The New York herald., 1876-11-08
THE PETROLEUM CONSPIRACY.

WHAT THE PRODUCERS HAVE TO sAr-A NOTION
THAT THERE Is A coMBISATIoN TO CONTROL
PRICES AND WHAT MAY COME or IT.
Tho following communication has been received u
the HERALD ofnce:--
The editorial on the petrocum industries has at.
tracted attention. Enclosed you may nd some items
In relation TO the magnitude OF the Industry which
be OF value 10 your readers. II so you are vel
come to Them provided you give us credit. They
from the advance sheets of q work 20 bc pub
fpectfuy, DENsLoW Bush.
Petroleum was the main topic or conversation yes
tcrday Tha. crude oil to be power in manufac.
turing purposes was indisputablc and when this
recogn,zcd-uncss some other agency should he In
troducsd TO superscde it--iis power undoubtsd.
short history OF this wonderful agent may no, BE-
Inappropriate hcre:-
now OIL Is FOUND.
Tho Pennsylvania petroleum is found In sand
stone formation fully 900 fee, below tho lowest coal
measures, the Butler county obearing rock lying
fully 800 fee. below the level Of the Tho general
public entertain idea that II rs tho result OF the
dstiilaion of coal but scientists and practical opera
tors deny any connection between tho coal and oil
measures. Hitherto science has afforded but little
light upon the origin OF rock OIL whilc operators have
given more attention 10 processes Tor extracting II
IRON tho earth than to tho investigation of tho qucs
ton as 10 how IL camc there There but lew facts
which will support any theory whatever, and those
point TO product OF the decomposition OF aquatic
plants and animals, coal 10 the result of enormous
deposits OF vegetation. Other authorities have
serted that is tho rcsdt Of dstilIaon In the carhs
crust As yet lis origin rs utterly undetermined.
In the winter oi 1859 Colonel L. L. Drake of New
Haven, Conn, started artssan well on nm Island In
on Creek, small tributary OF tho Allegheny RIVER
A ncighboring spring had Tor long time gwen out
about twenty barrels OF petroleum In each year. VII ich
had been bottled ana sold Tor medical under
hc mn m nf Nag vii n " al
crcasng this yield that the aresnn we'll started.
In the later part of August 1882 the drili reached the
Oilbcaring rock al depth Of scventyone feet, and
resulted iHs yield Of over /. 200 gallons per day.
For centuries the Indians OF that section had col
blankets upon It's surface their labors being rewarded
by small lots, with which they mixed their war paint
or which they burned 10 iumine their fcasts and
dances During these centuries effort had bees
made 20 sccuro IN large quantities, and tho FIRST orc
kos by producing twenty-five barrels per day. hut
subsequent events showed that Colonel Drake buided
greater than lac knew.
lis near resemblance 10 crude coal oi--ihs first
product Of tho destructive dstillaton OF coa-led
manufacturers TO subject petroleum 70 those same
cesscs which crude coal oil subjected In tho
manufacture of an tiluminator and In day demand
Tor the product was created. From daily yield Of
barrels 900 barrels production has been
reached and passed. From sales OF ntty cent walls
for corns, chilba,ns and rheumatism. transactons
from our shores to every part Of the globe From
seventyOne fcet-thc depth OF the INITIAL eforttho
o,l-driier OF to-day sinks a shaft 700 feet deep
been drilled 10 . depth OF nearly 5000 feet ln.
sa Of GSs,s nv hs oil
thousand barrel "speutcr" and oLe well on the
Dougherty farm, near Pe.rolia, flowed a,so0 barrels
during the first twenty-iour hours. From product
| unknown among American exports petroleum arose
decade Of years to the third position, being
OF Industry (say 1S60) and the beginning OF the
present year us76) /. has brought into the United
States moro than $40O, 0O0, 900 In godamost equal
uf tho heavy premium gold during tho civil war bs
consdered) to the entire or the circulating
"a ns
sasss and a, orgies Of . savage. has o,,s arisen
an illumnator, and enters millions
households carrying humaniziug aud civiiizinl
effects which can hardly be estimated. From Colons
Drake the solitary operator OF 1852 with bis single
assistant the number receiving employment iron
drilling has increased TO 900 men, while those who
derive support from pumping, refining and transport
ing petroleum, together with the mechanics, sslssmsn
and clerks employed various dependent industries,
manuacturers OF barrels boilers, drilling tools, chem-
| calls, glue, lamps and the Ike would form . larger
army than won Tor us American independence
remarkable event IN its Colossal fortunes
have been made and dssipated by dealings in staple
which has bcen subject to the most violent hnc
tuations prices Crude oil has sold high $ll
barroi At tho wells when demand has exceeded tho
supply, and, when the scales turned CONTRA cents
| per barrel has darkcncd the hopes OF producers.
Wonderful improvements have been made IN all
branches OF the industry, and Yankee ingenuity has
| been taxed the utmost Il took Colonel Drake
eight months TO dr sevcntyone feet IN 1B5S0;' but
Ia 1875 MI ChArcs Clarke drlIIrd over 300 eet IN
twenty eight days, the usual time being six eight
weeks.
In tho refining branch great improvements have
been effected. Many will remember the dark color o
oil turned by rcnners early days Its offensive
door made even the presence OF lamp an objectionable
feature in any room, while she tunes arising from
burning lamp almost unbcarable. Crusted wicki
and smoky ehmnoys attosted tho mperiection Of ths
refuer art annoyed tho thrifty housewife and
trssted strongly with the pure water-whts color OF
the premium safety OIL us freedom from odor aud ita
superior burning qualities.
Again, the volatility OF the liquid madc its connne-
difficult the skilfully prepared bar.
rolls. Onen mos LOS OF oil would shrink twenty and
sometimes fifty per cent while being transported
to the retailer. A days exposure on platform
at q freight depot, In . hot sun searching wind,
would make sad with the Dealers profits; or tt
might be carefully placed by the sdo Of bogshead Of
sugar only escape from It's barrel and quietly take
up quarters In tho hogshcad with its neighbor.