Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-10
EN- ROUTE Eur vEKANao.

will erect his thrlne on the banks Of the
Allegheny.
EN- ROUTE Fur vEEANGo.
The little towns along the route from
Pittsburg to Meadville have also received
many good things from the oil trade. The
large travel which has recently been going
on, the number of rich men who are con-
stantly passing through these places, and
the great demand for oillands or lands
that show any geological similarity to the
oil districts, have increased the wealth of
the oil districts, have increased the wealth
of the eastern and western counties of
Pennsylvania three to five per cent.
Towns are springing up in this heretofore
deserted country which show great deal
to the pure and mature eastern taste
Mesdville, especially, is charming speei-
men of Pennsylvania industry and skill.
1t is on the line Of the Great Western and
Atlantic railroad, which, with its msgnif-
cent cars and broad gauges, makes railroad
travelling a luxury which we of the narrow
track have never been able to enjoy. 1t
has grown up into q young city within
the course of the last few months.
We were delayed st Mesdville q few hours.
Accordingly, together with a travelling
friend, made tour through the streets.
there sre dwellings here which would not
do discredit to your own Rittenhouse and
Logan Squares, and the McHenry Hotel
surpasses anything L have ever seen out
side of New York or Philadelphis. The
dining-room is the finest, perhaps, in the
United States, and the traveller may re-
ceive the luxuries of the East without
paying nsar SO large s price as Is general
ly asked in town. The Atlantic railroad
and the oil business have made Meadville
and CORY and Titusville and Oil city,
four of the most fourishing towns in o II
Stste, and should not be at all surprised
if they become rivals of Lancaster and
Reading and Esston and even, perhaps,
of Pittsburg. From Meadville we travel
led on the Atlantic road until We came to
Franklin, and here We are within the
limits of King PetroleuTn's dOminions.
Franklin is the county seat of Venango,
and is an old town situsted upon broad
plain little above the mouth of French
Greek, On the Allegheny River, at the head
of the navigation Of the Allegheny.
Thenty years ago the population was not
more than six hundred; 1t now numbers
over two thousand It was fsrst settled
in the early part of this century, and grew
quietly and unostentatiously, as all country
towns do, until petroleum began to take
its place among the Kingdoms of the earth.
Franklin is several miles from oil
city and around about the t)wn
some good wells have been
found. 1 saw no evidences, however,
Of the existence Of any large quantity Of
oil as are found al Oil Creek; but it is
thought that when capital becomes more
eager, and science enables us to find some
rule governing the discovery of the pro-
| duction of oil, wells will be found here sur
passing those further up the stream. The
theory that the petroleum thus far found
| Is nothing moro than q surface formation;
and that to reach great deposits we must
drill to the extent of perhaps two or three
thousand feet, is one which has never yet
received q practical illustration, for the
reason that none have been bold enough tc
/ sink their drills to sufficient depth. II
is a theory much cherished by the people
| of Franklin, who feel confident that i
they could only get their fingers into the
depth of their own land, they would fn6
harvest of wealth-producing oil. Oil
d
speculators and capitalists have taken pos
session of Franklin, snd even if no spring
wee found around it, there is enough
wealth in Oil City among other parts o
Venango TO make it in time q great me
tropnlis. Franklin, by its position as tn
termination of the branch Of the Gres
Western and Atlantic Railroad, and hold
direct railroad connection with Cory ant
Philadelphia, must become point Of grea
interest and necessity to the oil men.
vEEANGo COUNTY.
The barrenness of Venango county, an
the wild, uneven character of its land
have been subjects of Jest among the goo
r folks of Western Pennsylvania Far be
yond the memory Of the present geners
: ton, an emigrsnt to Venango or 10 Butle
was always congratulated upon the faC
+ that If be could not get wheat or corn, c
6 raise good cattle, he might at least max
his fsnily clean from the soap min,
Q HThe soap mine" was q humorous phras
: used to esignate the character of Il
!, country heresbouts, which from the exl
? dations of oil, had greasy, dark, slipper
appearance. The good folk of the earl
d times who jested with their neighbors @
the greasy streams and rocks little though
that out of those streams staple woul
z come more valuable than corn or whes
The geology of Venango county is not
marked ss thst of West Virginia v
= see the lower conglomerstes of the co
formation, and was told that beyond
) CITY the lowest strata of coal rocks croppj
|, out of the top of the hills. The shale rot