The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-12-02
= Fountains Of Wealth.


siion al tlie tide of returning prosperity which
now rolls across the country. W. must not
forget that wonderful legacy of rature to
whlcf we fell heirs about the beginning OF
the war, We mean the Petroleum ields.--
The sensation which followed their discov
cry and development has abaied. bat the
oil Still hows in uhdiminlshed stream, pour
ing into the National lap presents far rich
er than he diamonds of t5olconda or the
glilterlng metals of the Far West. The
Ull trade has become a fixed institution.
and is already making new currents aud
new cenlers oftrade.
& In December. 1872, Major George Wash
inglolr, Of the Virginia militia, was sent by
Gov. Dinwiddie to the French commander.
2 OF that, day, who was establishing line of
military ports between Lake Erie and the
Ohio River. In his route he passed up the
Valley Of the Allegheny aud across the
County of Venango then the habitation OF
Indians and wild animals. A hundred years
later, and all thatcoud be seen among these
barren hills was q couple of sleepy Dutch
towns, with very little to sell to the outer
world and still less to buy from it, With
in the past five years the discovery of an
illuminating oil beneath the surfa of the
earth has transformed the face of nature
with. magical rapidity. The whole country
for miles is dotted with derricks, steam-en.
gines and shanties; new cities have sprung
up, with their hotels, stores, banks and the
atres. LII a circuit Of 80 miles around Oil
City are over 100000 inhabitants.
Meadvile, the neck of the oil regions,
through which is poured the oil outgoing
and thethousand supplies iugoing. has risen
from a population of 800 in 1860 to l5,-
900. Places like franklin, Tltusville, Oil
City, Pithole, which scarcely existed, now
boast of their daily newspapers, their ho
tells, banks, stores, and theatres. In cir
cult of 80 miles around Franklin there are
not less than 100000 energetic people,,
The Pithole discoveries have lately given
another impetus to the excitement, and WIS.,
itors to that interesting spot relate marvel
Gus stories of its wonderful yield of OIL
There are, it appears, on the two or three
farms known as Pithole City, some 200 wells
sunk or in process. We have the record of
80 of those wells which yield from 80 bar
rels (pumping) to 1900 barrels (6owing) a
day. The total yield of 40 of the wells
now reaches nearly 10000 gallons per day.
The oil is worth $40 barrel at the wells,
but costs from SO TO S. more to haul it TO
the railroad. The Government imposes al
! internal revenue tax of 81 barrel on the
crude, and 20 cents per gal. upon the refined
| oil, so that with the least margin of cost
for labor or machinery we have steady con-
tribntion of 100000 day or $70,000,000
a year from this vicinity alone.
The field Of the whole of the Pennsylva-
MIA Gil regions is three times that Of the
Pithole region, so that without cOunting
the product in West Virginia. Kentucky
or Ohio, we have sum of over $500 900,
600 annually us direct gift from nature
or sufficient to discharge the National Debt
in fifteen years. Not only so. but we are
furnished with portable economical light
superior to any other in use. The prlncl
pal difficulty experienced at present is The
transportation to market 1t is estimai ed
tnaU tucrc ufe- -0v,UUU udrrt1s UI
oil awaiting shipment, and the railroads are
daily refusing freight in both directions.
OIL wells are notOriOusly uncertain ven
lures, and many curious facts are related ol
narrow hits and misses Of fortune. Tn the
whole. the yield seems to he as great or
greater than ever, though brought from ma
ny more channels, the current sometimes
setting from one to anoiher Leases are
now selling at premiums of from $4,000 tn
| $4,000, and half the OIL The territory has
risen in places 10 prices so fabulous as 10
| be out Of the market. Most of the famous
| dowing wells have regular pulSatiOn in
their How, an interval of from Is to 30 sec
onds. III which gas escapes, again followed
by oil. Speculation seems TO be vague in
reference tn the extent or origin OF the
source The retorts in which the internal
| fires have been distilling this precious fluid
may have been at work for thousands 0i
years. or may be still. The supply may be,
so far as human demands are concerned, ex-
haustless-may. indeed, be the liquid side
by side with the fluid residum of the slider
eal heat which originally permeated the mass
we inhabit. IN. Y. Tribune. m