The Portland daily press., 1866-03-24
The Great Oil Centre of Canada west.
WYOMING, C. W., March 10. 1868.
To the Editor ofMe Press.

= = p &
To the Editor oftie Press. ..
propose to make to the readers of the pye.s
few statements in relation to the oil district
OF this province; confessedly the central point
by all disinlereste1 persons who have fairly
investigated and compared the different points
irom which oil Is taken in paying quantities.
state nothing new to the people of Canada
west when l say that Bothwell is pretty ee-
fectually "played out" That locality has re-
ceivel the benefit of any amount of putting:
and two or three papers are nomirally pub
Rshed II ere. Though all of them are printed
at distance from tie place. An intelligent
Hamilton editor estimates that not moro than
five per cent, of the business of the place Is
legitimate The pumping wells are few, and
with few exceptions the yield is notoriously
small 1t is common thing there, am told,
to pump all the oil a well viii yield in day
in perhaps an hour, or two hours at most, and
then rate it at as much per day as though the
same yield could be continued throughout the
twenty-four hours. t..---
At Oil Springs similar state of things ex-
lists, and even the celebrated Hendricks well
in the township of Dawn, near the Springs,
rated at 1900 barrels, is allowed to pump not
over an hour day-otten less-and the rata
is made up from the how during this short Pc
Rod.
In PETRoLIA, five miles from this point.
which is in the centre of EnniskiIlen town.
ship, the condition of things is entirely diffsr-
ent. 1t is unquestionably the best oil district
yet developed in the whole province, and own
ers OF wells and lands in othe, places are SELL
ing out and focking to Petrolia for a surer
thing than they have found elsewhere. I do
not know the precise number OF wells, either
completed or in process of sinking, nor do
know the exact yield of the wells, but I have
information upon these points that deem re-
iiaD-e. One thing is sure; of the many wells
already sunk, not one dry hole has get been
found. "a. ..- ..f...,e f.ftT
1t is to be remembered that Petrolia Is COM
paratively a new place-new in its develop
ments. It had a few wells several years ago,
but owing to the low price OF oil and the con-
dition of the money market in the States--
for the operations were chiefly by Americans
the bu iness came to stand-stil, and not
till some six or eight months since did rrv;.
val take place. Now al. is lie and activity
Within four months towa lots have gone up
from 500 to $500 or $1,000; while oil lands
have advanced from a very low figure to as
high as two or three thousand dollars an acre
in gold. Large hotels have sprung up, crowd
ed to excess, and the click OF the hammer and
the sound of the axe and saw are heard in all
directions. rf.r. .daI.fe.... a..y .l
But the feature is the multiplicity of der
ricks and steam smoke stacks. These meat
the eye at every turn, and not well has bean
put down yet that has not realized the expec-
tations Of the owners, SO tar at least, as secur-
ing oil in paving quantities. Perhaps should
make two exceptions OF wells put down below
the "oil shows" until large water vein which
underlies the whole region was penetrated,
and, to use miners phrase, ,'she bottom was
knocked out" gguialsis ~ y3s13s v3H d