Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-01
IN THE NEW FIELDS.
REVIVAL OF THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY
IN WEST VIRGINIA.

PennsyIvnnIans FIOcking in and Developing
Extent Of the New DIstrict-WonderfuI
Growth of the New Oil Towns.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsrArcH.l
PARKERsBURG, July 31.-This city was
once q working center of the oil industry.
Years ago it was the heart of the oil trade
of this Western country. 1t had its re6neries
strung along both banks of the Kanawna for
mile or more; its many oil tanks its pipe lines
and paraphernalia presenting a busy scene of
progress. On the valley OF the Little Kanawha,
S5 miles above this city, there were some Of the
richest oil wells in the country. From Burning
Springs crude oil was foated down in baIeaux
TO this point and refined here and sent to the
Western markets. Hundreds of derricks
dotted the hills and valleys, and the constant
clank and clang OF the drill blended with the
shrill steam whistles, the cries of constant
moving cavalcade of teams the buzzing of
saws and the echoing of the hammer and anvil.
Many grew rich by the industry and the town
of Burning Springs grew and thrived, but the
Standard Oil Company got its grip on the en-
terprise; it removed its refneries to tidewater,
throttled and crowded out the independent re-
nneries Of this city until the banks of the rlver
which had but a few months before presented
3 scene of busy, industrial life, tumbled into
decay and neglect Dismantled. rusty tanks
and stills and tall chimneys like monoliths to
departed industry were all that remained
standing reproach to a cormorant monopoly.
The independent refiners, broken and bank
rupt left the country and grass and weeds
grew up and smothered their erstwhile daily
paths.
THE EFFECT WAS FELT.
The entire West Virginia oil belt felt the
effects of the blasting monopoly, and from the
constant hustle of busy life zelapsed into
silent wilderness of wrecked machinery
tumble-down houses and decaying derrlcks.
No greater evidence Of the paralyzing effects
OF combined corporate power upon individual
enterprise was ever shown than in the change
troll in West Virginia. The story in detail
would be interesting reading doubtless to the
reading, thinking public; but it is not so deeply
interesting and important TO the business in
terests Of the country, as a review of the new
developments and powers which the greed Of
the all-devouring corporation has driven to
wreck on the very fields it abandoned Is years
ago.
The difaculty OF reaching the product msagre
facilities of transportation and the distance of
the field from the centre of business prevented
Anything like organized opposition to the mo-
nopoly AZ the time. The Pennsylvania region,
where the basins, crevices, veins and lakes of
oil seemed to be more concentrated then be-
came the centre Of oil interests, aud continued
30 until within the past few years But the
creation Of pipe lines. the organization of great
oil companies and the concentration of capital
IN The limited area made IL plainly evident that
new Developments must be made 90 meet the
constantly Increasing demand for ail. Then
again the grip OF the Standard OIL Company,
With ~ 2aooo miles Of PIPE ines the absorpuon
81 terrissry and wells, its tank lines and con-