The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-05-08
Petroleum, the Great Illumlnant.

The advanced political economist
and student of social economy has
selected among the exponents of the
civilization of mankind two salient
industries. The old assertion, that
the nation is the most civilized which
manufactures the most soap, is far
from being mere hint at the beauties
of cleanliness. The real meaning Of
the assertion is that in the manufac-
ture of soap there is involved an
enormous bulk of chemical processes.
.Sulphuric acid works produce the acid
with which salt is treated in the first
step of the soda ash process, and sui
phuric acid works present almost or
.auitessth greatest development OF
modern chemical industry.
The salt itself has to be produced
either from mines or from brine, while
the mining of sulphur and pyrites and
the production of nitric acid are in
yolved in. this first step of the soda
ash process. The next steps of the
process produce the carbonate, but
soap is as yet far of. In its product
ion are Joined the tallow manufacturer,
the producer Of the various vegetable
oils, the resin manufacturer, and the
lime burner. The country that man
ufactures the most soap is the one
that puts these and other chemical
and mining industries to the greatest
possible use.
Artificial light is another Of the
great developments of the day which
is accepted as an exponent Of the
progress of civilization. In olden
times, when it was said that manu-
script smelt of the midnight oil, it
indicated the fact that the chimneyless
lamps of 1900 years ago produced an
odor. The candles Of old times re-
quired snuffing every ten minutes to
dispose of the unconsumed carbona-
ceous residue of the wick. For thous-
ands of years nothing short Of torch
or bonfire was known that would
give a reasonably strong light. So
great were the difficulties Of producing
satisfactory illumination, that what
would seem to-day almost trivial in
yentions were really very great ones;
The Argand lamp, with the central
draught, and the self-snufing candle,
with wick plated and dipped in bora1
solution, really represent important
improvements,
Burning springs have long been
noted as one Of the curoisities of
nature. It is now more than thirty
years ago since the burning springs
received their logical development in
the establishing Of the great petroleum
industry, when the oil regions OF
Pennsylvania began to overflow with
mineral oil. The next Development
was the production Of natural gas, and
the latter for while figured as the
grandest pyrotechnic of nature. There
were not wanting prophets who said
that this astonishing manifestation of
the powers of nature would cease
sooner or later, and already the natural
gas supply Of the country is diminish
ing.
Within the last few weeks the price
of petroleum, the congener of natural
gas, has rapidly risen, which may be
taken as indicating a diminution of
the supply. Those who live in large
cities where the light of gas, itself
arecent invention, has been superseded
by the electric light; where the streets
lighted by the arc lamp are almost as
brilliant by night as by day, may feel
little concerned in the price of kerosene
oil but throughout the land, far and
wide, every farmhouse is lighted oy
kerosene. Many villages are entirely
dependent upon it for their light, and
any curtailment thereof is to be re-
garded as a retrograde step in the
march of civilization.
To the traveller abroad one Of the
most homelike sights are the great
piles of blue oil barrels, indicating
America IS supply of artificial light to
the world. On this same supply of
petroleum is based one of the greatest
business organizations Of the country,
one which has had the greatest in
Auence on the affairs of the land from
the business, social and even cduca-
tional standpoint. Should the supply
of oil from American territory cease,
the country would be most profoundly
affected from almost every standpoint.
It is to be hoped that, inspired by
the idea of giving a reasonable price
to their product, the well diggers will
sncceed in their quest for new oil rock