Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-08-24
THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS
Socially and Otherwise in the HuStling
Oil Metropolis.
What the People in Sistersville, the
Center of the Largest Oil Field in
the Country, Are Doing Every
Day-Notes and Personals.
Special to the Register.

Special to the Register.
Sistersville, August 24.-The indus
trial situation in this hustling oil town
is not quite so encouraging just now as
st has been for some time past, The re-
cent bad luck of the operators in the
new pools in the outlying districts OF the
field has effected the industries consid-
erably. The principal industries OF the
city are the planning mills and machine
shops. Both of these branches OF indus
try are, in a town like this, always eff
fected with either the good or bad luck
attending the developments. When
everything is booming, and operators
are busy developing their territory, the
machine shops are always busy. AT the
present time there are three or four ma
chine shops in the city, not including
the oil we'll supply houses which do
great deal of work, and they have all
been doing an immense amount OF work
for the last two months and. in fact, are
still having all the work their facilities
Wi, allow them to handle. They en-
ploy, perhaps, in the neighborhood Of 100
skilled machinistS, and quite number
of labOrers. These employees are kept
busy at all times turning out large
volume of work, and in many instances
they are compelled to work overtime.
S!stersville is and has been enjoying
very healthy building boom for the
last four months. and carpenters, brick
layers, stOnemaSons and other classes or
laborers have had no cause to complain
of having no work. Many new resi-
dences as well as business houses are in
the course of construction, and quite
number are contemplated. This keeps
the planning mills busy. and they. too,
have all the orders they can fl. There
has been more work done in the build
ing line this summer than at any time in
the history of the town, and consequent
" the mills and the lumber merchants
are taxed 70 their utmost capacity
Among the more substantial work done
in this line might be mentioned the re-
cent handsome brick annex to the Hote2
Wells. The business of this house be-
came so great that they could not ac-
cOmmcdate all wha applied for enter
tainment and Il was deemed necessary
to erect an addition. which adds much to
the appearance of the place.
Then, too, there is the residences
Of Messrs. George B. Slemaker George
w. Stocking, l.. A. Brenneman and
Mrs. George Graham. These parties
have all built or have In course of
erection beautiful homes which will
also add greatly to the appearance of
the town. The other two hotels of the
city have made extensive improve
ments receI ~, which were necessitat-
ed on account of the large volume of
business they were doing. Perhaps
the handsomest business block in the
city is the two story brick building
nearing completion, owned by Mrs. E.
Stewart, the milliner. 1t is situated
on the upper part of Wells street and
adds much TO the appearance of that
thoroughfare. The erection Of all
these buildings, as we'll as those of
minor Importance, has given work to
large number of workmen.
The future of the town just now
does not look quite as bright as the
residents would care to see it on ac-
count of the recent adverse develop
ments in the fields. but, with all that
the people are pleasant and cheerful,
and hope for the best.