The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-03-23

|
leum, yet to-day they are as dry as pow
| der horn. And in the Mecca oil regio
OF Ohio, which three or four years az
r was the center of attraction, there is nc
, at the present time well that is muc
more than paying expenses, and not on
, In hundred of those that at one tim,
gave great promise, is now pumping
Within the last year, however, a number
OF "played OUT wells-to use the expires
slve term In use hereabouts-have beer
recuperated by ingenious processes and
patient labor, and now abundantly repay
ing the work expended upon them. As
an instance of what may be accomplished
in this way, as we'll as to show the persis
tency and determination of oil seekers,
the following circumstance may be men
toned:
Mitchell & Allen, Philadelphia oil
company, obtained the leases known as
the Cement wells, on the Buchanan farm.
This well had already been tried and a.
bandoned by several practiced oil-search-
ers, and was pronounced worthless The
Philadelphians, however thought differ
emily, and went to work with will to
demonstrate their theory. As another
instance of the pertinacity which is given
to man by the hope of gaining good
well, the following is related:
MIR. p. Haines was boring a we'll also
on the Buchanan farm, and had every
prospect of a lucky strike. Unfortunate
ly, when going through the last stratum
of rock, his drill became detached, stuck
in the rock several hundred feet from the
surface, and man was never more COM
p!etely in a "fx" than he-so was the
drill. But he was plentifully endowed
with pure Yankee perseverance and in
dustry, and went to work to remove the
drill-a seemingly hopeless task For
fifteen months Mr.. Haines labored assid-
uously with this object, and his patience
and industry were at last rewarded by
success-his troubles were healed by the
gentle soothing of "a hundred barrels
day."
Since the great commercial Importance
of petroleum became known, the discov-
cries of oil have been wonderful. West
ern Pennsylvania was the first, and still
is the greatest oil producing region, but
the oleaginous compound has since been
found to exist in nearly half the States
and Territories now within the Union,
and probably will also be found in those
now under the rebel dominion when Jeff
Davis and his clan are made to sec the
folly of chasing the ignis tatuus of inde-
pendence, and so to boring for tangible
petroleum. The Oil Greek region is the
the favorite with practical oil men, for
the reason that the chances of success in
boring here are better than in any other
locality yet discovered But throughout
all Western Pennsylvania the Petroleum
has reached fever heat Wells are being
bored, land bought up at fabulous prices,
and the people, who for years have been
content to plod as frugal and industrious
peformers are dazzled by the prospect of
fabulous wealth. In Clarion and Fayc.te
counties rich wells have been obtained,
and in Washington, Lawrence, Beaver,
Butler, Crawford, Erie, Green, Indiana,
Clearfeld and Elk counties, oil has al
ready been obtained, or the sinking of
wells is in progress. In these counties
the farmers have all put extravagant prl-
ces on their lands: and even then are
careful to stipulate that certain percent
age of the prospective oil is to go into
their pockets. Doubtless Eine tenths of
them will be able to literally put all they
get in their pockets. Western Virginia,
next to Western Pennsylvania, is the ad
miration of oil men. The war and the
oil fever broke out simultaneously in this
region but Notwithstanding the greasy
appearance of the rebels generally, there
seems to be but little affinity between re-
bellion and Petroleum, and the rebels
have disagreeable way of making peri
odical raids into the Western Virginia
oil regions, thereby suddenly suspending
olcaginous research 1t is thought, how
ever, that when this "cruel war is over"
to use strictly original exprcssion-the
oil region of Western Virginia will be
found to be at least equal in richness to
those of Pennsylvania. In Ohio, the oil
seems to clay around loose" and it is said
with undoubted truthfulness, that farmers
alI1oot lCdi W ~ W Slcep dt HlSuC lSaoo
before morning the petroleum beds which
they know to exist under their farms shall
burst their earthly bounds and inundate
the surface with ar oleaginous flood
The Mecca excitement, as previously sta
ted, proved decided hunfbug, but more
stable wells have been struck in other
parts of the State. In Southeastern Ohio
there is every indication of boundless Pc
troleum deposits. In Washington county
also, the borings have proven highly sue
cessful, and in the vicinity of GAINESVILLE,
Marietta, New Lisbon and Waynesburg,
oil has already been found Columbiana,
Preble, Muskingum and many other coup-
ties have also reached the height of the
oil fever, and the bowels of the earth are
being effectually stirred up. The conta-
gion of the oil excitement has also broken
out in Indiana and the ''Hoosiers" are in
dustriously trying to bore themselves rich,
with apparently good success. But to
particularize the oil localities would take
- - L. Il