The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-03-11
THE RIVER AND OIL.
Trip Down the River Through tho
slstersville Field.
FUTURE OF THE MARSHALL FIELD.
Action OF tho Pipc Line Company
VIII Determine tbo Presence or Alb.
sonce Of oil-Devciopmonts Toward
tho West From sistcrsville-The
sccne at Tho River Front Early IN
tho MISUNDERSTANDING Rates.

1tis popular nowadays, when "Oan.
non Ball" trains fash over the steel
rails at speed undrearnsd Of not o de.
cado ago, to "pooh. h.pooh" the import
ance OF the river interests. The fellows
on tho seaboard who see nothing son.
alble in federal appropriations unloss
for q feet Of battle ships will sneer
about the uselessness Of few thou
sands for what they term the Little
sawlog creeks" Of the interior. They
don't realize that the inland marine
carrying trade exceeds the coastinE
trade and ID OF vital importance.
It Is during the early morning hours,
say from s to II o'clock, that the extent
Of river traffic is best seen and appreci.
ated at the Wheeling public landing.
Between those hours, particularly about
| 8 o'clock, tho wharf presents busy ap-
pearance. The big, Pittsburgh and Gin
cinnati liner lies .at the whatfboat, re-
ceivlnR and discharging freight aud pas
senvets. Just below is the MaiAmofas
packet, Lexington. The Bedford, for
Pittsburgh, has juSt backed out, and has
straightened up for Pittsburgh. The
Ben Hnr or the Courier is rounding in
from above. The shrek Of stcam
whistle heralds tho arrival Of the Lizzie
Bay from Charleston. In m hour or
two the Lfbofty will be here from Clar.
ington. Thisis the scene that 10 enacted
almost every morning, and once wit.
messed by an early riser Of the river
| front hotels dispels any illusion regard
Ing the decadence Of the river trade.
At the invitation Of the Lexington's
accommodating commander, Captain
Cline, an 1NTEL1IaBxcHR man made the
trip on his pretty little packet to New
Martinayille, last Saturday. The boat
had fine trip, both in passengers and
| freight, most Of the latter going to
towns in the oil region that are now in
the height OF their prosperity aud not
feeling the depression that is general
elsewhere. By the way, speaking Of
passengers, there is NO reason TO prevent
the down.the.river people from travel
ing on the river just now. On account
OF the fight between the Courier and
Lexington, rates are away down; to 20
from Wheeling 10 Matamoras, ffty-6vo
miles, costs Just fifty cents, including
dinner and supper. Pretty near as
cheap as staying at home.
Among the passengers who soon
found their way to the steamboats,
"Holy Of Holiesp-the pilot house. was
q portly man who only four years ago
was q fair example Of the country min
lister, the underpaid and hardworked
variety. He was the unhappy posses.
sor Of 4 farm on the ohie side Of the
river at sistersville that was chiefly re-
markable for its crop OF taxes. In the
spring OF '9l the oil boom was on in
earnest but this gentleman held on and
the results his present fortune which.
IL is whispered. 10 represented by these
figures-S200000.
"oil" is the one topic that receives
the attention OF passengers on boats
like the Lexington, that run through
! the oil territory. Such phrases az new
fields" "dry holes." "the Big 1njun,"
and Others, some Of them unintelligible
to the outsider, are heard on every sida
In this connection it is not amiss to call
attention to the crying need OF an up-to-
date dictionary otoil terms.
The question that is aeitating many
minds just now 10 the future OF the
Marshall county oil field. The farmers
who own tho land will be greatly disap-
pointed II tho field proves barron, and
the follows who have put up good
stuff" for leases will be disappointed to
a greater degree. However, 1t certainly
looks as though the new field will pan
ont. GuHy & Queen, who put down the
fret we'll at Sims run. across the river
from Clarington, maintain their silence
in regard to the result OF their drilling.
but it 10 said on pretty good authority
that they have three tanks filled with
oil and that they have applied to the
pipo line company to extend their line
10 Sims run. Those who arc uncertain
about the Marshall field say that when
over the pipe line people extend their
fine they will feel sure that the field Ia
fertile.
At Now Martinsville tho people have
tho craze, aud experimental wells are
being sunk with the hope thata prodrc-
tive field can be developed there. Tho
indications up TO date arc considered
tirst class, and should hopes be realized
tho wetzel county town will enter upon
u boom.
Itis at the oil metropolis. sistersville,
whero tho prosperity that follows in the
wake OF an oil boom is seen at its best.
Four yearA ago in May the first oil was
struck there, and zach year has seen
tho oil product and tho prosperity Of
| the community on tho increase, until
to-day tho Sistorsyille field leads all In
tho United States in production. For
four davs last summer the Manninaton
field led, but now SiSterayille is unques-
tiouably at tho head OF tho list.
Although a number OF new wells are
bong put down on tho West Virginia
sIdo above aud below and back Of the
town, tho lido OF development is to the
west in Monroe county, Ohio, where q
number OF rich strikes have been made
in the past year. A Sistersvilie man la
authority Tor the statOment that whil0
tho Ohio river was irozon over last
month moro "rigs" wont over to be put
up a icw miles back Of the rivcr than in
any previous two months. Tho limit OF
tho field at the. west has not yet been
struck, and the work Of development
will continue In that direction until 1t 10
reached.
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A t.nnJ Order