New-York tribune., 1882-02-20

buildings IN courso Of construction may be counted ana
y aotqal there at least 200 budinss
Jnat wiz soon De commenced upon lots already nI,rs
chased Petrolia Andorsony vile and other small n,ae
nave also come Into existence with the development of
benjamin Thomas ia generally credited with bavin,
been tke prime mover In the drilling OF the first or Alma
wei. D. 4. Taylor became associated with him in Tho
second, or Pkeyile well After tho second well wsa
finished Mr. Taylor formed other companies and was in
sasle, and staed all his property on the probaby of
finding oil. HE resources became reduced that he
He constructed The first tank for Triangle No and soId
the o to farmers for fe-to burn faowthus support.
ventures have made him ample returns at last puks
ana Norton were prominent in developing the eastern
territory. They opened communication With the out
side world by telephone line r. $. Bliss c. Lester and
a. - COttrel are credited with having been the first in
Kchburg TO take hold Of the oil business They ths
TP crrenH,mP Oi Company Riley, Allen and o. r Taylor.
cotulpieted the first well IN that section Numerous
9ller companies and individuals now interested in
OF opening the field
Nothing can be more interesting than q visit 10 his
new narTowgauge railroads, with its rocking ears and
Welsylle, Bolivar and Eldred Road which connects
WIN 1u9 Erle al Hesyne Is The smoother and pleas
ah'er lnG writer, hItet half hours ride upon IL
reached Allentown from where TO the country we'd
should proceed by carriage. II five miles to Rich
burg and ride over the hills on winters day gives
good idea oi the field. and shows the picturesque s!o
OF OIL operating; all the distance short snd alrnO,s
regular intervals stand derricks like sertlnos hun
dred feet from side OF the road Those wells sin
drilling squirt out from their engines clouds OF steamj
those producing emit rank but
order OF crude OIL aud gas. The pipe line lies beside tho
road, undulatlng Ike q huge serpent over the hills
Here and there great flames from burning waste lAs
brighten the clouds. Across the fields !. well ready
for the torpedo. Shooting well ia the most exciting
process OF operating for oil When the well h.s been
drilled into tho oil producing rock. can containing
from ory to sixty pounds Of nrOgy oerinc r. carefully
lowered to the bottom small iron called " gOdeyi4"
is then dropped after. As u taxes sometime for Oh
ject to fall quarter Of mile, the operator gets well
out the way TO the wndward before dull thud heard
and q yellow steam OF oil spurts up. filing derrick
and rising hundred feet more to fall against tho
wind IN spray. The godeyl.s" frequently dropped
by lady visitors, and upon such occasion the vel Is
named for the lady by the gallant operator Mr. Rob
ers owns the patent for torpedcing wells ard IL costs
S2l5 to shoot one without violating his claims.
The M0Onllghter" shoots well In the night or n-
serts "a" setter" that II, can OF gycenne for kObcrss
men TO explode with smaller and thus greatly leg
sen Che expense OF OrpedoiRg Down In the woods II
shanty where daily tfkc their lives In their hands 10
manufacture gy cerne for moOnlightBG. There Is an
Old farmhouse completely surrounded by derrlcks Inc
owner spent long life OF untrng industry 10 clear tho
homestead aud farm from debt He did year or two
ago, and last summer part of his land sold for SloOOo
There gap in the line of derrcks. \ bed OF un-
yielding rock strikes across the oil giving lhnd,
Every elevation dscOses new clusters OF derflcks-
As RichDurg Is approached they grow more numerous
until from the high hill which 0Yerlooks the village
forest OF dcrrcks in the valley below, and on surround
ing opes the bewldercd eye and dees enuInerS