The sun., 1893-03-30
AMERIoAN OIL pR1ILERs IN JAPAN
Revisitine Home, They Ten Their Expert-
enccs In Chryssnthemum Land.

Revisfting Home, They Ten Their Experf-
enccs In Chryssnthemun Land.
The Japanese Government has had In its
employ for over year past two expert oil
drillers from Pennsylvania. who are superin-
tending boring for oil In the waters Of the Ja-
pan Sea. 100 yards from shore. Just outside
Idzm ogaki. q city OF about $4,000 population.
on the northwestern coast OF japan and about
ffty-fve miles southwest OF Niigata. They
have met with success.
This venture promises some important de-
velopments. especially as the Japanese Gov
ernment. which hitherto has imported refined
oil from this country. has now erected four or
five reflperies. With these they are refining
their own oil. the production OF which is yet
largely Inadequate TO their demand. and also
beginning to refine the crude, which they I'M
port from the United States and Russia. The
Japanese native oil is similar to the Pennsyl-
vann oil. but little darker and OF 43 gravity
The present price OF oil there. reckoned In
United States currency. is from 1925 to S3.29
q barrel
Tho men who have tho development OF this
oil territory In charge for tho Japanese Gov
ernment are W. A. Dibble Of Keimersburgh.
Clarion county. and 7. J. Stewart OF Venango.
Crawford county. Pa. A few days ago they
were in Pittsburgh. on their return to Japan.
they having been over here to get additional
tools, appliances. and other supplies, and In
cidentally to revisit home and friends. They
state that along the shore the Japanese had
dug for oil for long period. There were
shafts In existence there known to be at least
100 years old. and 1t is undisputed there that
the Japanese obtained and used this oil In
their Buddhist festivals for 1.200 years back.
This oil was obtained In early periods there by
surface dieGngs and dipping Indeed. that
method Is still practised. The usual native OIL
we'll is nothing but hole dug by hand labor.
he Whsre they
and collects in the bottom oi tho hole. whore .se
These wells In some instances go down sew
aw fss snd rsdo the
ese hHs been getting Its eyes open pen
II the approved p methods Of boring Tor oil. and
have been ,sending emissaries to visit and
s & % thss se
and host methods used here in the oil in
Atidzmozaki the available shore line is very
narrow t being occupied BY the city. immeditt nst
500 SO feet t high. R RISE The wells are crowdine
out into the waters Of the sea. much as they
h Sssa aGps ps St 6he Mf.sA
feet deep. The Japanese usually put down a
S90'es %th esrth. & @ and thus eStsin the
though somewhat limited space upon which
tssy solns Thss wa e to The
shore. q narrow walk. upon which the natives
carry to land; on their backs. the oil. few
Labor i very cheap in japan and nstyss sanrs
labor HS W unions. and strikes are unknown. They
n9ss5sy nays nE set du1ns ns Says e
ginning work at the % wells at at !. o'clock o In In
ssf so Rsfnasa being
or aristocratic classes that they neither know
nor imagine anything different.
nasiHss Asksa Messrs so pbSis "nd both
agreed that it was almost universally with 70.
HI anH the streess or
nasys Thes rs
enter house or even the hotel " where they
Hse
the he necessity % Of their being fastened win
strap coming up inside Of the big toe makes
prepared to take of bis socks. Or. IS these
don don their slippers UPON entering their
s sSsf III tSs sess ssn 70 his nqs nH
would be considered as rendering them, them IN, .So
theatre or patronize the travelling shows.
In matters Of trade or shopping several prices
are charged foreigner. the natives believing
all foreigners are made of gold. To obviate
this they take a native with them or have tho
landlord send out for what they wish to pur-
chase The people in the ordinary walks OF
life and few. II any others. live In IdzmoZaki.
are inofiensive and peaceful even when under
the influence OF drink, taken. perhaps. on their
festival occasions. Upon festival day the two
oil drillers had observed one drunken Jap
ditch. and then arise and go their respective
ways as best they could without hard word
on either side.
In speaking Of the strata they met with In
boring. they said that in a recent well. put
down ]. 200 feet, the first 255 feet went through
limestone and shale. the balance being made
up Of white. loose sand. not an oil sand. but
looking like sea washings. and in some places
much coarser than In others. This well proved
o dry hole. OIL found in the interior ts carried
there. as in some parts OF China, in skin TASKS
questions OF pipe lines and railroads are now
being seriously considered ny the japanese
Government. Mr. Dibble stated that every
thing below the surface is owned by the Gov.
ernment. hence its interest in and control Of
the oil wells. &c. The pagan japanese regard
the curious foreign oil tools and methods with
some superstition.
The climate In which the Idzmoznki field is
situated is much like that OF western Pennsyl-
vania. They had good deal Of snow this
winter. although II did not usually last long.
Pittsburgh would be about twenty:six days.
and the expense. by hrst-class ticket. about