The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-10-06
Pit Hole, vs.. West Virginia and Ohio
EDITORS OFTHE REGISTER:

| flt 11OIe, VS. "est VII O-~'
| EDITORS OFTHE REGISTER:
We have often heard the assertion
made that ten barrel oil well, on any OF
the favorable localities of either West
Virginia or Ohio, anywhere in the vicin'
ity of the Ohio river, was equivalent to
one hundred barrel well on the famous
| Pit Hole creek. In order to verify the
above assertion, we have CLEANED the
following facts from those who know
and are thoroughly posted IN oil mat
ters And in justice to our west VIZ
ginia and Ohio oil regions, we deem 1t
but right and proper that the facts
should appear, as some OF our citizens
Gas we'll as host of others,) have recent
ly been strangely infatuated with Pit
Hole, and satisfied, even II they could
get lands located within several
miles of it. In the first place, the oil
from their flowing wells is so exceed
inely light and gassy when discharged,
that its gravity stands usually at 6O deg,
almost as light as pure benzole, and Is
reuuired to evaporate for several days
in large open tanks, which reduces the
gravity to from 45 deg. to AZ deg.-this be-
fore it can or ought to be shipped, Which
is a sacrifice of ten to fifteen barrels
on eyerv one hundred,-an then not
worth as much by five cents per gallon.
as a 40 dec. gravity oil. The expense of
carting this oil from the wells andshlp-
ping to Pittsburg, has been costing
S6 50 per barrel; add 81 per barrel for
Government tax, and it does not net the
nroducer more than 81 IS to $500 per
barrel at the wells. In addition to the
above. the sub-leases at Pit Hole are
usually in one-half acre lots. After pay
inc a bonus of from $1,000 to $4,000,
they give one-half Of the oil royalty, and
then. not only bore at cost of $4,000,
but sometimes get essentially bored them
selres by not getting more oil there, than
at some other places. And now we will
contrast the West Virginia and Ohio re-
oions with the above, without embellish-
ment. or pinkey hUalutin statements, but
simply giving facts as they are We
may take the wells first, at Burning
Springs. which were the largest prodqc-
ing oil wells, until they were stopped by
the guerrillas, but now being operated
as largely and successfully as ever, pro.
dncinG an oil, the uniform gravity Of
which is 40 deg When compelled to cart
this oil from the wells, the cost is $500
per barrel to the station on the \. W.
r. R. but when sufficient water is in
the Little Kanawha, it is brought out
by boat at an expense of less than 81 w
per barrel. Take next the petroleum
works of Handlin, Ford & Co, which
produce the finest quality Of lubrica.
ting oil, now selling under contract at
Is cents per gallon at the station, and
which otherwise would, at the present
time, readily command 81 per gallon
Next the new well on Walkers Creek,
(owned by Col. Rathbone & Longmoor)
which yields one hundred barrels per
day, and commands 80 cents per gallon
at the station, making the handsome
little sum of $4,000 per day, and decided
ly one of the largest paying wells in the
country. Next the wells on French
Creek, owned by the Goodwin Oil Co,
and French Creek and Newell's Run Oil
Company also, the Roland and Faulk-
ner wells, on Newell's run, and others in
that vicinity, where it costs but % cents
per Dbl. to cart the oil to the Ohio river,
and place it on boats, and where it
finds ready market either up or down
the river The freights from any of the
above points to Wheeling or Pittsburg
range from 80 to Is cents per barrel
The light oil of West Virginia and Ohio
commands in the market and cents
per gallon more than Pit Hole OIL the
iubricating oil of West Virginia and
Ohio brings rs cents to 81 90 per gallon.
Taking into consideration the above
facts it is greatly under estimated when we
say that 10 barrel we'll in West Virgin
ia and Ohio is equiralent to a 100 barrel
well on Pit Hole. y.
Since writing the above we have seen
the following notice of the Longmoor
well, which is situated on Walkers
Creek, in the Parkersburg Daily Times of
Friday last:
This we'll situated in this comfy and
about a mile from the railroad, is as
founding every one 1t is the best well
in the world. The first few days it
pumped 100 barrels per day. Early
this week it run to 10, then ll5, l25 and
Yesterday to $50 barrels, of the best lu:
bricating oil, $40 a barrel or for four
parties, $4,000 day. No well in Penn
syIvania can compare with it in net
profit"