The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-11-24

$3.50 49, "H"
man whose life has been largely spent
in the oil country. n. visit to the valley
4, Vsrou,h, ia. r,,ch ,tra = ,.,,i.
y. = t ~"
OF aSdeVout ohamneaah- 10 the shrine
of Mecca. For the history of the oil.
copntrv beplns here In tho va,lcv long
before Petroicu'i peeaiie u i%'erchuul'
able commodity, and the methods OF
tts prod,c,ion autejate the production
N ,,s,,,
VI " '''e''
Charleston, 10 tel Two stories at one
time, enjoys the comforts of natural
,,,s Tho nuid comes frnm rho o,d te-.
,y...n,.,
ritorS' onee iaiisouS "a sue hdh'wt''
Salines.' Here was located the celebra-
ted salt wells of the Kanawha valley,
i,,e,,, ,a,,,a, 60 ,roJ,,,o n, rrsrr-
'1s p.' ~ t
passtu quautS OF tanie sait' yer uestiH-
ed TO become more renowned m. history
because mere originated as well me
ueylces Whieh' nave since neent pefieGteu
anu, applied Wherever ~ ~eit IN urillea'
IN the PRODUCTION OF OIL.
sclore the uay OF the Write mar the
lndmns maue III at the saline springs
OF the nav valley. 30 long ago as
lHo General washington. VINO was
awarded some Il In the valley for
MS miiitary services. came over TO me
hanawha 10 locate ms awaras VI me
tract that ne tncn2 took up ne ueedea
TO the public forever an acre on which
was located a mysterious burning
spring. FROM the vicinity OF ms burr-
Inc spring comes the gas WHICH more
than u century lates mas been made 10
serve the people OF charleston Tor tuei.
after wasting trough an TINS time. AS
me White settlers penetrated me vaiIeS
they PAID small attention 10 Washlns-
IONS burning spring, except 10 look at
II Win curiosity. INK Tor seVehty-llVs
years IL was more OF a wonder tnah
almost any other tnlnS IN western NH-
gina. u IN the same territory on
which the mysterious spring burned
continuously We're the SAT- springs mat
apsolute need anu, later, the desire TOT
gain turned TO profit.
The salt springs are located a short
Instance above charleston, and were
SO attractive to wild game before they
were even worked by the whites that
hunters fre1uented the springs to Kill
the deer n other Wild creatures that
swarmed in the neighborhood. Daniel
Boone IA made 4 log cabin home not
far from the springs, and lived In the
region long enough to be elected to the
Virginia legislature In 1871 from the
newly formed nay county.
me name OF Runner is ono oil the
men, ~ tha Eo,ar.hn cSnn.r. T,oz11,.
he Ruffners are among the leading
spirits OF Charleston. 1t is one hum
GREG ana TWO years ago nat 1Ssepls
sniandiI s]nrinrs az so,t hsSond the
mountains, sold his possessions in the
Shenandoah valley and sec out for the
west to establish himself as n salt ma
ker on the kanawha. When he cached
the kaHawha, where he had already
bought the tract which included the
largest OF the springs. he was also ia
ken by the appearance OF the fertile
farm lands. so he invested in n large
tract Of land. and proceeded To farm.
allowing his salt project TO stand Tor
the time. Ruffner leased the right TO
make salt TO Elisha Brooks. and PRES
emily he died. He left his lands 20 his
sons, David and Joseph, who are the
men with whom this history deals.
Brooks made salt enough to prove
the excellence Of the stuff, taking bis
brine from the shallow quick sands 81
the springs. When Joseph and David
Ruffner came to the possession OF their
fathers lands they became persuaded
of the need Of a better way to get The
brine.
Cased with n Sycamur Tree.
r,oy ,,ys,tsd tho cos,,y which or.
- ,.o,.
cry wen afiiier mas useu SINCE 'heit
day. The first piece OF casing used
was n nor,,,n Of n hollow sycamore
:. u. mt,
tree ABOUT iouF ieee III uia'''c.si.
hollow timber was sunk in the quick
sand whance the brine was dipped. thC
idea being to force It to the bottom o.
the sand. and permit the brine 20 flow
I'm through IL free from the Impurities
OF the sand of the spring. The syca.
more casing partially served the pur-
nosc. hut not wholly, The evolution o!
No idea finally led to drilling a we'll a,
a short distance from the springs ir
hone of finding the brine in n place not
botbere by the uuicksand, But 1t was
found necessary to case again. St
thev made a small casing OF a piece oil
al rec through which n hole hal
baan bored os the nump log makers
bore n hole. with A long auger.
rho Rurrners had laid the foundation
ca. tha ~nnveIonmnnt az the modern cas-.
a., Rut ,hov found themselves con.
s,.ar.ed win another dilema. At Ink
hn,,n,n az the hnIos they made they en-.
coS,r Il red rNck through which thei,
tpnis.tbat wouId pcne;ra;e the cartl
would no, cut. So n cbIsel like drill
n.se DESIGNED md fixed TO the end OF 4
rnns sttocbcI tn n spring pole. The,
,,.sra nrorrassinr and with tina drill
~. nunchcd their salt well into thu
rsci, ND fomnd Inc Dure strong brIn,
~. sangbt Tbaiy cffnrts were 50 fnI
nv. rJod ,ho+ nnrs,etnrco was compell,
~ anI tbav huNt their boiling fur,
na.es
p,,, HOY had not reached the end o