Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1878-08-20
s@TRANs1ENT BILLs-cAsH.

q little while we entered the kingdom of Pe-
troleum, the land of oil, of poles and der
ricks, the land of luck, and of feverish ex-
element; where the green cover OF the
earth is the gamblers table; where fate, as
they say, deals the cards and oil is trumps;
where fortunes are made or lost rapidly
The Dives of to-day is the Lazarus OF to>mor-
row, the pauper of yesteday is the King OF
to day if he strikes oil. Great derricks six
ty. four feet high cover all the hilftops aud
sides, and beneath each derrick is an oil we'll
from 400 to 1900 feet deep. These wells
are bored out about five inches in dia ameter,
they are then cased with iron piping down
below the water line, inside of this casing
they put down two inch tubing and in this the
sucker rod. A ten-horse power engine will
run from ten to eighteen of these pumps, and
one man will attend to the engine and all the
pumps they are connected by gang OF
ropes and wire cable running over bnll
wheels The first engineer We saw was
boy of fourteen, who attended to his engine
and four wells. The oil is pumped into
tanks holding from three hundred to ten
thousand barrels, and then conveyed by pipe
limo to the Ohio river. Oil being low at
present, the operators are not boring any new
wells but in tho Volcano region there are
eight hundred wells in operation, producing
oil varies in quality and is worth from one
dollar up to four per barrel The town of
Volcano is built entirely of wood and the
houses are such as can be easily moved
The main street is as crooked as the ways of
an average congressman, aud the side streets
run up the perpendicular hills playing hide
and seek amongst the dcrricks, and wander
ing off in an aimIess manner over the hills
and far away. Volcano is n self regulator
it has no mayor and town council, and gets
along nicely without those Injuries If
man don't behave, arguments in the shape
of we'll handled fists are brought to bear on
him in a very striking and convincing man
ner. 1t can boast OF frst>class hotel,
where all the market affords is spread before
the hungry guests. Three good churches,
a good town hall that is not cqualled by any
in the State, except by the one ut Wheeling.
built especially for the purpose. Il has a
stage.2I SO feet, seats three hundred and
seventy>five comfortably, and has two com.
modions dressing rooms. The scenery, from
New York, is to be furnished at n cost OF
two hundred and fifty dollars.
1t is n land of stranCers-we met mon from
every State in the Union, the majority of
them old bachelors, but with sprinkling of
married men whose families Rre not with
them. Big hearted men abound here, aud
the stranger gets such hand shakes rs no
gets nowhere else; easy to approach, ready
to give information, and full TO oveftowing
with ready wit and odd. strong way OF
saying things. The Yolcautes nre people
all to themselves. 1t was very pleasant to
see an old familiar face that far away from
home, and our surprise was only equalled by
our delight when the smiling face of DIR. j.
johnson beamed on us, ard his hearty tones
gave us q welcome to his Office. The Doc
tor is looking better than we have ever seen
him, is doing well, and in big top boots and n
broad brimmed sombrero climbs tho hills
like boy. He is one of the institutions of
Volcano, and has won for himself golden
opinions from all sorts of people. May his
shadow never grow less. As We took n last
look at Volcano from one of its many hills
and turned our faces toward Petroleum, We
felt as though We were stepping out OF land
that will always be very pleasant to rcmem-
Der, and bidding sdieu to n people whose
hearty ways made our visit q very delight
| full one.
The Volcano LuGricdtor, the only news
paper of Volcano, died n premature death
some months ago still the people are great
readers, and there are several good "libraries
on the works"
Petroleum is little town on this branch
of the B. & o. From this point great deal
of oil is shipped.
Cairo, six miles cast of Petroleum, on tho
railroad, population two hubdred and fifty, is
ouiet little railroad town. We are stopping
at the Alpha Hotel. The namo is all Greek TO
us, but il might as we'll be Omega, for if it is
the first it will certainly be tho las. hotel in
the town. The Alpha house is kept by DIR.
James Merchant, an old resident OF Charles
town. Probably some Of your readers will re-
member him, he worked at the carpenter
trade there thirty,five years ago. From this
point we move on to ClarksbuIg.
RAMBLER.