The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-10-04
PITH0LE

/ From .as >l.-4.
Taking car ca the Atlantic and Great
/ Western Road a. Corr. after about ar hour
/ I tell into q snOOZe, when bump 20 the cars,
/ the conductor Of the train pOkes his head in
/ ~ the dOJr. Break in the road" be re-
/ marks; you viii pass the night here
/ ~ this .ac0nic and interesting speech eve
/ rs one turns over and goes TO sleep without
a word. \ cry early indeed the next NOR
/ 1iuE wo awake. and | survey the party.
There are two youths whose black coats.
/ ,pring.ag step. and Innocent smile show
( ,hem gentlemen and divinity students.
I ghel soon ater atop al Meadvile The
/ rest of Tie party ara yellow and melan-
/ choly race-then new 10 me. soon after well
/ SHOWN operators and spectators "a OIL
1T first, from a close resemblance 20 dried
salt dsh, took ihem 10 be an extreme spe-
cies from my native New England But
soon found 0u. my mistake. Pennsylvania
claimed the honor VI their birth.
Al exception was - eXce.iant old gen
/ tlen4H, nearly eighty The president of
some company, who had gone 20 look a.
( Tor il interests. Though somewhat tired
yy lyiu- awake al night, the moment oil
vas touched upon his tongue was loOsoned,
aud be poured forth u stream OF aucclote.
heOry ah' description which was very ell
tying
Takiu- horse The uo1t morning. /
climbed lA- bill that from tho east over
Iooks tLe city and The creek. Unless one
/ upped his pen In mud. Who could describe
lhat nltulest of cities The town chiefly
cons - Of one long street, Wedged in be-
tween the clid and the river crowded with
hops looking ike a bisected pedilar's
cart Indefinitely prolonged Cologne IS a
-avorf city D- comparison, and New York
seems OF VII gin cleanliness. The inhabi-
tanls resemble the lower class OF scare
Crows under Tie Influence OF d powerful
saivanic battery.
Alter long iOOb at this sewer VI cities.
aad the countless derrcks between the
city ami the AIli, l again turned nv nose
/ prophetic Org.n-towards the east and the
neW re.slilg ueauiy OF OildOm, euphOuiOus
Plh0le
The road winds mp and down the hills
that III. the water-shed OF the Aiieghanv. and
affords many Oelutiiu! views. On either side
rise well wooded bills in graceful curves
from the little streams which low through
their valleys. One does not generally as
sociaie the oil regions with the haunt oil the
muses. yet 81 tho muses. Ia tsan Ss-.,.-,d
: 90 Sake up tGeir abode IN the Western World,
/ / know OF 10 more appropriate place for
-hen than the nils and valleys OF the Alie-
-h1ny before man laid his greedy fingers
on the fair face G. nature.
Everywhere conspicuous among the
| trees. YOU see the derricks Oi the oil wells
+ Ike steepies Of the great temple OF Mammon
at which all worship. DeTrcks. indeed YOU
/ see eyerywhere-in the valleys on the bill
/ sides. on the tops OF hilis-with their en
giues attached. about one n fifty OF which
/ Is running. Millions upon millions Of dol
/ lars have been sunk all through this region
/ in the purchase OF worthless land at oil
! land prices How any Imagination could
! suppose that oil would be produced from
the most Of the land. am at q loss to de-
vine. Il Is well known, however, that with
no class OF men IS the imagination so pO-
tent rs with our solid business men. One
searches for the widest fights OF fancy,
not IL Collins, or a Shelley, but in these
and similar ventures by grave practical
men, who would SCOT a. the word mag
nation, TO whose power they are unwit-
tingiy the best witness.
Now and then you come upon 4 town oil
/ plain, a.! !aIuteu uoarIs IN IUuDeQ and
/ Widowed raggeJness and everywhere
along the road YOU find hotels, so called
and dubious reireshment saloons, at which
IS sold under various names tho ubiquitous
whiskey
After a few hours ride reached the city
ot PithOie. Pithole lies il the centre OF the
oil regions, about ten miles from Oil City
and i've from the Allegheny river. II GOV
ers a low hill which rises from the wes
bank Of Pithole Greek, and will soon cove
the hill rising from the opposite bank. Pit
Greek is q cOnfemptible little stream, q few
yards IN width, emptying into the Alegha
ny few miles below. The town has nov
several hundred buildings and some tel
thousand inhabitants, and is probabl,
worth fifty millions OF dollars A fev
months ago 1t consisted of half 4 dozen oil,
larm-hOuses, city inhabitants, and woul,
, have been valued at perhaps, fifty thous
and dollars.
The town has the usual appearance 0
towns in this region, aud is q gigantic cit,
of " shredS and patches" Most Of tb
buildings are built on land leased for tire
years. Passing up the street, you see Of
either side shops and hotels, each laying
different claim 10 fashion. One is painted
another has Il splendid sign. another la
its rooms papered. Every other shop is
liquor saloon. 1t IS safe 10 assert that ther
2 IS more vile liquor drunk in this town tha
in any other town OF its size in the world
p Indeed 4 bar is almost the invariGble ap
pendage 10 every building. Lawyers hav
bars appurtenant TO their Offices-each be
4 tel dwelling house or shop has its ssparat
bar.
lou pass crowds OF persons. 10 an exc
E ted state, hurrying TO and frO-mOst {
2 them with haggard faces, old clothes, az
2 trOwsers stuck IN their bOOts-Of that tishy
scarecTow race, specimens OF which | la
J met in the cars. You pass many familla
= | names" stat D.qgu. nO1EsntS uHs5rd -
e | the 81 Nicholas the Fifth Avenue, the NJ
{ trOpOlitau, and the like. After a ride OF
{ quarter Of a mile YOU reach the famOu
u United States We'll. and a strange sight i 4
9 Forth there Tushes a stream OF oil as lare
: rs your arm, with constant gusnes Of ga
u Day and night this stream is vOmited for,
B with undated force. Scarcely less profit
' are the neighbOring "Twin Wells. He
BE- ws have iu these little streams the sour,
I II this Seething city. with It's herce, mad e.
= ergy. Wonderful sight, Gazing at the
I. streams men go mad. The Oil-fever fir
i | their brains They contract al eager gaZ
r tuck their trOwsers in their boots and wa
Ter up and down the creek in search OF j
r. terests in wells 10 purchase. Them q
C. ar,fui brokers descrv. and one fortuna
e. angler draws his victim to 4 safe nook a.
ls empis him with the e. hest and cheapes.
ie interests Oh tAe creek, indications wO
lt ieriul good etc. The broker pockets
b. commission, anl the victim is very apt
10 lwice Quadruple his investment in a shO
e. 'ime- 50 he IS not perhaps, so much 10
d n.tied
Next TO the oil wells themselves the nc
(. characteristic phenomena of the place &
41 the countless teamSters VINO there c0ngI
III gate. Those who are acquainted with III
Dr. .mperturbable ts-t.ttnl Qud Of humani,
e Tie army teamster, have 10 difficulty
o. recognizing him in Pithole. WIKI dark IA
o' shaggy beard, and sloCched hat, and tro
De sers tucked into h.s boots. lie sits immoy
= BE On his s,oat team. On eve~y prop
Is occasion he damns his horses WIKI d vol
Il 5illty and versatility Of profanity WHICH
70 most show a divine GIT. To other exec
o. | these equine emotions he Is iraccessib
u The team i0lts On over rocks and tre.
ie down nuL-loles. CEt Of mId-holes, do
=, | rut>-aiier a fashion 10 rciuCe M ordina
1 g3n 70 g.sat.nCUs mass. From him
q merely spills oUr al oath or two. Out e
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