Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-09-25

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long pipes running through the centre Of
each store, all controlled by one thumb
screw. The oil spectators and producers
here make nearly all of their transactions
on the street corners They have, it is true,
tne offices, but only enter them to close
bargain. There are great many agents
here from various companies in the large
cities, who keep them posted on the fuctu
ations in the market. Yesterday went up
to what Is called
CLARK's SUMMIT,
a ridge on the west side OF the city. SIEVE
raj Years ago, and when the oil excitement
was at its height here, when every one was
coming money, naturally enough every
species OF gambling was introduced, and
strong desire possessed the inha bitants for
last horses and a course TO trot them on.
There was no place feasible near or in the
city Tor race course except AT the top of
this Summit and on that there was
two mile level. a number of citizens club
bed together, and the result was a fine mile
course. Ibe next thing was a means OF as
cent up the almost perpendicular side OF
tins ridge. The owners OF the Summit,
thinking that business men would be in
duced 10 bniid there if an easy ascent could
be had, constructed an inclined railway
with Two tracks OF over 900 let in length,
on an angle OF tairty-hye degrees up the
noun tain, costing them when finished over
$4,000 This was some eight OF nine years
ago. The track was used for some time
but with the onward move of the borers
the unnatural excitement died out, the race
course was unused, and was soon erased
over IN many places. Travel almost ceased
on the inclined railway, and now Clark's
Summit and the celebrated railway are adj
yertised to be sold at sheritf's sale The
view from the top OF this ridg is one OF
the finest in the world. Over four hun
dred feet above the low water, the valley of
the Alleg hany spread out before Us, We can
see Tor miles the ridges, with the little val
| leys where streams OF water flow through.
| which are called runs" Here Is Charley
run, Mouth run, CalaboOse run. Sage run,
Holiday run and Hell's hollow. All these
- runs, as tar a. the eye can reach, may
be seen thickiy dotted with the derrieks OF
. the OIL wells We take, Tor Instance, HUllI-
day run starting IN from the upper end
and travelling towards Oil Iity, We come to
group VI wells SIX or eight IN number
within radius OF 600 feet.
HOW THEY DO IT.
Here is new derrick with new machin-
cry. Three or four men have gone in to-
gether, one has FURNISHED an engine anoth-
/ er boiler, etc, and they are boring ON
the economical plan The set of tools they
I Use VIII weigh , 400 pounds, and they ex-
pect TO 60 down from eight hundred to
/ LOO ieet before they reach the oil. \ heavy
/ nope l. attached to the end vi the long drIll.
and running 10 the top Of the derrick passes
over a pulley, thence 10 alndia>s at the
side, winch contains nine hundred feet OF
rope. the drill has been drawn up about
/ three ieet, that l. the point, un>crewed, and
+ = ...-rf "a
Of steel nearly round, sharp at Is bottom
edges. and s0mew hat larger than the hole
already drilled. THIS Is to rim ii out of a
uniform SIZE, all Is ready, the word is Civ
en-, a man at the wIndlass lets 20; and the
mass OF ZION GeScrnds ihey are now down
about SIX hundred and hiIy feet, and of
course large amount Of rOpe i IN the well.
An IRON standard about Tour feet long. with
handles 10 turn the rope 50 as To cnange
the position Of the drill. i attached to tins
rope. and also to the walking beam The
engine = [ IN motion and the drilling
commences The sense OF touch of the man
Who suldts the drill i 50 acute that he can
tell hen the drill has reached the bottom
anu when II Is necessary to change lis posi-
ton, although no sound can be heard The
next well We come to Is pumping " heads
which i like milking cows. Night and
morning the on runs IN slow, 50 II l. left all
DAY, at night II Is iull, and perhaps two or
three barrels are pumped out left tlll morn
ing and pumped cut again. Another group
oi wells further down the run l. owned
by one man, Charles Haines \ large en-
glne at one well Is pumping steam into
boilers al be other wells, winch runs them
also. and the engine itself l. supplied with
iuel IN the saape Of gas, conveyed u the
furnace 10y a large pipe running from one
"a q rNsa..A II IN. =
little screened coal. keeps up the necessary
steam.
HOW TIE OIL Is CONVEYED.
Pipe run from all the pumps at the wells
- receiving tanks %. wood and these are
again connected with lines of pipe extend
lug down the " run 10 the city. These
lines Of pipe from here to the great iron
tank Oh the line of the railroad arc about
two and one-quarter inches, and the price
OF transportation through them Tor the dis /
tance OF about a mlle l. twenty cents per
barrel The pipe costs fifty cents the Sd
peTLcial loot 30 when producer further /
up or anywh here along the line OF pipe gets I
his receiving tanks iull, be sends word to
the owner Of pipe line that be wants his .
Oh transported The pipe line owner sends B.
a gauEer who measures and reports the
number Of barrels His tanks are connect
ed with the pipes the oil flows off to the
CITY and he receives a " pipeline certif-
cate stating that on demand be l. euti-
tied to 80 many barrels OF OIL from the pipe
line owners. These certif -ates are nego-
table, and may be gambed on Ike any
stock. The process of
FISHING" FOR BROKEN TOOLS.
for they are frequently br ken IF. is one
req uirlng an immense stock Of patience aud
cess OF the boring, men often - fishing
for six months for these drills. and some
times breaking them Eve % SIX times in the
course OF the drilling. Phancy the phee-
links OF the man VINO has successfully en-
cOuntered all these obstacles-and who.
after gong As near the centre OF the earth
as he dares-at an enormous expense finds
that he has " dry hole" no oil Others
are more lucky. sometimes striking hun
dred barrel well at short distance with no
mishaps but the calculated per centage is
that about one in three or tour Of the wells
sunk l. - dry well" IL costs from IS 600
TO $4,000 10 get well. The transporra
ton of oil from here to the larger cities
will be soon almost entirely carried on {
through the pipe lines. which successfully
compete with the railroads.
SHARP TON SCOTT.
, q
State Legislature allowing the laying of :
pipe lines, and a bill was put through Tom y
Scott, the railroad prince, who was then in ,,
the legislature, secured the insertion of a :
clause to the effect that no line of pipe :
should run within four miles of the state !
line. The producers and inhabitants of the ,,
nj districts held indignation meetings, and
he Consequence was free pipe line law. !
Now these lines run short distances. from
me town to another; one line from Sandy
% Oil City, twelve miles, is owned by a
leavy firm, Messrs. Vandengriff & Fore p,
nan. K
MORE PIPE LAYING. a
A company are now laying line of four c
md a half inch pipe from a point in the
over oil district TO Pittsburg. which when
lnlshed will be the longest in existence, a
distance of over eighty miles This lower \
district, as it is called, sonth of Oil CITY f
md extending down towards Pittsburg. is n
where the most oil is now produced. A
alculation has been made of the capacity II
1 the iron takage of this district which | Q