The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-05-27
Terms Eight Dollars per amman. IN, oa,auce.

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VIII leave the actual result to show for itself
every particular. l 40
AS Tor all the "oil men combined revivinr
another SD eulation like that which has swe,si
over New England like de ISOLATION. taking NIL.
LIONS from your State" would Simply saw.
the law of commerce and trade viii
regulate that, for, il Oil should be-
come worth from s. to 81 per barrel at the
wells. it would be very laborious task for Won
or any other citizen to convince the public
that the oil business was not profitable; and if
the demand was sufficiently great 10 warrant
It's stability as purely legitimate, instead Of as
IN the past, a speculative business and we be-
eve II VIII be so classel when Foote's Hydro
carbon Burner is adopted by steamboat and
railroad directOrs"-it wlii then be dlfficult for
,shat shat same class of men who have invested
inillions without return to sit idly by and see
san,a Taelshpors reap'ng rich harvest from tho
% saIo inI iouhuatlon they commenced building but
h1'ieu a 10 complete. know 1t is an old SAVING
,,"..,i s burnt child breads the fire." and /
Wouiu ADVISE all those VINO have a good slucra.
t ron'ain Mi anu comparatively free from care,
10 remain Where they are, for, although Foote'S
apparatus will have a tendency to 1aoiti,nata
the oil business there is an uneertaintS az NOT
striking OH as instauced in nv own ease
where L put downs holes (and some of them
very deep without striking OIL" hone Mr.
Editor, you Will discard the idea that tbis nrin-
'cple OF burning oil as a fuel tor eener.ting
steam is got up Tor the purpose of reviying the
'oil speculation. 1t Is to furnish method of
utilizing and consuming Tor value, all the car
bon heretofore wasted NY the world wherever
a tire has been built. -. Ill, L.
Whether you are familiar with the process
of extracting oil after it is once struck or not
know not, Dut l could cite you scores and
scores of instances both in Canada and Penn
sylvania, where played OUT wells have been
taken hold OF by experienced men and resar-
rected-but itrequired time, patience and expe-
rience TO do it. (.
In conclusion, Mr.. Editor, will assert that
the oil business is yet in its infancy and
every week adds to the various theories OF its
production; how 1T accumulates, where it is to
De had, ana how to get at it, palpable to sight
ana touch when you once strike it. Some OF
tne pest wells We have ever had in this country
never had show, and only by perseveringly
pumping them for days ana weeks would me
oleasihous material deign to come to the sur
face.
Thanking you for the interest apparently
telt III the burner, and regretting the ,ersonai-
tues heretofore used, am,
--sy1 Yours respectfully,
|, ,.-..-.s-.- HENRY LESTER.
american House, Boston, May IA, 1866.
Readers will observe that this communi-
cation Proges only one thing-that Mr. Lester
has confidence in the undertaking in which
he is engaged. This we have never doubted,
and We sincerely wish him success IN over
coming the mechanical difficulties of which
he speaks We agree with him furthermore,
that the result must be left to speak tor itself"
When the thing is done, skepticism will
cease until it is done, Mr.. Lester must be con-
tent to have people regard his enterprise as an
experiment.
Whether supply of oil can be relied upon
with sufficient certainty to justify the intro
dection of Foote'S apparatus on all the locomo-
tives and steamers in the world, is another
question which will have to be solved before
the new apparatus, ifit should serve its pur-
psse, can be brought into general use. A com
mon opinion among men who have had some
experience in oil mining, is that the supply is
limited, that wells produce only for short
time, and that few years, possibly, will wind
up the whole business. Whether this opinion
is well or i'll founded, time will show. 1t is
possible that methods of resuscitating aban-
doned wells may be found out; it is equally
possible that such methods may prove only
temporarily advantageous. As yet there is no
reasonable assurance that a steady supply of
petroleum could be obtained