The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-10-07
From our Travelling Correspondent.
OIL CITY, Pa, Sept. Goth, 1871.

OIL CITY, Pa, Sept. Goth, 1871.
Mr. EDIroR:-Not having died from suf-
location by gas, or an overdose of benzine,
propose to give further history of this
country, never having been in Grease
before, or any other foreign country. They
speak a strange language here. a score or
more of Greasers are sitting around COM
Portable fire, and hear the words "crude,"
"gravity," "2d sand," "derrick," "Bull
Wheels" "strata," &C., &C., &C., all of
which to me would have been incompre-
hensible, week ago; but, having been
several days in Grease, I've learned to
interpret Greek. We'll, PU EXPLAIN
"Crude" means raw grease; "derrick
means derrick; Sgd sand" means the
one after the list; "bull wheel" is male
wheel that propels the machine; "strata "
is one layer of rock formed of sand on top
of 'tother. Now l suppose you see as
clearly as 1 do into this programme and the
language thereto applying.
I first saw land in Grease, after leaving
Kittanning, where l met one of Cecil's
sons, q. G., ESQ., second to none profess
sionally in his county. Kittanning, with
its 1000 inhabitants, is slow town
Immediately after leaving which saw a
four-cornered ladder-looking machine, about
so feet high, an s by 10 shanty imme-
diately under, smoke and the putting of all
engine, a jet of flame bursting out Is feet
from the we'll, constantly burning, pump
working ON the walking-b beam steamboat
principle, and you have faint idea of coal
oil getting. have got the mania too, and
dreamed last night of boring for oil
thought struck Gle" Overjoyed, 1 awoke,
and found in my grasp one of the "chinch :"
family, F. F. P, of the male persuasion.
This family is in greasing here. They bore
only at night, and through one layer only
each night. Well, some of these wells are
from 1000 to 1900 feet; cost $500 to
81, 900; and there are thousands of them;
indeed, from 20 miles above Kittanning to
this the centre of oil fields, there is one
vast forrest of derricks and their pumps
many at the base of hills. Almost every
one at the outstart sought oil in the bot
toms and ravines-some yet. l saw two
new ones, yesterday, just put down in the
middle of the river-neutral grounds-yet
the majority of successful seekers are now
sinking wells on the hill-tops and sides,
abandoning the lower grounds, generally.
Fortunes are made in a day by some spec
ulators; others are gradually growing rich !;
$500 to $500 per day income, working
wells, five or six producing 25 to 80 bbls.
per day each. I visited one yesterday,
pumping, on an average, 1O6 bbls. per day,
from which they realize, nett, So per Dbl.
This is a new section just opened, five miles
from railroad, on the summit of an old
apple orchard, for which the purchaser
paid, five months since, $1,000, and has
realized already, in rentals and sales, over
quarter of million of dollars. The oil is
conveyed to railroad five niles in pipes,
owned by a Pipe Company, who charge
pipeage per Dbl.
Their towns generally, this one, partic-
ularly,) are lighted by native gas. On
every street corner, blazing from two
inch pipe may be seen flame, from one to
three feet in height, presenting strange,
weird, unsightly glare. Business of all
kinds is g A., No. ~ and their business
streets two are entirely occupied with
business, and are found ON the banks of
the river and at the base of the hills; the
dwellings are on the summit, about 600
feet above trade, which is styled " Cottage
Mount" and is reached in straight line,
by continuous steps, 712 in number, else
by drive around the mountain of five
Fights of mile. Where 1 now sit, am
100 feet above the railroad depot; above
me, 440 feet, is a line of beautiful and
costly homes, all illuminated in their own
peculiar style, presenting one grand pana-
rama of sinsularity and beauty.