The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-12-15
The Disc0verer of Oil,

There are but few Pennsylvanians
who have not ut some period OF their
life heard of the late Colonel Drake in
connection with our oil fields. Colonel
Edwin L. Drake was the son OF Lyman
Drake, a farmer of Greene county, New
York, and was born at Greenville, that
county, March 80. 1919, and was con-
~soquently sixty one years of age. While
journeying from New Haven to Titus.
Vile on business, his attention was first
called to Oil creek, and he Immediately
became interested in the matter. He
saw the oil used as a lubricator on the
journals of q large circular saw, making
1900 revolutions per minute. 1t was
also used in torches to light saw mills.
AS q lubricator he found it superior 10
sperm oil. As q lubricator alone, he
knew there was q fortune in this oil:
He also saw that it could be refined and
doubled in its value as an illumination.
Doctor Ebenezer Brown, now q banker
at Titusville, took the colonel to the
spring from which the oil used in the
mill was taken. The doctor spread a
b anket upon the pool and gathered 1t
I'D in q few seconds, dripping with some
dark fluid, from which he wrung half a
pint of the oil. Half a bucket or more
of the oil was thus secured.
He had already been satisfied as to
the value. The sole question now was:
Can the oil be obtained in quantities
sufficient to introduce it rs q lubrl-
Gator" This question he speedily an
swered in his own mind, and decided to
bore for it. He could not, however,
persuade men to work for him, as he
was regarded IS q lunatic. In great
distress he drove to Tarentum, 100 miles
away. Here he entered into a contract
with a salt borer, agreeing to give nm
at least 1000 feet of boring to do. Inc
salt borer was to come in August; but
he didn't. The colonel went down
again, and the fellow promised to come
in September. Again he disappointed
the now thoroughly vexed colonel. nc
went the 100 miles once more. While
in the hotel at Tarentum he accidentally
learned why the fellow had disappointed
him. He never meant to 60 to titus
vile. He regarded Colonel Drake as
crazy, and thought the easiest way to
get rid of him was to make a contract
and pretend that he meant to come"
After ransacking the country for weeks
he at last found another salt borer, who
agreed to commence work for him. This
man got as far as Pittsburg, where he
died. 1t was now in October, late in
the season. Lewis B. Peterson, Esq, q
salt manufacturer at Tarentum, had
become interested in Colonel Drake, and
advised him not to do anything until
spring. Quite unwillingly he removed
to Titusville, housed his engine and
boiler, and did nothing until spring.
In April, 1859, MI. Peterson advised
Colonel Drake that he had q man for
him, whom he employed. This was
William A. Smith, OF Butler county,
who brought with him one Of his sons
the two working for two dollars q day.
On Saturday night, August 80, 1859. q
depth of sixty-nine and a half feet had
been reached. Work was suspended
for the Sabbath, but on Sunday old mar
Smith walked out to the well and found
it full of oil. He dipped up a barrel Of
it, and Colonel brakes insanity was
d~issipated in an hour. He had been suc-
cesstul. He spent all his means in con-
tributing to the wealth of the State and
died poor.-Pitsburg Chronicle.