Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-08-21
PETR0LEUM'S RISE
STORY or THE DISCOVERY AND
GROWTH or THE OIL FIELDS.
The Land on which the First Well Was
Found Was Traded for Cow Many
Men Were Ruined Before Fortunes Were
Made-Names 81 Some Early MrIla.

Made-Names of some Early Wells. !.
Very few people are cognizant even i
IN western Pennsylvania Of the rapidity !
Of development in the petroleum bust :
ness from the time, thirty-seven years
ago, when it was known as Seneca oil. ,
Active operations began in 1883 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 & Co., paving them - 600 for
ninety-nine year lease.
A few years before the land mad been
| traded Ia man named Chase for u cow.
At 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 ut +
depth Of 60i feet 1t September it I
pumped forty barrels day, which sold T
at 50 cents gallon. Ii began TO hurt |
tine coal oil distilleries which made oil
from shale and camel coal.
Operations spread down Oil creek, and
in December. 1859. well was struck ut
the Buchanan farm, near Housewife, but
it was n small one. Mr.. Harper states
, that the hrst crude oil delivered in Pitts
burg was from the Albion well, on the
Allegheny river, owned by Phillips, Frew
g. Co. This well made fifty barrels IA
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 we'll were
shipped in the old canal packet Crystal
Palace.
: WHEN WELLS MULTIPLIED.
y In 1860 the petroleum trade began to
y be recognized as business worth some
y thing more than curious mention, but
its magnitude had not impressed itself,
for the people rated production of crude
y In gallons and not in barrels. There
r We're no oil exchanges to rouse public at
y tention. Some big wells made their APP
=, pearanee, but not many The Hamil.
ton-McClintock. two miles above Oil
., City. started of at sixty gallons "a min
~ ute. and was worth % cents gallon at
the wells. The Economics began 10
rake in shekels at Tidioute. and rehneries
began 10 spring up in various places.
Crude sold in this city at 90 cents gal
l. Ion.
"a, Royalty to land owners. now ranging
er from one-eighth to oue-fourth delivered
So in pipe lines, then ranged from one
To- fourth to three-fourths. and the oil VIA:
furnished To the land owner in iron
ha hooped barrels. which ranged in pric,
from s. 30 To o. - each This arrange
no ment bankrupted some operators in 1862
when the price of crude dropped to II
err cents a barrel. and they allowed man,
IL thousands Of barrels TO flow into Oh
.l..xvY, th. 4 iia,rkaux. 4
lul ,.a,,t 49,. 80 ,....l,b w., sn.o,lil,
70 dissipated In September three-quarter
al the oil in barrels furnished by tn
nd operators was paid for the lease Of 10
va seventy-five feet front at Titusville.
H In 1861 the greatest wells ever struc
were brought in on Oil creek. One il
lth Butler county, on the Marshall farm
me- some years ago made "A larger flow mt III
outset, hut 1t did not hold ont long. TIL
breaking ont IL the rebellion anh cons
lay Quent pane Frustrated petroleum bus
ne ness IN the early part of the year. but
revival of the industry took place dui
-, ing the summer as the prospect began
'uo grow for increased uses for oil.
Oh August there were 500 wells betwee
ith Oil City and Titusyille In Septembs
, = the Phillips No ,. on the Tarr farm. wi
ilaA struck lts first days production WI
va, 4,oOo barrels The Empire was also nov
''Ho ing :. 800 day. The oil was 80 plent
~ that wells were plugged when the
uN could be thus restrained. but man
ao thousands Of barrels were allowed To ru
.v into the creek. and the Allegheny riv'
lhe was covered with oil for many miles b
=" low Franklin.
,tLN GROWTH n 1862
tne The WoOdford well ON the Tarr far
iah was struck in December and made 3 %,
JIM barrels "A day This we'll ruined Il
~ Phillips No. =. and in turn was ruinet
hne The water was not cased off in tho'
! " DAYS. and when the tubing WAS draw
at the Phillips the Woodford began tloy
ialo ing b. S. The same trouble developed
that time on the upper end OF the Bloc
farm. II is said the boring of the Woo
a.. ford well was instigated by pure no
gerry. with intent to ruin she Pmllil
N, No, = The attempt Was successful, bs
IN il didn't pay the owners Of the Woo
- ~, ford. The Coquette was also one Of Il
!. old time spouters Of great rcnown. 81
= was owned by Dr. Egbert. who now do
~ business at W Fourth avenue. this city
"a The year 1899 was more memorial
g for trade agitation regarding oil thi
=. ~ for large wells. The market In th
'no country broke down this year, though
" - gallon Of refined cost IN this city rs mui
~ ~ "a barrel Of crude does today. II
~ cost of hauling was immense, aud pa
- line projects began ~ take Shape.
The teamsters and their friends in G
!, oil country were - powerful party Al
- they opposed the pipe line propositio
and some lines were destroyed IN plao
~ and there were riots Congress propos'
To lay tax II Ave cents gallon I
crude, more than twice what II sells {
,bs now. and ten cents gallon ON refine
,,al and meetings ot producers were held
"a, protest. 1itusyille was then the cent
n. for the producen The cost u sendiI
~. barrel % oil 10 New York was 81
I;,, and steamboats, charged 81 a barrel
0a' bringing it from Oil THY 10 Pittsbur
,s0 Crude ranged in price this year from
mar cents In January 70 .aa per barrel
z,r December at wells. Some people We
mi ruined and Others made colossal FORUM
IA thereby, but the standard hadn't be
sorn. and the surplus was only 1000
Inafaa