The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-01-04
petroIia-A sketch Of the Oil Region
Discovery, Progress, and Present
Condition Of the Oil Business.

PctrOiiR-A Ske1ch Oh the Oll neshOH-
Discovery, Progress, and Present
Condition of the Oil Business.
correspondence Of the Chicago Tribmnr.I
On CITY. PA. December 26, lSI2.--
Taking Oil City as centre, 4 radius OF
twenty-five miles would comprise that part
"Oil Regions" And it is very appro-
pliately named. Oil is to tile inhabitant OF
Pctrolia what the reindeer is to the Esqli-
maux. In word, it provides directly or
indirectly for everything. The country Is.
for the most part. wild, mountainous, ana
rugged, and produce, nothing Of Importance
to support its large population but oil.
Hence everything else must be brought
here, and living is more expensive than in
any other part Of the United States, unless
it be tue Far West
The popular idea that obtaining oil from
Mother Earth belongs to "the wonderful
age of discovery in which we live" is erro-
ncous. Like many other things, "that
Heather Chince" is thousands of years
ahead Of us. ConfuciuS speaks Of oil coming
from the rocks casually, and not as anything
new or wonderful. Herodotus, whom, III
our ignorance, we called "thc father Of
lies" mentions an oil-wcll in Zantc, which
is still flowing. The existence of petroleum
in the coil regions" Of Pennsylvania was
known to scientific men long before its So
called discovery in 1853. The French com
mandcr ut Fort Du Quesnc, writing TO
General Montc.lm, and relating many Won
derful things, speaks Of the Scnaca Indians,
in their worship of the sun, using oil OBJ
tanned from the rocks. This tribe occupied
the whole region about Oil creek and Vi
clnity. Fifty years ago oil was collected
here by making dams in the river, and
gathering the oil by blankets soaking it up.
This WAS sold throughout the country as
"Senaca OIL" and believed to be etfcacious
in curing many diseases.
There are many theories rs to the origin
of petroleum One, that it is Il liquid result
ing from the decomposition Of marine and
land plants; another, that it is from oil
yielding animals which swarmed the seas of
the Devonian period. The generally -acceptcd
explanation is, however, that it is the con-
denSation of certain gases coming through
the cartll's crust from the liquid interior.
In 1859 Il Connecticut Yankee by the name
of Drake came to TituSville. and near this
place commenced boring for a vein of silver
which tradition said was there. He was out
of funds in Il short time. and regarded by
most people rs an impoStor; but he pcrSc-
vercd, and at the depth of 40 feet struck 4
lowing oil well Of twenty barrels per diem,
then worth $50 per barrel This created the
widest excitement. aud as new wells and
new localities became known, wonderful
fortunes were made in Il day, and old farm
ers, fifty years behind the times, became sud
denly milli0naires. Asa natural consequence
Of money becoming so plentiful and wealth
falling upon persons unable TO JudiclouSly
use it, shoddyism in its worst form was APP
parent everywhere.
For six OF seven years everything was
speculation. The oil business was not car
ried on as legitimate one, but for the pur-
pose Of making Il fortune at one stroke.
From $50 barrel oil went down so low
that it did not pay to barrel it, and ii was 1T
times even allowed to run into the river
Then there were wells which flowed more
than 1000 barrels in twenty-four hours
Now. Il well which pumps 100 barrels is con-
sidered much more than average. Ofcourse,
in different localities, petroleum is found at
different depths; but, AS general rule, that
found hear the surface is much heavier, and
consequently more valuable than that found
deeper down.
improvements are constantly being made
in the machinery used in putting down an
oil well, but, in the main, the general plan is
the same. First, a derrick is built fifty or
sixty feet high, much resembling the look
out stations built for the signal corps during
the late war, or the rough ObSerVatories on
the scaShore. To the top Of the derrick is
fastened u pulley block, through which the
rope passes that raises and lowers the tools
The latter weigh about 200 pounds, so that
Il powerful blow is struck at every revolution
Of the crank. Without going through the
details of boring, will state, as soon as oil
is found, tubing is set in, and if the well is n
flowing one the owner is fortunate, and if
not flowing well pump must be put in to
be worked by an engine. The fuel commonly
used in the engine the well itself provides in
the shape of gas.
This is. TO one seeing it for the first time,
something wonderful. The "head OF gus
is sometimes very powerful. There was an
engine ut one end Of the walls at Parker's
landing, whose motive power was gas; no
steam was used but the pressure OF gas
from the we'll had the same effect as steam
in running the engine. Gas wells supplying
towns. manufactures, and private dwellings
with fuel and light are common throughout
the Oil Regions, and on the shore of Lake
Erie east of Cleveland.
The number of barrels of oil produced in
Il year is something stupendous. Taking the
past six months, lind the average monthly
yield of the entire oil region to be $4,000
barrels. During the same period the num-
Der Of yielding wells each month averaged
1900. l have said great fortunes have been
amasSed here, and might add great many
fortunes have been lost, as is attested By the
numerous deserted derricks you see every
where covering dry-holes.
The centre of the oil business is Oil City.
OF all places ever visited this is the dirtiest,
most il-arranged, and busiest. By.the-way,
you see very few idle peoplein Petrolia. 1t
was aear Oil City that the first large wells
were found. The Oil Exchange is here,
where a great part of the oil business is
Titusyille is one OF the most
important places in the region. Petroleum
Centre at one time had bright future, but
it never realized it, and is OH the wane.
Reno was town of mushroom growth, and
rose and fell in the famous "Culyer Bub.
ble." This town and tract of 1900 acres
are owned by the "Ren0 Oil Company"
Here derricks take the place Of shade-trees,
and no family can be without at least two on
the whole region proper. ,
Franklin Is the finest place. It's streets
are broad and well laid out; the people are
and some OF the buildings,
public and private, would put much larger
places to shame. 1t Ia surrounded by very
steep and high hills, one. of which-yiZ, the
IS Egbert Hill "-is famous for the number
Of Welding wells on IT,