The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-06
RUIN In THE OIL REGION.
THE TNFLATION AND BREAH OF THE
PETROLEUM BUBBLE.
Failing Wells Revived with Torpedoes Of
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the Dcata-DeaIlnG
Explosive IL silly Transported

Failing Wells Revived with TOrpedoes Of
Nhro-tilycetinc-IIow the Dcata-DeaIInG
Explosive IL silly Transported.
OIL CITY. Pa, Feb. 3.-Probably no other
portion OF this great and glorious republic Is
more poverty stricken at the present DAY than
the oil region. business Is paralyzsd promi
nent commercial houses are falling every day,
and men who one short year ago could com
mand unlimited credit cannot to-day raise one
hundred dollars. the Sheriff IL constantly clos
ing up houses that have always been considered
ANo. L. and ruin and desolaton stare the people
in the face Whole blocks OF business houses,
erected when oil was bringing ten or twelve
dollars per barrel, now stand lille, waiting for
tenants. This Is owing to the unremunorative
price OF oil, which In its turn arose from the
enormous quantities which have been and are
constantly being produced, and which the en-
tire petroleum markets OF the world cannot
keep pace with. There Is probably more oil
above ground to-day than can be used In some
years, even though production should ise en-
trely For the past three years oil has ranged
all the way from S2 to thirty-lve cents per bar
rel-a price which will not pay the expenses OF
production unless In case OF an extraordinarily
Large vell-and the prospect to-day for any
healthy and permanent advance In the imme-
diate future Ia "a gloomy as the chances Of a
third term politician.
When things were booming so TO speak,
throughout oildom, and everybody had money
and plenty Of II, class Of SPECTATORS swrmed
down upon the region, ana sought to coin money
out OF the unsuspecting gre ,sers. Prices for
every thing amounted almost to extortion. Ten
and fifteen dollars per week was a moderate
price To pay for board and the accomm odations
were exceedingly meagre NJ that. Everything
else ranged In proportion. Rents we're up higher
than any ordinary purse could reach. Real
estate doubled again and again In value Even
the common necessaries OF life were placed at
almost fabulous prices. Cities sprans up In
week or two. and small towns dotted the banks
OF the Allegheny river, where tall oaks and
NAPLES were wont to rear their heads heaven-
ward But u IL not necessary TO enter into
history Of tho rise and fall Of Oiltom Its HIS
tory Il too fresh In the minds OF the people TO
when the territory began TO "play out" tor
pefoing W IS rcsorted tn as a means OF keeping
up the falling production. and m most instances
| with success, although its effects were generally
shout lived. In the preparation Of these tor
rlvcertne, the force 81 which ~ well known to
everybody. The danger ia On illties Of This com
! pound rendered It m ex rem Fly UNPLEASANT
neichhur 10 have around, ami con cquently.
/ after the discovery WAS M ide trat hundreds Ot
pounds OF 1t We're daily being Transported
through the hearts 81 cities nui towns, the 81 l.
! 2eus aw Ike t. something like u sense ~ their
/ NIGER. and Laws were pissed Imposing ne tvy
! lines and imprisonment upon those todud guilty
] OF carving ~ thrn lZn or - lfns u IN my IN
| naDited loo INV. After those stems were taken
/ the people fancied tnen-eives secure az .inst
/ all danger; but II they knew come Of the facts
which have rrcenflN come To the huo Wedge Of
/ YOUR cnffesppr Tent there would be something
| like constern ttinn amop1 thrm.
! Nitro-rivcerin- IS carried nv ni,ht in wagons
! with false bottoms. prddlets' wag ma, stored
aw y IN loads Il nav, and even CART II In trunks
ana v'iises a. per>onNo ~ gr. or course those
| VINO undrrt h. the work h ave got To be perfect
!, SOBER cool ne died. An ieiily Or any emer-
cency and their wlses are enormous. In
i conversation with a =" glvcertne drtvar.' A few
Al "a La arm "A IAkx nj
career at the business. In Response To my IN
terrn,aiion IA 10 who her he ever experienced
'Of course We always do when W, FIRST com.
/ mence. or - on = route while we are green.
! even PACK or unio q the WAGON myself and /
I STAYED two miles away while tue packing was
being done. | mind one morning. after had
been Two years the business. ana hai got so
! mat handled torpedoes allnosi - reckle-sly rs
! YOU would uiS iron. was unloading wag IN near
| MIlertown. ana dr1"ped tor ei", dropned
Il fulv four feet. right onto the hard road. Was
scared Well MISTER when re lizcd my es-
| cage wt5 80 weak th"t sank down all In a
! heap. ana didn, get over 1t that DAY"
Another Incl ems which he related to me Is
! the following, which " : toli vita every appear
| ance Of candor and sincerity:
Il WAS driving 10 noun :, packed In false
! hottOm," said the narrator, from tie iitusvilie
factory to Peirohi. Wa, making NV trips
m,su, At nilht, but knew the rlids we'll and
! diin't anticipate anv trouble. On my second
| night out 70 was dark that couldn't see the
horses at ALL ld hal ne"n thine'ng Of pulling
when suddenly f-it the n horse Going down.
/ pulled ON the rriu- AMI yelled at him nut he
Y slipped down, the wheels went over, and the
nrst knew ~ what h td happened. there We
were, horses, glvcerne Hnd all. wing AZ the bot
| ton Of twenty-foot bank. Close Yes, toler-
ably. would ~ care to try II more than half a
! dozen tines"
some drivers are not s. fortunate, and more
tnhn one poor Glow has gone OH on his long
piTne, ycry sud emily by nae lns Of nitro glyce-
rine. In 1872 4 man nam 4 Clark. wnile going
from lltu-yile 20 Enterprise with Load OF nitro
rlvc'riue. Whi ia had been poorly packed, was
driving down seep NIL and some Of the ex
pic. ave leased through the hoX and GOT in the
7 slTln-s. There Wa, eNpi ~ %. and horse,
tgon and driver q disappeared. The horse
founc, or "A part OF NM. some two hundred feet
! from the scene, tIe wagon die 4p3c red totally,
4 ami not ing OFT a plec. OF ono ~ the trses was
ever found. OI the unf rtunlte driver no trace
+ whatever vas ever iu4ud.