Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-06
INCIDENTS ANENT H INTRODUCE
TION OF KEROSENE OIL.

San Francisco Bulletin: When a youth,
like many others. L was always on the alert
for some enterprise that would better my
fortune. With this end in view. on a hot
day in August, 1856, being out of employ
ment, a new beat was chosen. This
was among the bankers and brokers of
Wall street and vicinity. Or entering
Beaver street, my attention was attracted
by a bright, newly painted store with an
attractive sign, kerosene Oil Company"
over the door. AS this bore all the evidence
of a new enterprise, it struck me I might
find an opening for the exercise of my
talents. With this end in view, / entered
and was accosted by a handsome. good
natured gentleman, who kindly asked,
What can l do for you, my lad?" In re-
ply l stated my object, that | was out or
employment, and that if the Kerosene Oil
mpa had a novelty that needed push
ing, | would like an opportunity to assist
L was thereupon invited into the private
office, where l was presented to the brother
OF my conductor, Austin by name. and TO
several members of the company, all of
whom approved of my proposition TO exhibit
the merits of the new oil at the New Ter
sey state fair, which was to be held at
Newark the following month. l went to
work at once making preparations, and
vas provided with a number of handsome
lamps, q series of long bottles to show the
oils, refined, crude, lubricating and naphtha
specimens of the coal from which the oil
was distilled. together with a big lump of
snoW-White parafine wax and some boxes
of paraiine candles. The factory for the
manufacture of the latter was located on
Staten Island, under the management of a
prepossessing ~Sentleman-no other than
the Italian patriot and soldier GaribaIdi.
The first display was SO successful that
| was Immediately dispatched to the NIichi-
gan and Ohio state fairs and the United
States fair at Louisville, Ky. In Detroit,
where the Michigan fair was held, a deep
interest was manifested in the new light
which was soon to create a revolution in
domestic illumination. General Williams.
at that time head of the Michigan Oil COM
pany, was the leading spirit who intro
duced kerosene in his native state. the
first of the Western States to give it any
encouragement. The next move was to the
Ohio fair, held at Cincinnati, where my ex-
hibitors in the department in which my
display was made formed themselves into
a committee and appealed to the board of
managers, who refused permission to ex-
hibit tn Kerosene oil, on the ground that
it was not suitable for general use and
could never become popular on account of
its Objectionable odor; consequently it
could not, they claimed, be received as an
article of merit.
Being thus deprived of an opportunitv
to enlighten the populace of Ohio, packed
up and started for the United States fair
at Louisville. Here / was we'll received
! until some of my competitors, who objected
to kerosene oil in Cincinnati, came upon
the field and sent in a remonstrance. Hon.
Marshall P. Wilder of Massachusetts,, who
was president, and Ben Perley Poore of
the same state, secretary, investigated
these complaints, and came to the con-
clusion that there might, after all. be a