The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-06-13
VISIT TO THE GROUNDS.
PETROLEUM FOUND In MANY
PLACES,
Wells to be Sunk Immediately.
Excitement on the Subject.

yesterday tMonday| m company with
Col. John Dickson, of Camden Mills presi-
dent of the Rock River Oil and Mining Com
pany; Joseph W. Brackets Esq, of this
city, Geo. L. Davenport and c. s. Whistler
of Davenport, members of the company
John G. Ford, engineer of the company; DR..
D. C. Roundy of Csmden Mills. VIM. Fl.
Sage, and Mr.. SILL of this city; P. B. Jones,
Henry Davenport, and Mr.. Fay, of Daven-
port; Geo. Pitcher, VIM. G. Conner, VIM.
H. Forman, John Lyons, John Sewer, Ed
ward Merwerren, and d. c.. butcher of the
Buffalo (Iowa) Oil We'll, we visited the Zu-
ma oil diggins. We left at A. NJ. on tho
Western Union Railroad Steamer, Iowa,
Capt. Smith, for Port Byron, and from that
place were conveyed in carriages by Smith
/ & Disney, livery stable keepers IN LIE Claire,
to the now famous oil ravinss of Yuma.
Wefrst visited the place of VIM. Mccall.
and there, in a saylne, pulled off coats, rolled
up sleeves, tucked pants under boot tops and
explored the ravine near mis- house. Tin
pans, skimmers, tunnels and bottles were
produced. and plenty of crude petroleum
/ gathered from the surface of the water ooz-
! ing from the ground. A lightning rod was
sunk from to 10 feet, to the rock, and Pc
troleum dubbed up as it was WITHDRAWN
Put your hand in the water and withdraw
it, and your hand is covered with oil; rub
it and it ls as greasy as grease can make it;
smell of it and your olfactories are flied with
a strong stencil OF petroleum; saturate pa
PEE with it, and light it with match and
it blazes with all the fury of turpentine. and
fills the air with stencil of petroleum; run
your hand and arm down anywhere and
bring up mud from the lowest point you can
reach and it smells of petroleum-in fact you
can't touch anything in that ravine without
getting creased and perfumed with petrole-
um. for 1t is there, all through and through,
most unmistakably.
1t was curious sight to see 20 to 30 men
all excited with the discovery, and all striv-
ing to gather the precious liquid. It is not
in one place, but all through that valley.
From there we went to the farm of A. F.
Russell, with the same result, finding it in
scores of places. And it is probably the
The people have caught the fever and men
and boys, with spades, bottles, pans, tunnels
and skimmers, are prospecting all about, in
that region.
Several of the citizens of Zuma joined US,
in these explorations, among whom we re
] member Mr.. VIM. Mccall, a. F. Russell
, Samuel Wainwright Esq. Joslyn, and other,
y whose names we cannot now recollees.
9 That there is petroleum there is settled be-
q yond doubt. Old Pennsylvania, who were
q present, declare the indications better than
/, they have ever seen in Pennsylvani. the
, petroleum better, purer, AID the Indications
of it more abundant. The only question il
| ''Can it be found in paying quantities ?"-
. That question. the Rock River Oil and Min
a ing Company will determine. The company
has leased several hundred acres of the land
{ ordered an engine, and will soon commence
9 to test the matter.
a This company deserves credit for enter
y prize and liberality in prosecuting these en-
i euiries to satisfactory conclusion. If oil i.
j found in paying quantities, it will be one o
b the greatest things ever done for our county
We all ought to wish success to the efforts
n being made, for it would benefit all, and ado
n immense wealth and population to our coun
hty.
' Returning we stopped at the National Ho
tel formerly DeSoto Housed, Port Byron
a kept by Walter Kingsley, where the compan,
ii dined. Mr.. Kingsley has newly fitted VI
| and newly furnished this hotel, and it is nov
d credit to the place. We left Port Byron
If in the steamer Bill Henderson, about a O
Z clock, and got safely through the bridg
L about 6, just before the great storm whic
d deluged the whole country about here like
q flood.
,f 1t was pleasant "trip, pleasant compau,
u and we'll paid for the visit.
ANOTHER PETROLEUM COMPANY,