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


Aud one barometer shot dead
tutor with his bail"
We found Petersburg dirty, dusty, dry,
with thermometer 80 in the shade, and shade
very scarce no rain for month, and strict
prohibition law added good deal to the
dusty dryness of its streets and people.
We were very ngreeably surprised in this
West Virginia City-we had been told in
Wheeling, "You will get along all right
until you get to Parkersburg, but look out for
that place, it's the worst place on the Ohio
river; a regular knock down and drag out
| town" this same remark, with variations
and additions, was repeated several times
our way down the river. We couldn't afford
Gstliug Gun, we Inferred that several re-
voivers would be useless, so we came unarmed
but forewarned. We were not shot ut, or
stabbed. Our hat was not knocked off, or
our favorite tramped on. On the con-
trary, we have never visited a more orderly
or quie. city. 1t is full of life and business,
push and energy are written plainly all over
its business streets, and its mahy beautiful
residences tell of the taste and culture of the
home makers of Parkersburg. From Pros>
pect Hill you look down upon q city of about
eight thousand people, beautifully situated
at the junction of the Ohio and Little
Kanawha rivers. The Ohio at this point is
spanned by a magnificent railroad bridge,
| built at cost of one and a. half million dol
lars. They were blessed with FIRE some
weeks ago that cleaned out row of shanties
on the main street, in the heart of the city.
| We would like to mention the PheDix right
here, but as that bird is probably tired of
arising from its ashes. We will simply state
the fact that eleven three-story brick houses
| are now in course of erection on the spot
| where once stood the shaDtes.
| II is an Oil City from oil it takes its color,
grows rosy with hope, green with Jealousy, or
| black with despair, as oil fiuctuates with .
suddeuness that is appalling. Oil being
down now, Parkersburg is down, but still,
comparatively speaking, business is brisk
there and money plenty. In the oil business,
as in all others just now, the big fish are
swallowing all the little ones, much to the
disgnst of the small fry. We visited the ex>
tensive oil refneries of Camden & Co, and
are under many obligations TO Dir. Clayton
| (tbeir genial and efficient superinteudenD for
his kindness in showing US over the works.
And now We will try and throw little light
| oD the oil business. The crude oil is brought
| to the Ohio river from the wells By an under
| ground line of pipes, two and a-half inches
| in diameter, thence TO the refinery By hugo
oil bargcs, here il is first submitted TO an acid
ba,h, in a large iron tank, called a mixer,
containing six hundred and fifty barrels Of
| oil; while in this tank one of those powerful
| blowing machines which many will remember
| seeing at the Centennial is brought into use
| to force a current of air through the OIL
| After having been treated by FIRE, acid, air
and water, the oil is exposed in huge bleach
ing pans to sun bath, and from these pans
| it goes into the receiving tanks. From these
tanks four large pipes convey the oil to the
| barreliDg room, where by ingenious automatic
| faucets four barrels are filed at once. This
| is hasty sketch of the work of the refinery.
! The capacity of the refinery we visited is
eight hundred and fifty barrels per day
| The barrels are made on the premises. The
| barrel painter goes through one of the most
| interesting series of gymnastic performances
we have ever witnessed. He paints just one
| thousand barrels every ten hours, or one hun>
dted barrels per hour. This is his regular
! everyday work. He has tin can holding
| Eve gallons of blue paint and short handle
| white-wash brush, he dips his brush in the
paint, catches the barrel with his left bsnd,
! applies the brush with his right, and while
| rolling the barrel across the room with one
| hand paints it with the other. He gets half
| a cent barrel for his work. His old boots
| would be as good as q fortune TO blue paint
! dealer
! Volcano is to Petersburg what the spring
| is TO the stream, for from Volcano comes the
stream of oily wealth that makes the refinery
business, and keeps it going.
The accommodation train on the morning
| of the 29th. brought to Laurel Junction two
travellers who were about to have their first
experience in the oil regions, and who were
ready to enjoy all the new things that the
region had to offer. From the junction by