Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-10-26
THE OIL COUNTRY EXCURSION.
INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF RENO.
Further Details of the Plan.

have given you the outlines of the ex-
cursion of last week, fastening rapidly
over the route traversed, and CHANGING,
merely, at the points of interest. There
were many things deserving of more par
ticular mention which the necessary brew
ity of a newspaper letter compels n to
omit entirely. The growth of the Pithole
region was the wonder of the trip to those
whose previous knowledge was confined
to newspaper reports. Here was a city of
from 5000 to 10000 inhabitants, with not
less than 2,OoO persons depending upon its
Post-ofice for their mail, the number of
buildings in the city being about $50, and
yet the first lease for building purposes
npon ssthe site of the present city was
granted upon the Sd day of June last, only
four months and a half ago. The party
was entertained in a hotel not less than
two hundred feetin length, lighted through
out with gas, and soon to be heated with
steam, and this was but a sample of some
half a dozen similar structures. In every
thing except its streets, Pithole City de-
serves the latter part of its name; in that
one respect, the former portion is the
most aptly descriptive. The streets and
side walks are n pithOlo of mud and
mire, save where a%railing has been erected
at a certain distance from the building
fronts, the enclosed space being, by a sar-
castle fiction, called sidewalks. As a
platoon of our cavalcade fled inside one
of these ratings we were hailed by a
Pitholer who stood in the door way, "say,
YOU, don't ride on the side walk or you'll
cut it all up." Considering that our horses
were half way deep in mud at the time,
we marked the chap as a facetious youth
who had agot sarcasm into him."
About a mile from -Plumer, upon the
road side, stood the plain two story, white
dwelling of the Prather family, where
they lived before they became famous as
the purchasers of the Holmden farm,
whose resale has put millions into their
pockets, unless pending litigation should
vitiate the second sale which they made.
Mr.. George Prather, who has purchased
the Amber place upon Euclid road for his
mother and sisters, is a quiet unassuming
young man who very favorably impresses
those with whom he comes in contact.
The roads from Pithole to Plumer were
decidedly bad; those from Plumerto Hum
boldt works quite good; thence to Rouse
vile wretched; from Housewife to Oil
City ditto; from Oil City to Reno good.
There were a few sore-hearted and sore
bodied ones who eschewed horses after
the first day, and yearned after spring
wagons. Among them was one journal
ist who did not keep up the credit of the
craft for pluck and 'stick-to-it-iveness
but blamed the committee of invitation
because the roads to Pithole were not as
easy of transit as those from Newbury-
port to Boston. For the further accom-
mediation of this class the committee
courteously furnished wagons in which to
make the balance of the trip, but my
word for it they Jared worse in wagon
ing than they would astride the hardest
jade, which the oil country affords.
as L ndNGS dlu3 IL lOdu IlOhl vi WY
to Reno was very good, and advantage
was taken oft to close up the column,
As we struck the splendid road-bed of the
main street of Reno, one after another
struck into a gallop, and we charged
through the town as much like Sheridan's
or Kilpatrick's raiders as HOme-guards
could be expected to look. Thunder
ing thus down upon the Hotel it was
surrounded and captured in IN instant,
and the objective point of the expedition
gave you an outline of the blan under
which Mr.. Culver proposes to develop the
oil territory in this vicinity. He reasoned
the matter so clearly, and, withal, SO hon
estly las no listener. could doubt that the
success of the enterprise could not but be
conceded. Mr.. Culver has been in this
region for years he came with the express
purpose of studying the needs and the OPP
%portunities of this district, and determin-
ing upon the most advantageous points
for trade. He showed the natural advan-
tages of Reno in respect to transportation,
to convenience of access to all parts of the
oil country, and to manufacturing and
furnishing supplies for this entire region.
He then unfolded his plan of organization
of the Reno Oil Company. One point in
this plan is important to be borneinmind;
the depositing of the funds subscribed foI
stock binds Mr.. Cutrer to the success Of tie
Development Of the property, and the pay
ment Of dividends to the stockholders, iaas-
much as his profits depend upon the non
redemption of the stock. This is a feature
never introduced into any company or
ganization before this one.
A few words in regard to the develop
ment of the town of Reno. The advan-
tages for shipping and transferring oil at
this point are inducing those buyers for
Cleveland refineries who have hitherto
made Franklin their headquarters to go to
Reno instead. This will give a daily ship
ment of from 1900 to 1000 barrels oil per
day to Cleveland alone. This, being the
point to which oil is hauled by teams as
well as boats, gives employment to black
smiths, mechanics, eating-houses and feed
stores. A fine brick passenger house is
being erected by the A. & G. w. Railway
Company. The printing office is nearly
completed, from which not less than 25,-
900 copies per week of the Reno Times
will be issued to all parts of the country.
AS fast as accommodation can be found
for the workmen, the force of mechanics
will be increased and business blocks and
dwellings will be erected for N 1t is
Mr.. Culver's intention to erect a spacious
school building and endow the school with
not less than $4,000 to ensure its posses
sion of all needful accessories. A church
for common use will also be erected as
soon as possible. In short, every honora-
bic branch of trade or profession will be
encouraged here. 1t is needless to say
that drinking saloons, gambling dens or
houses of prostitution are not included and
will not be tolerated within the limits of
the town.
The railroad from Reno to Pithole, by
way of Oil Creek and Housewife is
already commenced, about four Hundred
hands being now at work upon it. The
Presidency of this road will be in the
hands of nc less a person than Gen. A. E.
Burnside, whose railroad experience has
made him as famous in peace as in war.
Gen. Burnside will be here upon the
ground this week. A large additional
force of laborers is on the way, and it is
the intention to have not less than two
thousand hands at work as fast as they can
be transported to this point. G. V. Gull
yer and A. E. Burnside are not the men