Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-08-25
The Men dT tie on Regions.
[From the Philadelphia Lsdgsr..I


Great occasions make great men, and
certainly the discovery of petroleum on Oil
Creek will be the means of making con-
spicuous not few whose names would per-
haps never otherwise have been heard of
in the history Of this country. The family
of McClintock had been settled ever since
1892 on the farm at Oil Creek, which the
Indians had long before pointed out as con-
taining spring and small pond which be-
came covered over with oil. This oil the
family gathered in blankets, which became
soaked with it, and were wrung out. 1t
sold at very high prices for its supposed
medicinal value; 81 gallon was about the
regular price, but Psddled over the country
as Seneca Oil it often brought nearly its
weight in silver. By degrees observing
men, through watching the streams how-
ing into the Allegheny, became convinced
that there Inust be large bodies of this oil
underlying the whole Of that country. The
wealth of Mr.. q. McClintock is now i'm
mense.
Col. Drake, of Connecticut, first bored
an artesian well at Titusville, and would
have made an immense fortune but for
some lawsuits in regard TO his leases, which
have reduced him to poverty. For, when
oil became plentiful, and the demand in
sufficient, the price fell to such degree,
those who only had leases compelling them
20 give halt or quarter of the produce,
smiled to find it profitable. This lead him
into lawsuits, and must eventually ruin
many more, as the price settles down again
from increased production. Only those
! wells which are free from this onerOus
land tax, or enormous tithe, will ultimately
be worth mucn 10 the owners, although
now paying we'll
One Of the most celebrated operators in
boring wells Is AIr. VIM. Phillips, who
lives just on the other side of the Allegheny
from Oil City. He was the second who
struck oil by boring just in front Of his
own house. at the mouth of Oil Greek, and
has been, beyond all question, one Of the
most iudicious in his operations and sue
cessful his wells of any person engaged,
while his well known integrity is such InAt
it is said in Oil City that it will add ten
per cent. TO the value of any oil enterprise
for him to be known to be engaged in it.
One or two companies are called by his
name, and some of the very best wells have
been sunk under his management. OF
these, the most noted is the Phillips well
on the Tarr farm This he sank on one OF
the oil leases, AID when first opened it sent
up flow of from three to four thousand
barrels per day; and for nearly four years
it has continued to flow, throwing off with
large quantities of gas not less than from
two to three hundred barrels daily to the
present hour. ~
A flowing well is of course far more val
liable; from its saving all the expense Of
pumping and attendance. This well, with
all the tanks, &c, was purchased last fall
by Messrs. Lockhart & Frew, and forms
now small portion of the revenues Ofthat
company, lately formed in Pittsburg, with
q capital of 81, 100000 known as the Bril-.
liancy Oil Company. At the present time
Mr.. Phillips manages the entire property
Of this concern, having, however, number.
less wells of his own. Possessed, however
of great coolness and decision Of character
he has already sold off one or two Other
seperate properties which form the basi:
Of other companies, and can attend and
does attend to the largest amount Of busi-
ness of any man ordinarily seen even in
Oil City, without the slightest confusion, ol
discussion All trust in him and are vii.
ling to pay somewhat higher for the oil
they purchase from him, because his rep
resentations as to the character of all thai
he sells are perfectly reliable