The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-26

BE- liassett, an oil man who left the
West Virginia fields just one year ago
Yesterday to delvc FOR the greasy fluid In
far away sumatra. Is back to his start
Ing point, arriving In this city Friday
evening, and Is registered at the stamm,
where IN conversation with an 1ntelll-
geaeef reporter las night he gave forth
much Interesting information concern
Ing sunatra. Inability to stand the ell
mate forced his return.
Mr.; Hassett went 10 sumatra as an oil
prospeelor FOR the Moesl-Illcr Syndicate,
of Rotterdam. Holland. his selection be-
Ing the result OF his wide experience In
the oil business. This syndicate con-
trcls the oil production In Sumntra
Though the Standard Is beginning to seek
an entrance Into this marvellously rich
Held. Being under the dominion OF Ho!-
4 land, there Is some difficulty In getting
the necessary concessions from the gov,
etrnient by foreign companies TO go into
the business Some Idea OF the richness
tot the Sumalra field may be gained by
lMr. Hassett's statement that some OF the
wells there produce as high as 10000 and
~, 900 barrels daily, and oil can be gotten
q. o depth OF from 200 to 500 feet.
Sufilatra, said Mr.. Hassett, Is becoEl-
Ing q strong competitor with America
for the eastern trade, and its oil finds a
ready market In India and China. being
equally as good as that Of Pennsylvania
and West Virginia. It is produced with
modern appliances. and, reaps enormous
PROFITS for its owners. being close to the
eastern market, and on account OF labor
being 60 cheap. Mr.. Haesett and Mr..
n. c. Nixon, OF Pennsylvania, were the
only English speaking oil men on the
island, and they were assisted by 1875 ma
jtive.s. whose. wages averaged from 20 to
30 cents per day. "a
However. II is not in its oil features
only, that Sumatra Is novel to the Amer
lean. It iszan interesting study from
many points OF view, and Mr.. Hassett,
good observer that he Is. speaks enter
Atainingsly OF It's customs. climate and
people. His aversion is strongest to its.
climate. The equator passes through
sSumatra, and consequently there Is
hot time there always. The air is full of
poison. Vegetation growing rank and
dying quickly. Mr.. Hassett couldn't
even breathe the air with benefit or
pleasure, and to save his health he en-
barked for home, December 81.
4 Speaking OF the people, Mr.. Hassett
said that the male natives could have as
many, wives as they chose. yet he. never
noticed an immodest act by the natives
while there All wear the same kind OF
garment a strip Of cloth about three
yards long, fastened around the waist
son The men. and under the arm on the
women. They live almost solely on rice
and dried fish. There Is an abundance
of fish and fruit. but Messrs Hassett and
Nixon lived on canned goods.
The island Is but barely settled. and
tiiesAmericans never dared venture out
after dark from their abodes. for tigers
,pracei around the; derriclas too promis-
3ciiously for them. There are elephants
and monkeys TO burn there. but the:
monkeys try to keep away from the
tigers. Mr.. Hassett only saw two other
while men while there. one Dutch
speaking and the other English-speak-
Ing. !
II Is six years since oil was discovered
In Sumatra, Mr. Hassett said, but In
sfew5years more that country promises to
cut a large figure in the market Mr..
;Hassett was formerly foreman for Mall
Tory Bros, at St. Mary's, this state. He
leaves for Pittsburgh this morning.