Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-04-19
Iron the Monengahela Republican
Oh Upon pigeon Creek-A Days Jour-
ney-What we Saw and how


From the Monengahela Republican,
OnUpon pigeon Creek-A Day,sJour
ney-What we Saw and how
we saw it.
The oil fever has taken such fresh hold
upon SO many of our friends up the
Creek, and such wonderful stories are
daily brought down to town, that, anx-
ious to develop their truth, we ordered
horse and buggy, and started for the
" theatre of excitement" on prospect
ing tour early last Monday. Taking the
Valley of Pigeon Creek, we first came
to the old suit well at Vanvoorhis' Mill.
There we found Superintendent Caldwell
and his assistants splashing up to the
knees in fine article of oil, worth &c
per gallon. They say this oil is very
good, and they could make fair living
at it, but Mott Appleton has raised the
price of barrels and they can't afford to
save it this year. We understand that
Mr.. Vanvoorhis offers to lease them ten
acres of ground to raise pumpkins on
the seed was brought from California by
Hud Williams, who says they will grow
large enough to hold five barrels. 1t is
intended to grow these enormous pump
kins-bndipg them with hickory poles
and bracing them inside with oak sap
lings to keep them from warping or split
ting
At Blythe's we found William, jim
and John at work, and they were having
first rate luck. Eight feet from the sur
face they struck a vein of first quality
Cincinnati lard, worth at the mine IA
cents pound. They have taken out %
barrels day for four weeks; are salts
fed, don't want to sell.
At Colvin's we found all we'll, and
times prosperous. Twenty-Five feet un-
der the ground they struck vein Of
wintergreen hair oil, which yielded we'll
They also found a few pockets Of poma-
tum, and thin vein Of moustache cos
metic; not profitable to work, though
some of the girls in the neighborhood
have preserved some fine specimens of
crystalized pomatum in quartz. Are
short Of barrels--a fine chance for good
cooper
AT Reeds Mill the principal find has
been tallow. 1t is found at the depth of
two thousand feet, mixed with mica,
brown stone and white marble. The pro-
cess of melting tallow is interesting, but
we haven't time to describe it. There is
generally about 70 per cent. of pure tai
low.
AT Snyder's lanyard they are putting
down well which promises finely. A
little suet is found occasionally in thin
deposits, and some fine specimens Of
whales blubber and red precipitate oint-
ment have been discovered here.
II. Fry is working fne vein of fresh
butter. This valuable mineral is found
in great quantities in combination with
lard rock, dripping stone. and red hair
granite; it is washed with a cradle and
long tom, and in some instances worked
with quartz crusher and sluice stones.
At Leander Beazelrs we found them
busy in boring well that gave better
appearance than any one on the creek
aud it was whispered around that the
boys had surface indications Of sausage
meat, with strong hopes of thick layer
of Vandemark's Patent Fence. They
don't want to sell.
At Witherow's blacksmith shop was
great crowd collected to hear Josiah Tay.
Tor tell about the progress of the WE'LL
Isl had come there to get his horse shod
and said at six feet he had tapped vein
of croton oil as big as gimle;; at thir-
teen feet he encountered layer of soft
soap; at fourteen feet he struck a vein
of castor oil. discharging barrel an
hour; at fourteen and half feet be
found valuable nugget of Wilson's
pills. small pocket of oil of cinnamon,
aud crevice that yielded ninety hogs
heads Of pure spermaceti; and then at
eighty-two feet depth they struck lard,
by which they knew that butter was near;
after cutting through SIX feet of solid leaf
lard, they were rewarded by striking
butter.
We stopped for dinner at Newton
Vanvoorhis', and he took us out to see a
huge cave ON bis farm, from the top of
which hung like icicles, millions of can
dies. six to the pound.
Dave Fournier has struck splendid
hole Of apples, and is bringing them up
with sand pump-6fteen bushels by the
hour; he soon hopes to reach the bottom,
where there are indications of a first class
article Of crab cider.
We then came down to Simon Wilson's
aud up the hill to the Baptist Church.
aud then down towards Hiram Rabies.
Here we saw a soap grease bog. and the
hill SO slippery with the little rivulets Of
oil oozing out, that a man might turn
back bis coat tails. sit down, and slide
dow the bill two miles and half, with.
out friction enough to make his panta-
looas need patch.
Stopped in 10 sec our good old friend
Nm. Nickerham, who had struck vein
Of hn9 caster oil. and the boys were out
on iho ierm hunting for tree that bore
reaiy usAs glass bottles. with the corks
in sa1 edged labels on.