The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-03-28
LETTER FROM OILLANA.
OILIANA,sMdrch 25, 1861.

You are aware, | presume, that l am
now and have been for some time. located
at this place. How long l may remain
depends pretty much on circumstances.
/ am after OIL
On a rough guess, I would say that
there arc about seventy-fve thousand 9th
er needy, seedy and intensely greedy hui
man beings here in quest of the same
commodity. OF course I stand a better
chance than any of them.
commenced operations on the Fourth
of March Better the day better the deed
and Abe lincoln was inaugurated that
day, you mind After commencing OPP
erations, | Immediately went TO work
And hard work it has proved to be, too.
Dug down fifteen feet to rock; fixed
apparatus in manner and form as it should
be; then filed up the fifteen feet cavity
again--as is usual in such eases. Com
menced gimleting. Bored through three
inches of rock, and found that operations
were brought to sudden stop. Exam
ined into condition Of augur, and found
that it had run into the ground--not fig
uratively but factually. The rock was
that on which had split. 1t WASH rock
at all, that finty, granity substance [ had
dug fifteen feet after, but only thin stra-
tum of slate. So had to go through the
initiatory formula again--had to re-dig
the original dig. Which was provoking
| fear swore some about it. Let US hope
that I didn't.
But noav | am in rock-solid, substan-
tial and very rocky rock. / expect to be
in clover soon.
Spring is coming on beautifully, and
the buds are bursting and the birds are
busting in IA manner cheering to droop-
ing and unanointed oil-seekcrs. This has
been hard winter on US; but thanks
to the Weather Clerk, i: is about played
out. We all think SC. and hope SO. We
pray SO, teo,-
''Ugly old Winter, flee away,
For too long has been your stay;
Shuttle off your mortal coil,
And give 5 a chance to bore for Oil"
The air is as balmy as maidens breath
after she has been eating rose-leavcs. It is
delicious, delightful-and not like the air
any place else. Every stranger instantly
remarks the peculiarly. But it is easily
explained, is this same popularity. Jesse
Cruise, who owns the next claim to mine,
struck at the depth OF fifty feet vein of
perfumed bears grease, two weeks ago.
By means of internal pressure or through
the agency Of a hydraulic RANT don't
rightly know wllich-the oil is forced into
the air in two-inch stream As it de-
scends it is caught in bottles, which are
duly corked up, labelled, and shipped off
to Johnstown and other large cities. This
strike is unexampled-even the palmiest
days Of Tidooute are rotten plums beside
it-but it is eminently fact. The de-
lightfui odor exhaled from this lucky HIT
then, accounts for the intense salubrity of
our atmosphere.
Jesse Is lucky fellow He has made
and spent many fortune. He says he
will do the same thing over and over again
until the end Of his life if he's spared =
The other day said to him-"How do
you like your strike, mon ami.2'' 40, it
agrease with me in every particular" he
answered. He has already been offered
FIVE hundred thousand dollars for his
claim, but never listens to such mserly
propositions. It is worthy Of remark that
he commenced boring on what is in truth
Well spring of Pleasure unto him with
a two-inch augur. Such is perseverance !.
Such is life
May I-can will / ever be regaled
with sight of the unctious ?-all my
own and a good market for 1t? [ am
down twenty-three feet. Who knows but
| may strike to-morrow-or day after to-
morrow-or the day after that at the far
thest? Allah is great Who knows?
Respects to all inquiring fellow-citizens.
Hopefully, Yours, etc,
CALEB SMITH.