The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-05-12

oso hhN SiOSCAs buAAt W"
| Did you ever see one of these deIrlcks? Four
sills, some twenty feet long, arc framed togeth-
or and made level. A piece Of hewn timber
eight inches square and fifty feet long is set upon
each corner of this Frame and the tops are drawn
in until they approach within eight feet OF each
other. They are then fastened by cross pieces
and braces In the centre at the top is pulley,
over which rope passes. One end is fastened to
the top of the drill, and the other passes around
a shaft Upon this shaft is drum. Around
this drum passes belt. The belt passes around
another drum at the engine, and thus the rope
Is wound around the shaft, and draws the drill
up towards the pully Mt the top of the derrick.
There are over one hundred derricks in view
at one time. Dcrricks are being erected They
stand over new flowing wells. They stand over
wells where the oil is being pumped up. They
stand over wells which are being repaired and
even abandoned wells. The wells all have Names
such as "School House Well" eureka Well"
"Grccian Bend Well" sc. A well was put down
on the lot owned by the school district and now
the district has realized from it ten thousand dol
lars. They do not know what to do with the
money. The party who bores pays the owner
of the "terrltory" one third OF the OIL as royalty,
or rent. A company over on the Little Musking-
um, two miles north, forces water over one hill,
and to the top of another, into two great tanks,
and from these all the engines are supplied with
fresh water. This company charges $500 per
month to supply each engine when 1t runs day
and night. Tho wells now produce In the aggre-
gate, 400 barrels crude oil, worth eleven cents
per gallon, or $3.50 per barrel. Pipes lead from
the different wells to one point, and there pow
ferful little engine forces the oil through pipe,
over high hill, five miles, to the Ohio river. A
| dial indicates the amount OF pressure. When
saw II, 800 pounds TO the inch was being put on.
As the Ohio river must be lower than Cow Run,
suggested to the engineer that siphOn might
be used instead Of an engine. But he said the
friction OF the oil in the pipe would render this
impracticable.
l learned great many interesting thinge
about this oil business but l fear shall be te-
dious. l will, however, note a few more things
about 1t.
The drill weighs from twelve to fourteen hum
dred pounds. Some have O number OF wooden
rods attached to them, and then the rope. Some
have no rods, but the rope is fastened directly to
the drill. These rods are thirty six feet long,
and screwed together. The drill is worked the
! same as the pump. cross beam is balanced In
the centre, and the engine at one end, bya crank
raises and lowers that end and ofcourse the 9TH
er end of the beam has corresponding motion.
To this end Is fastened the rope. SO the drill Is
raised foot or two, and permitted to drop. A
man keeps turning the drill, which is thus made
to fall each time in different position, and thus
the hole Is made round. BY this turning q screw
Is all the time being operated at the upper end OF
the rope, and the drill Is each time lowered, OF
screwed downWards, as the hole deepens.
The wells are from 200 to 1900 feet deep. One
is being drilled which is now over 1900 feet deep
and 1t has cost $4,000
Some wells will "fow," or throw up n barrel ol
two of oil every half hour. This may continue
a month or more, when the periods will change
and the flow will be once an hour. After {
month or 30 the period may again be changed
Sometimes the oil will be thrown fifty feet abovt
the top of the derrick. Gas is almost constant.
coming up. II can bo seen like the glimmerlnI
Of heat on'av very warm day. Thlsgas has amos
pungent and dlsagreeable SMELL The oil doe
not look like supposed 1t did. II is very thin
and fluid, and of n sky-blue-slate color. 1t /
quite cold. It Is very infammable, and frequent
, ly the gas becomes ignlted and flashes to the oil
Then there is an explosion and the derrick, tanl
dc. are gone beyond redemption, as they are al
I |
/ dangerous place TO have drunken men, and II
] one is permitted to soil whisky there.
The surface OF the water in Cow Run is cover
| ed with floating oil, and exhibits every color Q
the rainbow, as seen when light Is resolved int
r its original elements by the prism. Sunlight ha
3 been decomposed by some unknown process Il
D nature, and slowed away deep in the bowels c
l the earth, perhaps millions years before Nose
I was hidden in the bullrushcs, or Abraham wen
s forth to battle. Andnow 1t isbrought forth, an
( from this long hidden light is made the rich an
glorious aniline dyes, which far surpass the fan
, Gus Eastern purple, and now the beautiful w
/. man of 1870 Is arrayod in silks, the colors
which far surpass the glories of the court of so
s Omon
e But must lot Cow Run slide
8 And now Il parting word to Marietta. 1t is
I nnc old place. Ibid not see drunken man, nc
/ doggcry, nor did l hear an oath sworn in III
' place. OfcouTse there Is vice and immoRllt
Q there, and even crime. But these are rare. Th
4 people are refined. There Is more arlstocracy {
I learning than OF wealth. The place Is benin
tho age In some things. The streets are not graC
0 cd and when II Is wet weather they are mu
1 holes. | never saw so many trees in q cit.
Looking down from the top ofthe College builC
: ings, one can scarcely sec the houses. II lool
a like dense forest And what is more beautih
o is, that the great bulk and body of these tre
n are naples. There arc some elms, and 9th,
4 trees including Gvergrecns. But then IL Is on
great maple forest. | consider tho America
A maple the most beautiful tree In the world. An
, the elm next My old friend, Col, David Albal
[ drew little on his Imagination. He said thl
= the whippoorwil could be heard In tho heart
the city-that this lonely bird had never forsake
Marietta since It was originally settled, in IN
4 but he finally took that back, and said that
!, might be on the hills back of the city where
y could be heard.
n have left myself no room TO speak Of Il
IS many worthy men whom met in Marietta,
n VIII only mention one, the chairman Of our cv
II ming meeting, s. S. Knowles Esq. He Is ovel
o way worthy, and | was gratlfed to hear that the
@ Is strong inclination to send him to Congres
\ lie is about the only man in Marietta who shoy
/. cd decent respect TO Mrs. Longlcy and Mi
Bates when they were in the place.
- One thing more, aud l am DONE Hood sal
/ Barbara Allen, its onglninal purity, as hear
}, 1t forty years ago. Mcfarland thought he coul
& help HIM but he was only dead weight Q
- Hoods hands, or rather on his voice. Me. hu
= better contine himself exclusively TO the jew
= harp. He was not made to sing. Hood was.
IL -
Is Editorial Convention.