The Big blue union. [volume] (Marysville, Kan.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-21
Fountains of Wealth.

which now rolls across the country, we
must lot forget that wonderful legacy of
n allure to which we fell heirs about the be.
ginning of the war; We mean the Petro.
leum fields. The sensation which followed
their discovery and velopement has aba
ted, but the Oil still flows in an undimin-
ished stream, pouring into the national lap
presents far richer than the diamonds Of
Golconda, or the glittering metals of the
Far West. The OIL trade has become
fixed institution, and is already making
new currents and new centers Of Ii aJe.
10 December, 1859, Major George
Washington, of the Virginia militia, was
sent by Gov. Dinwiddie to the French COM
mander Of that day, who was establishing
line of military posts between La Ike Erie
and tie Ohio River. In his route he
passed up the Valley of the Allegheny
and across the County of Venango, then
the habit atoms of. Indians and wild ami
mails. A hundred years later, and all tina,
could be seen among those barren hills was
couple Of sleepy Dutch towns, with very
little to sell % the cutter world and still
less to buy from it. Within the past five
years tie discovery of an Illuminating oil
beneath the surface Of the earth has trans
formed the face Of nature with magical
rapidity. The whole country for miles is
dotted with derricks, steam engines, and
shanties ; new cities nave sprung up, with
their hotels, stores, banks. and theaters.
In circle Of 80 miles around Uil City are
over 100000 Inhabitants,
Meadville, the neck of the oil regions,
through which is poured the oil Outgoing
and the thousand supplies ingoing, has risen
from population of 5000 in 1860 to 49,
600. Places like Franklin, Titusville,
Oil City, Pithoe, which scarcely existed,
now boast their daily newspapers, their
hotels, banks, stores, and theaters. In the
circui. Of 30 miles around Franklin there
are not less than 100000 energetic people
The Pithole discoveries have given an
other impetus TO the excitement, and visi-
tors to that Interesting spo, relate marve-
lous 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 progress. We have the
record of 30 of these wells which yield
from 80 barrels Dumping to ] 800 barrels
(howing) day. The total yield of 40 of
the wells now reaches nearly 10000 gal
Ions per day. The oil is worth $40 bar
rel at the wells, but COSTS from So to S.
more to haul TO railroad. The Govern
men. imposes an internal revenue tax of
81 a barrel on the crude, and 20 cents per
gallon on the re6ned oil, so that with the
least margin of cost for labor or machinery
we have a steady contribution of $780,
900 day or $40, oOo,O year from this
vicinity alone.
The field of the whole of the PennsyI-
vania oil 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 $780,
10000 annually as direct gift from ma
ture, or sufficient to discharge the Nation
al Debt in fifteen years. Not only so bu,
We are furnished with portable econom-
ical Ugh. superior to any other in use. The
principal difficulty experienced at present
is the transportation to market. 1t is es-
timated that there are upward of 10000
barrels of oil awaiting shipment, and the
railroads are daily refusing freigh, in both
directions.
Oil wells are VIGOROUSLY uncertain ven
lures, and many curious facts are related
of narrow hits aud misses of fortune On
the whole, the yield seems to be as great
or greater than ever, though brought from
more channels, the current sometimes set.
ting from one to another. Leases are now
selling at premiums of from So, 900 to So
600, and half the oil. The territory has
risen in places to prices so fabulous as to
be out of the market. Most of the famous
flowing wells have a regular puIsation in