, 1890-09-11
PETROLEUM MS RISE
STORY OF TIE DISCOVERY AND
GROWTH OF THE OIL FIELDS.


NIade-Namcs Of Some Early Wells.
Very few people are coguizant even
in western PENNSYLVANIA of the rapidity
Of development in the petroleum bust
ness from the time, thirty-seven years
ago, when 1t Wa known as Seneca oil.
Active operations began in 1858, when
Col. Drake, Of New Haven, was EN-
ployed TO sink an artesian well for Bis
sell & Eveleth, who had leased the Titus
vile oil springs in 1854 from Brewer,
Watson q Co, paying them s. 900 for n
ninety-uine wear lease.
A few years before the land mad been
traded 10 a man named Chase for a COW.
Al first Bissell & Eveleth had trenches
dug, which filled with water and oil,
and this was pumped into watts. The
well drilled by Drake struck oil at a
depth Of 69t feet 1t September it
pumped forty barrels a day, which sold
at 90 cents "A gallon. 1t began TO hurt
the coal oil distilleries which made OIL
from shale and camel coal
Operations spread down Oil creek, and
in December. 1853. a well was struck AT
the Buchanan farm. near Housewife. but
1t was a small one. Mr.. Harper states
that the first crude oil delivered in Pitts.
burg was from the Albion well, on the
Allegheny river, ownedb by Phillips, Frew
u Co. This well made fifty barrels 0
day. The oil sold at 30 cents a gallon.
with the provision that the barrels be
returned. The machinery, supplies and
men necessary to drill the well were
shipped in the old canal packet Crystal
Palace.
wHES WELLS MULTIPLIED.
In 1850 the petroleum trade began tc
be recognized As a business worth some
thing more than curious mention. Int
Its magnitude had not impressed itself,
for the people rated production Of crude
IN gallons and not in barrels. There
were no oil exchanges to rouse public at
tention. Some big wells made their mp
p~earauce, but not many. Tho Hamil-
ton-McClintock two miles above Oil
City, started off at sixty gallons n min.
ute. and was worth 22 cents a gallon at
the wells. The Economics began 70
rake in shekels at Tidioute, and refneries
began TO spring up in various places.
Grade sold in this city at 90 cents n gal.
lon.
Royalty to land owners, now ranging
from one-eighth TO one-fourth delivered
ia pipe lines, then ranged from one,
fourth TO t~hree-fourths, and the oil was
furnished to the land owner in iron
hooped barrels, which ranged in price
from $3.50 10 1926 each. This arrange
ment b~anlTupted some operators in 1862.
whea the price OF crude dropped to 10
cents n barrel, and they allowed many
thousands Of barrels to flow into Oil
creek and down the Allegheny river. As
Senator Ingalls, might say. their rides.
cent dreams of wealth were speedily
dissipated. In September three-quarters
of the oil in barrels furnished by the
operators was paid for the lease Of a lot
seyenty-hve feet front Mt Titusville.
In 1861 the greatest wells ever struck
We're brought in on Oil creek. One in
Butler county, on the Marshall farm.
some years ago made a larger flow at the
outset, but it did not hold out long. The
breaking out Of the rebellion and conse-
quent pane Frustrated petroleum bust
ness in the early part of the year, but a
revival Of the industry took place dur
ing the summer rs the prospect began to
grow for increased uses for oil. In
August there were 800 wells between
Oil City and T~itusville. In September
the Phillips No. .. on the Tarr farm, was
struck. Its first days production was
1000 barrels. TIT Empire was also flow
ing $500 a day. The oil was so plenty
that wells We're plugged, when they
could be thus restrained, but many
thousands Of barrels were allowed TO run
into the creek, and the Allegheny river
was covered with oil for many miles be
low Franklin.
GROWTH IN 1862.
The Woodford well on the Tarr farm
wa struck in December and made 5000
barrels a day. This well ruined the
Phillips No. 9, and in urn was ruined.
The water was not cased of in those
days, and when the tubing was drawn
at the Phillips the Woodford began flow
ing b.. S. The same trouble developed at
that time on the upper end Of the Blood
farm, 1t is said the boring of the Wood
ford we'll was instigated by pure hog
gerry, wltl intent 10 rum the Phillips
No The attempt was successful, but
1t DIDN'T pay the owners OF the Wood
foyd, The Goquette was ais. use os the
old time sPoutcrs II great en0wn. She
wa owned by DIR. Egbert, who now does
business at SO Fourth avenue, this city.
The year 1862 was more memorable
for trade agitation regarding oil than
for large wells. The market in this
country broke down this year, though a
gallon OF refined cost in this city as much
as a barrel Of crude does today. The
cost OF hauling was immense, and pipe
line projects began to take shape.
The ~teaIu-ters and their friends in the
oil country We're a powerful party, and
they opposed the pipe line proposition,
and some lines were destroyed in places
and there were riots. Congress proposed
to lay a tax Of five cents n gallon on
crude, more than twice what it sells for
now, and ten cents a gallon on refined,
N meetings of producers were held TO
protest. Titusville wa then the center
for the producers. The cost Of sending
a barrel of oil to New York was $7.45,
and steamboats, charged s. a barrel for
bringing it from Oil City to Pittsburg.
Crude ranged in price this year from 10
cents in January to S2.25 per barrel in
December at wells. Some people were
ruined and others made colossal fortunes
thereby, but the Standard hadn't been
born, and the surplus was only 100000
barrels in MISUNDERSTANDING Dispatch.
sold Again.
Ill I'LL -. r. - -