The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-08-03
OIL NEWS.
PifhOIe--SOme Interesting FactsAbOut
the City OF Petroleum.

PifhOIe--SOme Interesting FactsAbOuf
b City of Petroleum.
The ubiquitous correspondent of the
New York Herald has been visiting Pit
hole, and writes a long letter descriptive of
of that remark able city, from which we
make the following extracts:
THE TERRITORY.
Pithole City is located upon the Thomas
Holmden farm. The widow Holmden
farm, the Rocker and the Blsckmer farms
sd ioin the property o n each side. The
widow Holmden farm, of about n hum
dred acres, is leased at 3 nominal sum by
the United States Petroleum Company for
nine wears for oil purposes, and for one
vesr 10 different parties for building pur-
noses. One half of the oil is reserved as
the widows portion. The same arrange
ment is made with the Thomas Holmden
farm. The Rocker farm is in some dispute
as regards title, but parties are leasing I'M
der the authority of Prsther u Co.. subject
to contingencies respecting the validity oil
the title. The Rocker and Holmden fami-
lies are related by Marriage Holmden
marrying q Rocker and q Rocker marry
ing a Holmden.
THE BLACKMER FARM
on which is located q remarkable sulphur
spring, and q part of Pithole City proper,
and q number of oil wells of good promise,
is owned by New York parties. Building
lots are leased at the rate of one Hundred
and fifty to one thousand dollars per year.
Oil leases of halt an acre command from
two TO eight thousand dollars cash and half
the oil. Mr.. Parkes, of Cleveland, has
leased the principal building, which is to
be Immediately enlarged, for three thou
sand dollars per annum, and has started 8
hotel at three dollars per day. The farm
is regarded as the best oil territory in this
section, lying as it does upon both Big and
Little Pitholes and running down to the
junction of the same. The main road from
Plumer to Pithole City runs through it.
and the farm itself may be regarded as q
part of the city proper. The property was
purchased for less than fifty thousand dol
lars. 1t is now worth half q million.
PITHoLE CITY ITEMS.
Pithole City is the growth of forty days.
It contains over three hundred buildings
Of goodly size and appearance, and has q
pOpUihblOu vi kWO shOuEhhu "hlSo hAhAO11
eleven females and one colored person.
The United States Hotel Is the principal
hotel at present. 1t was built as a storage
house for oil. Now it feeds perhaps a
thousand persons sday, and lodges as many
as can be packed within its walls like her
rings in q box.
All the town lots were leased a month
g at prices varying from 500 to 5000
per year, for three years, by Messrs. Prath-
er s. Duncan; who purchased the proper
tv for $25, 900, and have since made a pres
emit Of $75, 900 to its former owner. 1 be-
lieve the property has lately been stocked
by the same gentlemen. All these lots
have been re leased st bonuses of from
81 0 to $1,000. The size of the lots are
80 by 100 to l4O. The sight of the new
hotels nearly completed by Mr.. Patchen,
of Housewife, on Holmden street. and Cap
tain Vanderbilt, on First street, leased for
5000 and $1,000 each. Captain V. will
Immediately construct, in connection with
his hotel, a theatre, concert and billiard sa-
loon, sc. His hotel is to be called the
metropolitan" The Captain has just
paid $4,000 for three acres on Rocker
farm.
ALL kinds of business are beiug opened,
the principal ones being the sale Of liquors
and leases.
A telegraph line is in operation, and
stages carry people in every direction. a
horse railroad will reach here from Titus
vile before long.
Board in a rough, unfinished building
is three dollars per day, and morespPlicsnts
than can be accommodated. A respects-
z-Ilzl - UyEIl" HOInaAan .,
night or TWO AgU md bagged the privilege
OF being allowed to sleep IN her barn.
It is estimated that already ten millions
of dollars are invested In Pithole oil terrl-
tory. AL the territory above and below
must advance in price in consequence OF
the recent discoveries and the prevailing
excitement.
Provisions in PithOle are fifteen per cent.
higher than they are in Titusville or Oil
City.
Any party intending TO put down a we'll
on Pithole should have seven thousand dol
lars in his pocket if he expects to get down
six hundred feet. The cost of getting an
engine an engine from Oil City TO Pithole
is one hundred and fifty dollars. Talking
of engines, 1 notice from bills posted in
all public places, that Mr.. james I. Hay
den, of New York, is doing a large bust
ness in the sale OF them.
Many ladies on horseback daily visit Pit
hole for the purpose of seeing the wonder
full well, and testing the mineral water on
Blsckmer farm, which, by the way might
be carried up to the Psrke's House, which
is situated on a hill, at no very great ex-
pense. Saratoga will have to look TO her
laurels when the virtues of this water OBJ
tain notoriety.
Horse thieves are plenty in Pithole.
Every night one or more horses are stolen.
a rgigilance committee is talked of. There
g%TgJly-looking scsmps in town.
The principal streets oF4oLE;
ed as follows: Duncan, Mason, sTe nam
Brown, Holmden, First, Second, Third,
Fourth, John.
Nolmden and First are the main thor
oughfares. Duncan is the fashionable
street or promenade, being sixty feet wide
the others fifty.
HOW PITnoLE RECEIVED ITS NAME.
Pithole was thus named in consequence
of an extraordinary pit or cavern that Ok
lists about three miles from the city. In
this pit stones are thrown, but they are
never heard to drop. It's depth has not as
vet been fathomed. The whole country
| between here and Plumer is believed to be
cavernOus.
THE WIDOW HOLMDEE,
who may be said 10 be at the head of the
new petroleum regime, has recently married
q Professor Babcock, a music or piano
teacher, from the State of New York. She
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