylvania aud Ohio, and therefore
sell, for less, the refining OF 1t causing
more expense.
The oil business at the above named
localities is, as every one will comprehend,
of no little magnitude, and great many
hands are employed there III digging or
boring wells, pumping oil, manufacturing
sta,es aud barrels, hunldIng, hauling, aud
So forth.
Ia those States, bordering on the Lakes
the oil has always aud invariably been
found in the alluvial regions from 10 I"
45 miles back ol the lake shore aud At a
distance from the coal di2gings.
There are several localities in Michi-
oan. where very good indications OF thus
oil have been discovered, for instance IA
the town, of Wales, Krmball, Columbus
and Il. Clair, st. Clair county; aud ~
rho river basin above Green Point, SagI
nav county, at aud between the Junction
of the Cass and Flint with the Shawassec.
From this latter point are distant the
coal fields ot
Corunna and 0wosso. ..........,25 to 35 miles
! CLe.sany.. ................,-...''l2 do
| Tuscnla :. ....,...........,. Is To ~ do
Flushing ''''''''''' ~ uo
Much of the shalc formation, which i
sunposed to be the immediate source o'
the oil, has been struck in several OF th,
SAGINAW salt wells a ,nilc or two blow
Green Point, aud likewise some oil.
There can hardly he doubt, but that
the oil in large aud paying quantities ca,
he found in the localities Just mentioned
aud landowners and capitalists should g
INTO the speculation, and commence tn'
sinking of wells at once al the righ
places. The experiment ct boring wei
from 70 to 100 feet deep would cost bu
500 to Sl25, and, il successful, 1t woul'
reonire further outlay of about 81, ,OO'
to nut the well into operation. The cos
of testing the thing is insignificant, u
comparison with the large profits ga'ne
by many Of the oil-scekers elsewhere.
O, every side oi the Saginaw oil d'stric
is navigablc river, aud the AmO"l
n Lansing and Traverse BAY Railroad wi
soon he carried through the center ot 4
FROM Saginaw, the crude or refined art
n Gle could I've directly shipped to aInl'
markets East aud West. Judging iro'
the predominant, alluvial character OF I'll
Lower Peninsula, the extent of HI
:. bitumcnous coal fields, and immense pil
forests, it may be predicted, that Mich
= yan will soon be foremost in the produ
lion of coal oil -Det. Tribune.