davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hazel Green herald., 1892-02-26

aud your renewal is earnestly solicited; or
if YOU wish to discontinue, send balance due
us nj the rate of sac. a month. ALL un,
paid subscriptions will be dropped from our
books March l, and the accounts be placed
in nm officers hands for collection.
Thanking you for past patronage, and so'
Letting your continued good will, am,
Respectfully yours,
SPENCER COOPER.
The Hazel Green herald., 1892-02-26

THE HERALD and Cincinnati Weekly
Enouirer one year for only sl'oO, and
now h the time To subscribe.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-31

the crude petroleum. NV wife, over there,
can tell you what terrible smoke it filed
our house with. just after we married. but
we put up with It. and kept on using the oil.
because it cost US nothing, and the lard did
cost something. The lamps we're fitted with
wire at the back, by which we could hang
them up anywhere, either on the wall In the
house, or to posts at corn huskings and
shellings.
1t was a unique spectacle, this village
using crude petroleum to light their homes
and shops in 1857. William Kennedy, Of
Tarentum, another son of Grandfather
Kennedy, when q young man, was EN-.
ployed about the salt works also, and was 50
intimate with the owners that he married a
sister of Samuel M. Kier He gives, per-
haps, the most definite information of how
his neighbors got the idea of burning petro-
leum in lamps. He says:
The fire on the canal occurred at an op-
perfume moment. just about the same time
one Dennis Martin had been making some
suggestions about salt works. urging trial
OF the dark-colored oil for fuel and light. He
was just such genius as you Will nnd in
trades. He had tried throwing into the fur
naces in the works bunch of rags creased
with the stuff and tried to prove that 1t
burned more fercely. Samuel NJ. Kter knew
Of Martins speculative talk, and, indeed,
Kier himself had some idea OF experim ent.
ing with the oil that was now being pumped
out or his well, seeing no good reason why
it, like other grease, would not burn. He
had actually begun some inquiries among
people about lamps in which to try 1t, when
the boys set fire to the accumulated oil on
the canal.
The Canal Fire Was tho Starter.
This canal fire brought both the ideas Of
Kier and Martin to a head. Martin suggest
ed dips from the oil for tho coal diggers, and
induced them to try 1t in their pit lamps.
Kier a nd his brother experimental at once
with the tin lard lamps and the result was
that people up here In Tarentum generally
introduced the oil into their houses as an
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-31

got up and moistened his hands for q fresh
start. Everything went as smooth as grease
for the next 20 feet. Then the mower
picked up 100 feet of stovepipe wire and
waited for results.
'That woman's hand againPe hoarsely
whispered Mr.. Bowser as he saw what was
the matter; "but wouldn't give in now if
knew that death wasn't two rods OFF,
1t took him ten minutes to clear away the
wire. When this had been accomplished
he pulled off his coat and vest, glanced up
at all the back windows, and there was a
dangerous light in his eye as he gripped the
handle, drew a long breath and went ahead.
At the fifth step Mr. Bowser's right foot
found post hole, and followed it up until
he fell forward on his stomache and plowed
along the grass. His first thought was to
get up and kick both line fences down and
make bonfire of the splinters, but as he
slowly reached his feet a better idea oc-
CURED to him. He picked up the mower
and pounded the earth with it until nothing
but the handle was left. Then he gathered
up wheels, cogs, ratchets, fues, puIleys,
cylinder heads and low water indicators and
tossed them over the back fence and walked
into the house. Mrs. Bowser sat reading,
and looking very innocent and humbl, but
he was not to be deceived. Standing be-
fore her in his sternest attitude he said:
'Mrs. Bowser, let me suggest an easier
wayp'
''Why, what do you mean?"
sTo kill me of !! If you are so bent and
determined to get rid of me, why don't you
poison nv food or cut my throat when I'm
asleep? No explanation-not a word!
understand the situation perfectly, and
nothing you can say will excuse your das-
tardly machinationsl'
''But didn't say I was"
'.Neverl Never said word! That will
do, Mrs. Bowser! We will not discuss the
subject farther. In the morning we will
seek an amicable adjustment OF difficulties,
and will go with you to the train. There
are two trains day by which you can
reach your mother, and will telegraph her
of your coming. Our child will of course
remain with me. Good night, Mrs. Bowser.
Any suggestions you have to make had best
be put in writing and submitted the first
thing in the morning."
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-31

6O-cent and 81 bottles, and It became very
popular al. over the country. I firmly be-
lieved in its medicinal properties and I do
here in Tarentum who use crude petroleum
as medicine, as you have no doubt dis
covered in your tnvestfgation this week. I
was in charge Of Kiers store at the salt
, works at the period when the rock-oil medi.
cine was most popular. At that store have
sold it as high as ST pergallon. The farmers
became accustomed to driving down there
to buy supply Of it. They were very
friendly to oil, because it was of value as
medicine in many ways on the farms. AS
late as 1856 and 1857, have sold it at 81 per
gallon.
First Law Suit Over Petroleum.
Understand, these high values did not
come solely from its value as a medicine,
but as an illuminant for houses also, for by
1857 Mr.. Kier had also introduced 1t to q con.
siderable extent through q burner for lamps
which he had invented. So valuable did
petroleum become through the agency OF
this ingenious Pittsburger, that after he got
solo control Of the Peterson well, Louis
Peterson, ST., commenced proceedings in
the courts at Pittsburg to compel g. NJ Kier
p 70 pay M MIN @ royaisy, or divide the proceeds
Esq, was kier's attorney, and A. w. Loomis
was Peterson's. 1t was rather a noted case
because it proposed to test the limitations
VI A0hs0 LcdScS up W tudG udy naQ D6en
made for saltwater alone, this mineral oil
never having been thought OF. Peterson
contended that It being found without any
previous knowledge on the part of either
side, the owner of the land had a right to
share in the proceeds in spite of the fact
that such a mineral was not mentioned in
the lease or sale.
JOHN V. HUMEs-When my father leased
property to Staley Donnell to sink q we'll
upon, near where the Kier well was, he
wrote the lease in these words: "As long as
water runs, and grass grows these two men
have the right to the salt water that may
come from the ground there" There was
no reserve Tor any thing but salt water. He
knew nothing OF any such thing as petrol
cum, and his sole royalty for years after.
rather the proceeds from every l barrel in
20. By and by Thomas Donnellv. who had
bought the lease, sold it to Louis Peterson,
Jr., who bored it deeper for oil. He paid us
-Donnelly and my father-$40 600, which was
regarded by us as an Immense price, but
imagine our feeling OF personal loss when a
few years later Peterson sold the property
to Eastern persons for $4,000 That's what
come from us not knowing the value of this
new grease.
And it is quite true, that even to this
day nearly all the old quarter in the thriv-
ing town of Tarentum uses crude petroleum
for medicine in some shape or form. I have
heard of it in many households up there
in fact have been presented with a flask of
it for my own personal trial and satisfac-
tion. L. E SToFIEL
To Be Concluded Neat Sssnday]
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-31

flluninant. Mr.. S. M. Kier, after awhile, had
heavier lamps made for burning the oil in
houses-that was in lS4S, thfnk-but 1t was
some wears before a chimney for them could
be found.
There is q vague tradition of mineral oil
being used in 1926 for an illuminant in
dwellings and shops along the Muskingum
river in Ohio. but there have never accom-
panied it such authenticated Statements as
Tarentum here producea Petroleum is said
to have been known along the Muskingum
as early as 1914. But as for that; there is
no question that it was used by the Indians
when they inhabited Pennsylvania It is
not so much of q question as to when 1t was
originally known, as it is where and by
whom it was first put to commercial uses
Good for Man and Beast!
F. N. HuMEs-The Kier salt well began
producing petroleum in 1916, 1 think, or
about year after the oil from the Peterson
we'll had been going to waste. From the
first, Samuel N. Kier became active In try
ing TO discover means to turn the new greasy
huid to some account. He was engaged in
fathers house here frequently, where
stopped much of the time was employed
about the salt works. Although people up
here got to using the oil in their lamps. S.
NJ. Kier believed it was capable OF other uses
TOO. He consulted medical men, and at
length he decided that the oil really posses
product OF the Kier salt well sent down to
him at Pittsburg, where lie bottled 1t and
put il upon the market as "Kfer's Rock Oi,"
or "Kier's Petroleum" !" and he advertised It
extensively AS good in either internal doses
or external application.
In two or three years the business Of SELL
ing this as medicine had SO increased on his
hands that he made an arrangement with
Louis Peterson, Sr., to secure the entire oil
product of his well also. In l647 or 1s4S the
Kier well was producing about ono barrel
of petroleum a day, and the Peterson well
about two barrels. From q worthless stuff
that was TOR two or three years allowed to
run to waste i'll the canal, Kiers efforts to
giye it a commercial importance eventually
raised 1t to value fnan ncislly, right here
at the wells, u and ss per barrel, and
that, too long before Drake had been heard
OF with his Titusvflle venture.
A Market for Petrolcum Buttsr.
Joxx ". srAIz1-Wasn't is In lsle that the
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-31
BOWSER HAS TROUBLE.
he Invests in Lawn Mower With
the Best of Intentions.
A FEW HARD FALLS SETTLE HIM.
Carl Dander's Fly American Boy and
Arizona Kicker Clippings.
SELECTIONS OF M. QUAD's HUMoR
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH

WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH
''Did that lawn mower come up this after.
noon?" asked Mr.. Bowser, as he came home
an hour ahead of time the other evening.
"Was that lawn mower?" queried Mrs
Bowser in reply. "What on earth pos
sessed you to buy such thing?"
"For two very good reasons Mrs. Bowser.
propose to save about fifteen dollars this
summer, and want the exercise. could
have got q health lift, but thought
would combine business with pleasure.
Always kill two birds with one stone when
chance offers. I'll work up muscle in a
couple of weeks to astonish you. The doc
tor says it's exactly what need"
"But wish you hadn't bought it"
s'That's you to dotl Always in opposi-
tion to everything I dol That's why we
take so much comfort as familyi The
only thing you wouldn't oppose is my
dyingr'
Mrs. Bowser had nothing more to say,
and after dinner Mr.. Bowser made ready
for his exercise. He got into an old suit of
clothes, dragged the lawn mower into the
back yard and oiled it up, and was presently
ready to make start He looked up at
the back windows, and seeing nothing of
Mrs Bowser, he spat on his hands and
said:
''Hai This is what'll give man muscle
and appetite. Only cost SO, and I'll get
$10O benefit out Of it suppose I might
as well make start"
He made one. He had gone about ten
feet when the machine suddenly stopped.
So did Mr.. Bowser. He stopped so sudden
ly that his feet left the ground and the
handle of the mower just missed his chin
on an upper cut.
''Struck post, eh?" he muttered, as he
Investigated and found one rising about six
inches out of the earth. 'That's all right,
however. I didn't expect to NOW down
posts as we'll as grass. Seems as if my
muscle was working up little already"
He lodged the post and headed tor the
back fence, and his countenance had Just
begun to beam again when there was great
ciattering and the machine stopped.
two or three out of the grass. "She's prob
ably watching me, and she's probably
tickled half to death, but I'd NOW this yard
if it was full of deadly torpedoes.
He reached the fence without further mis-
hap, leaving trail behind him as crooked
as serpent's, but at the first dash he made
on his return journey something happened
again. The machine stopped with bump,
and Mr.. Bowser pitched forward over the
handle and brought up in heap on the
ground.
"Now, hope to never draw another
breath if don't slaughter somebody for
thisT' he yelled, as soon as he could get his
breath.
He was going to jump up and kick some
body or something, but it occurred to him
that Mrs Bowser, might be looking, and he
sat up and looked around and pretended to
be resting
Nothing could be seen of Mrs. Bowser,
however, and after couple Of minutes be
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-31
country How vhas dot, sergeant? Does
your boy call you 'gutsrnerP'
WWelf hsrdlyP'

country How vhas dot, sergeant7 Does
your boy call You tguisrnerG'
"Well, hsrdlyp
sUnd vhen he speaks NIT his mudder he
calls her your royal highnesa' she can't
make 1t oudt, und Shake says: Dot vhas
all right, we vhas in America row.' Does
your bow speak like dot to his mudder?"
"r never heard that he did,"
sUnd his mudder finds some red und blue
buttons mitout any eyes in 'em in Shakes
pocket, Here vhas one. She asks him
about 'em und he says it vhas a new inwen-
tion for oafercoat buttons Did you efer
see one beforeo"
eyes, several times. Those are poker
chips, MI. Durdef."
''Und Shake vhas playing some poker?"
every likely"
"H'mi Here vhas ticket we find in
Shakes pocket, too. When ask him about
it he says it vhas good for one ride NIT a
toboggan, und dot all American boys vhas
built dot vhay."
"Jake has been playing the races" re-
piled the Sergeant as he examined the
ticket. "He got this ticket at poolroom,
and 1t seems that he played Lone Jack for
first place"
"H'ml begin to smell some ratsl Ser
geant, like to ask you about scrap iron
match"
Scrap iron match9 I never heard of
such thing"
"vhell, Shake goes to his mudder after
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-31
THE ARIZONA KICKER

Points on the Manly Way Of Settling News
paper Grievances.
clip the following from the last issue oi
the Arizona Kicker,
Three weeks ago. IN writing up some of the
local characters Of the town, we mentioned
Colonel Dick White as one Of the crowd who
had been here too long for his health Sew.
eral shyster lawyers went to the Colonel and
encouraged him to bring . libel suit for
heavy damages. He refused and sent us
word to look out. We were ready in Is Sec
onds after we got the message, but the
Colonel had to send his guns to the shop to
be repaired, make his will and fix up other
little matters. It was not until Monday that
he got ready to go hunting. He posted him
self in modest and retiring position on an
empty barrel in front OF Henderson's
grocery, and had been waiting Is
minutes when we sauntered up
TO inquire the price Of cucumbers We saw
the Colonel and the cucumbers at the same
instant, but he got the first shot, which
ripped up the cotton on our right shoulder
We could nave shot him dead. but we didn't
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-31

gold fever broke out In California; Yes, I
thought is was, for remember that Mr.
Kier sent dozens Of his little boxes OF OF
that wear. "Petroleum butter" was the but
tery-lfke stuff that oozed up from our salt
we'll ON Kier's place with each stroke OF the
sessinr ea int IN the e. iron parts, and cnnrning from
the friction Of the machinery. Mr.. Kfer had
us scrape this or the iron every day and
send it to his place In Pittsourg; There IT 1t
burns, scalds and bruises-and tell you It
was good for them, too.
The "rock OIL" which he sold in bottles for
medicine was simply the crude oil Of to-day,
in the Kier we'll was OF the very best.
have taken many dose Of it in nwardly, and,
Sir, If you ever get bad cold in the chest,
soak flannel cloth with crude petroleum
and lay it across your breast. Try it some
night. In those days everybody up here In
and I'll bet you will find plenty OF persons
still living here who yet believes in the vir-
tues Of petroleum as q medicine. am never
without half 9 barrel OF crude Oil now In
the house, and It Is my standard remedy.
Tho First Find Was of the Best
JAMES KrNNrDr-The petroleum that was
found in Tarentum between 1s45 and 1s56
was of the very finest grade. That In the
Kier and Peterson wells averaged 10 per
cent of purity, and that subsequently taken
out OF the Donneily well averaged as high
as 90 per cent. This may better be appre-
ciated by comparing It with the petroleum
afterward produced in Northern Pennsyl-
wanna, which, think, only averages sSh per
cent.
Louis Peterson, Jr.-s. M. Kier paid my
father 30 cents a gallon for the oil from his
we'll. As our we'll produced from two to
i've barrels per day, these 200 gallons at 30
cents a gallon made a nice profit. Kier made
the oil known all over the United States.
Undoubtedly he made paying business out
of it. Yes, the oil from the wells OF Kier and
my father was Of unprecedented purity. 1t
only contained about per cent Of naphtha,
and was Of good wine color.
William Kennedy-Mr Kier was the first
man to give petroleum financial and COM
mercial value. He sold it as medicine in
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-31
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH
BY DORA RUSSELL,
Author of Footprints in the Snow" The Broken Sea The
Track of the Storm" "A Fatal Past" Etc
SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS


means me
6o adr which lying the hp & In msnas
is
mean
double the amount Then she another sndess
thief
Then
&C YES IN
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-31

upon little strip of ground which must
forever be historic.
John Kennedy, Sr., of Tarentum, Is now
sS years old. He is familiarly know among
the townspeople s'Grandfather" Kennedy,
though his great-grandchildre are BY this
time well advanced in the public schools
Mr. Kennedy says:
In about 1885 built derrick q short dis
tance below here for Louis Peterson, Sr. He
was going TO sink well for salt water with
which to operate salt works. Yes, the
derrick was much less expensive affair
than the rigs over oil wells to-day Although
50 feet high, it only cost Mr.. Peterson about
times you will understand. Out of that
sum got SIS or SIS for my work in carpen-
tering the timbers.
About the same time built another der
rick for salt we'll which was bored by
William Donneu and Jacob Staley. They
sold the well to Thomas Donnelly, whom l
believe afterward was a well-known banker
in Pittsburg. Adjoining these properties
was the Thomas Kier place. I built the der
ricks Tor the two wells upon it also, the last
one being in either 1s4l or 1s42. Thomas
This group OF wells turned out large quanti-
ties of salt, which was shipped to Pittsburg
on the canal and the industry was regarded
by US as important.
How the Old Wells Were Sunk.
Two other residents of Tarentum give in
formation about the queer method of boring
these early wells:
JOHN Y. HuNEs-The Staley & Donnell well
was on my fathers property. 1t was four.
inch hole sunk by treading with foot The
stea m engine had not vet been sttached to a
drill. The wells up to that tine, which In
cluded the Peterson well, had been bored by
foot also. But after Thomas Donnellv
leased the Staley & Donnell well he attached
an engine and resmed it out to six-inch
hole.
JOHN W. STALEY-My father boiled salt at
the works of the kiers and the others. When
a boy 1 was around the salt works much of
my time. The wells were not then fitted
with the from casing which oil and gas wells
have in these days. Its place was taken oy
two crude devices, viz: the "seed-bag" and
the "tallow-bag." The seed-bag was q sort
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-31
TRADE IN PRESIDENTIAL YEARa


An Old-Time Belief Is Shown to Be With
out Any Foundation.
North American Review.l
In such an age of evolution and change it
is very hard to keep track of and judge cor
rectly of cause and effect, and, in consider
ing the influence Of Presidential elections
upon business. we are very apt to overlook
many other conditions which directly or in
directly contribute to results
If we turn to statistics we do not find
much comfort. The figures of the New
York Clearing House probably furnish as
good an idea of the state of business through
out the United States as any. ALI the
business activities of the country are
localized here, and "Wall street" is a
barometer for trade and commerce as well as
finance. Statistics show that in 1872, q
Presidential year, the exchanges were
IS, 600, ,000, 900 more than in 1871, and only
81, ,00O, 600, 900 less than the succeeding year.
In 1876, however, they were 5000, 00O, 900
less than in 1875, and !. 900, 600, 900 less than
in 1877, but in 1880 they were Is, 600, 0O0, 900
more than in 1879, but II. 900, 000, 900 less
than in 1881, when we had SPOON" year,
owing to the good crops in this country and
poor ones abroad,
might have been upon business, that year
it was borne like feather upon the crest of
q tidal wave. The volume of exchanges
steadily declined from 1881 until 1885, but
in the Presidential year of 1884 the ex-
changes were nine billions more than in
1885, from which point there was substan-
tial recovery again during 1886 aud 1887,
but in 1888 they declined again four bill
lions The summing up Of all these figures
leads to the opinion expressed in the open
ing lines Of this article, that while q Prea-
dental election has some influence upon
some kinds of business, there are other in
fuenoss far more controlling in their
nature.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-31
CARL DUNDER'S FLY BOY JAKE.

The Old Gentleman smslled a Mouss.and
Quickly Discovered Several Rats-The
Lad Will Be Brought Up With q sharp
Turn-Virtuous indignation.
Mr. Dunder entered the station house
very softly the other afternoon and dropped
into chair without remark, and 1t was
some time before the fat police sergeant
looked up and discovered his presence and
said
"We1l, you here again? You don't seem
to be - tickled - you were the last time
you came"
Sergeant, like some advice" replied
Mr. Dunder. ST like some advice about
my son Shake. You know Shaker"
.'Yea What's the matter with Jake?"
II belief he vas too fieA as you call him,
und I like t" * you about him. Der od-
der DAY he ce.,~ me .guferner,' and when
look at him he syr oh, dot vas all right,
you know. Dol vas like all der boys In dis
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-31

do ft. We simply shot his thumb OF at the
joint, and he went out OF business after f1r-
ing only the one shot. From the time he
fred until we had him disarmed and he WAS
begging our pardon was only II seconds. as
counted by the grocer, who had his watch
in his hand. As Mayor of the town we shall
fund. We understand that the Colonel
left town last night for some point
In Montana. While we firmly believe his
going is benefit to the community, we
want to thank him for the manly way lie set
about getting even Wits us. Anybody can
begin libel suit, but 1t takes q manly sort
of man to 60 cunning for an editor who
can shoot two handed and has had three or
four days warning OF what Is to come.
M. QUAD