Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-05-01
A FEW POINTS
Concerning the Webster Refining
Cpmpany's Big Plant.


Few people in Marietta realize what
has already been accomplished by
the Webster Oil Co., in this city, or
how far they will carry their plan of
refining petroleum and adapting 1t to
the many other uses possible.
On Virginia street, in the southwest
ern part of the city, a. twelve-acre
tract that year ago was corn and
wheat field, Is now the site OF mod
ern oil refinery, partially completed
and in running order.
Mr.. Webster came to Marietta last
fall and went about his work quietly.
He locked over the ground, immedl-
ately recognized Marietta't splendid
position as a shipping point, asked
and secured a permit to build, bought
the ground, scld few shares OF stock
and soon afterward the twelve-acre lot
was the scene Of activity. Carload af-
ter carload of material and machinery
from the dismantled refinery at Titus
VILE, Pa, arrived and large orders
for building material were placed with
home people.
The work was carried on through
out the winter by large force Of men,
under the direction of Mr.. Websater
himself. With the opening of spring
the refinery was in working order and
already hundreds OF barrels of the
refined products have been shipped.
Work is still going on and there will
be number of new buildings erected
beside those already completed.
Among the latter are the still house,
where the crude oil is run into large
tanks and by the application of heat
and the process of distillaticn 1t is
brought out in clarified form, the
boiler house, electric light plant and
laboratory and the pump house,
through which the oil is pumped from
cne part of the works to another.
These are all built of brick and are
reproof, as all the buildings will be
when completed.
A large building, 130 by 40 feet, is
now being built and will be used as
barrel rooms and storehouse, COM
pounding room fer the finer grades of
machine oils, and $25,000 plant for
making wax. This latter will be a
great addition to the works, as will al:
so be the filterlng plant for which
ground will be broken this week.
The brick work is all being dcne under
the supervision of Mr.. Isaac Hayden
and Mr., William Bruce has charge of
the carpenter work, and everything
has been done in first-class manner.
AS an independent refiner OF many
years experience, Mr.. Webster has
taken care to make himself secure so
far as obtaining crude oil is concern
ed. The organization of the Webster
Producing Company last week. with a
capital of $250,000 was a move to make
himself more secure in this particular
as the production from the property
owned by the latter company is quite
large and is entirely at the disposal of
the Webster Refining Company
In one particular Mr.. Webster is es-
pecially deserving of commentator.
and that is In the treatment of his men
restaurant and dining room where
the men can secure warm meals at a
reasonable rate; wash rooms and bath
rooms to encourage cleanliness; a
reading and lecture room, are all feat
ures that will add much to the comfort
and convenience of the men.
In business way the Webster re-
finery will be one Of Marietta's great
est institutions. Since work began last
winter over 100000 have been invest
ed there, and the payroll has averaged
seven hundred dollars per week. One
notable fact is that the company asked
no bonus from the city, but has built
its refinery here entirely upon Its own
capital.
AS soon as the refinery is completed
1t Is Mr.. Webster's intention to hold
an opening in order to give the people
OF Marietta an opportunity of visiting
one of the clty's biggest industrial
plants.
Hast For tha ItnxxaIa