The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-05-21
OIL Wells IN THE SEA
Two Driiiers Return From Japan VIII,
Some Oueer Stories.

-
ao"uI L'm population. on the northves,
e'h coast OK Japan. and about nftv-svs
HieS southwest Of Niigata- They havs
me. with success. ""'e
lhiS venture promises soma innnor,,,,
developments. especially as instead ~
tnat Government Importing the ree,.s
OH from this country in the onsn,,,'
they have been ding, they hava -
erected four or i've rehneries. win ~,
they are refining their own oil. the rs
ouctlon OF which is yet largely Inads-
quate TO their demand, and also >.
ginning TO refine the crude which IT,,
import from the United States ana Rrs.
sla. The most OF the refined oil UhicS
they import from this country Gomez
from Philadelphia.
Iheir native oil IL similar 20 the Penn.
sylVania oil, but little darker and q, !,
eraFl'y' Inc present price OF oil Their,
- rom SS'Z1 10 S9 barrel. or. IN their
native currency, from 4 yen and o sen
70 yen. A yen varies with the nri,a y,
gold, but these drillers said IL was uo-,s
o. 90 cents I'm gold when they left
The men who have tho deyelopmen, d,
this oil territory In charge for the lana,
nese Government are ". A. Dibh,o q,
Reimersbure, Clarion county, Pa. ana
I. j. Stewart OF Yenango. Crawford
county. A few days ago they were Ia
Pittsburg on their return 20 Japan. they
having been over here 10 get additional
TOOLS, appliances, supplies, &C.. and, IN
cidentally. 20 revisit home and friends
They were averse 90 giving particulars
as TO the amount OF the new production.
saying they had been requested by the
japanese Government not 20 talk about
the matter. They admitted, however, that
they were getting enough 20 warrant
their going ahead. and did not deny that
matters were IN excellent shape.
They stated that along the shore The
japanese had dug for oil for an uncertain
but undoubtedly long period There wer,
! shafts In existence there known to be 40
years old, and it il undisputcd there thar
the Japanese obtained and used this OH
I'm their Buddhist festivals for ! 200 wear,
| back. This was obtained In early periods
there by surface diggings and dipping
| Indeed that method is still practicei
The usual native oil well Is still nothing
but a hole. dug by hand labor. in the
ground to a varying depth. They sim.
| ply have been I'm the habit OF digeing
down through the sand and soil. crib
bling the earth up where necessary. until
| they reached a point where the oil per.
| cOlated through and collected In the bot
| tom OK the hole where they could dip
| II up. they considering a six or eight.
| gallon well OF that character as an that
could be desired. These wells I'm some
instances went down several hundred
feet, but were usually very shallow and
rude affairs or late tho Japanese Gov.
eminent has been getting IT'S eyes omen
as 20 the possibilities OF oil development
and the approved methods Of boring Tor
oil. and have been sending emissaries 10
visit and study the Pennsylvania Oh
fields. and 10 engage skilled driliers 10
90 10 their japanese fields and INTRODUCES
and superintend the newest and best
methods used here in the oil Industry.
Thus they are making rapid progress
At IdzmozaN, which is noted MS a
fishing town, tho available shore line Is
very narrow. it being occupied hy the
city, Immediately back OF which the
mountains" about 2)l feet high, rise.
The wells are crowding out into the we
ters Of the sea, much as they have been
doing at ST. Marys reservoir. in the
northwestern part OF Ohio. At about 40
feet out the water Is only some ~ Get
deep. They usually put down cubbns
OF LOGS or timber. which they ON in With
earth. and thus obtain the necessary
which they can proceed with their opera
tions and boring They run out 20 the
derrick from shore, q narrow walk upon
which the natives carry 20 land. on their
backs. the oil, few gallons az time.
Labor is very cheap there and natives
work for seven yen month, and lind
or board themselves, a yen being, as be-
fore stated about siXty-siX cents. They
are not organized. have no such things
as labor unions, and strikes are unknOw1
They have no set time for days work.
which is practically during daylight fire.
quently beginning work at the wells az
4 o'clock IN the morning As Mr. Dibble
nut il. they are 50 habituated 10 be1g
held down by the rich classes that they
neither know nor imagine anything dif-
ftrent.
When asked how they were treated by
The natives. Messrs. Dibble and Stewart
both agreed that il was with politeness.
They were never made the object OF any
apparent ridicule or unpleafantness upon
the streets or elsewhere. To be sure
bows would be boys IN Japan, as IN
America. and occasionally they would Bee
a little rude or mischievous. but nothing
serious. They are the only foreigners
I'm the city, which they find rather lone
some. They find IL wise and even 1eces-
sary 70 comply with the ratiye customs
They are never allowed 20 enter a rouse
or even the hotel where they board Witn-
out taking their shoes Off. Sandals are
provided for use upon such occasions
but the necessity Of their being fastened
with a strap coming up inside TIE DIX
toe mal,es their use practically impos-
sible TO persons wearing socks. Therefore.
they must either be prepared 10 take on
their socks. which is "A little embarrass.
ing sometimes. even 10 a hardy ana
Woodworking oil man. or, as these gem
tlemen finally did. succeed I'm getting
concession, whereby they could don tnef
shippers upon entering the hotel ony
even then they must be sure not 70 le,
the soies OF their slippers come IN cohtt,t
with the surface OF the street "nign
would be considered as rendering tH-"
"uncleau."
By way Of recreation. they attend ths
theatre or patronize the travelling sno"s
In matters Of trade or shopping 500,
prices are charged a foreigner. the ntuF.
believing all foreigners 10 De naL 80
gold. To obvate this they take nv,
with them. or have the landlord send o''
for what they wish 20 purchase. ma.
The reople in the ordinary walks OF No
o,d fev II any others. live In ldLino
ystf are inonensive and peaceful eF'"
when under the influence OF drink taAsn,
nsrbans on their festive occasions. "
course. there are exceptions but THIS Is
tbe r,,le. Upon such occasions they haa
observed one drunken Jap swagEsr
ogainst another and both tumble mo
he ditch. and then arise and go theH
respectlve ways as best they could WIN
ont a hard word on either side. d.
In speaking OF the strata they ne'
with IN boring. they said that III
oont well put down 100 feet. the first
Ok feet went through limestone and share,
the balance being made up OF whNs
III M Int I--.--k