Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-08-16

ing the future, when the country shall be
more densely peopled, and able to make
use of its own mineral treasures.
Sir S. M. Peto devotes a chapter to pc
troleum, or rock-oil, and gives most in
teresting account of oil-springs was mere
ly collected by skimming it from the sur
face of water on which it floated till 1858
when we'll was sunk in Pennsylvania
and at once began to yield 400, and after
ward 1000 gallons day. Great excite.
ment ensued, and search for oil began
! throughout the whole district Many Of
| the experiments were unsuccessful, but
when oil was struck the fortunate adyen
turer was suddenly enriched. Some of the
wells yield oil without the trouble of pump
ing it flows from them in copious stream
Some wells yield 1000 barrels, and one
even 5000 barrels daily Towns have
sprung up in the oildlstrict of Pennsylva-
MIA and in Oil City business is now trans
acted to the amount of g3,000,000 annual
ly. Other parts Of America have also
been found to be rich in oil. 1t would be
out of place here to do more than merely
allude to the oil-wells of Canada; but
there are oil-ields in several parts of Penn
| sylVania, in Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia,
while it is said that indications of oil have
been found in many other States.
Our limits do not permit us to follow
Sir S. NJ. Peto in his account of American
commerce--the foreign trade, the coasting
trade and the internal trade on the lakes
and rivers--to which he devotes a section
of his work One fact claims particular
attention, that no less than one half Of the
export trade of the United States is to
Great Britain next to this is the export
trade to France; but the third largest ex-
port trade is to the British provinces in
! North America, while the exports to other
! British possessions are very considerable
From this may be seen the vast Importance
to both nations of constantly maintaining
| friendly relations
| Sir S. NJ Peto devotes another section of
his work to railways. The rivers of the
country, great and numerous as they are,
utterly insufficient for the purpose of its in
ternal commerce. The railway system of
America is gIeat and rapidly extending !;
but most of the railways are as yet mere
single lines, and their construction is so
imperfect that the rate of travelling is far
less rapid than in Britain Sir S. NJ Peto
enters very fully into the whole subject
He visited America, indeed, in the capacity
of chairman of the London Board of Control
of the Atlantic and Great Western Rail
way, and his suggestions on the construc-
tion and management of railways will
scarcely be received by the Americans as
those of stranger, but with the respect
due to one whose interests are identified
with their own, and whose experience gives
value to his counsel.
The South is treated in a section by it.
self Differing from the North in its pro-
ductions it differs still more in consequence
of slavery, now happily abolished, but so
recently that the results of the great change
have scarcely begun to appear. There are,
as yet, few lines of railway between the
North and the South. The Southern plant
ers, in times now past, did not wish to have
them, for they were afraid of the use which
might be made of them to carry away their
slaves, and of the influence of much com
munication with the North. The Southern
States have for long time been nearly
stationary in population. Immigrants did
not flock to them, for the white man labor
ing with his own hands was despised both
by the Shareholders and by the slaves All
this must LOW be changed. There is much
land in the Southern States which invites
settlers. Even in Virginia the improved
land" amounts only to l. 437,9 acres,
while 1863, ,2l5 acres are "unimprOved -
whereas in New York the improved land
is more than double the extent of the unim-
proved Much of the uncultivated land in
the South is adapted for the cultivation of
cotton and other strictly southern products,
but much of it also is well suited to wheat.
Of the products of the South the most i'm
portant-besides cotton, rice, Indian corn,
and tobacco-is sugar The cultivation of
the sugar-cane is limited to the most south
ern regions, and has of late decreased but
the sorghum or sugar-grass recently intro
duced from China is admirably adapted to
the climate, not only of the South, but in
deed of almost all parts of the United
States, and its cultivation has rapidly eX-
tended, especially in the Northwestern
States
Sir S. NJ Peto's work is so full of infor-
nation that what we have been able to ex-
tract is but little portion of it. The spir-
it in which it is written is also excellent
1t is the work of an Englishman who loves
his own country and her institutions, but
who regards America and Americans with
the most kindly feeling. 1t is calculated
to dissipate prejudice, and to promote good
feeling on both sides of the Atlantic
VALUE OF THE SABBATH.-The Sabbath is
made for man. There is no exception 1t
is for every man; The birthright OF every
son of Ad m an inheritance he did not
purchase, and which he cannot sell. 1t is
VI l. Al ]