The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-07
A SHAFT TO E L. DRAKE
Genius of the Pennsylvania Oil
Fields HOnOred by a Monument.

He sank the First We'll for Petro-
Ieum in the United States-The Man
Who Added Ten Billions to the
COuEtry's Wealth in Poverty.
TITUSVTLLE, Pa oct IA splendid
monument To- commemorate the genius OF
Edwin l.. Drake. the first man To drill
an oil wei in the United States. was Ua-
yelled here Saturday with much cers-
mony. The shaft cost $I1te1, and the
money for II was contributed by those
who have made great fortunes in the
Pennsylvania oil fields. It is estimated
that the discovery made by Colonel Drake
has added more than ten billions of dol
lars to the wealth of the countrv
From time immemorjal the Indians had
obtained surface oil from the valley of
oil Creek. near TitusviIe which 0ozed
out OF the ground and appeared on the
surface OF the water, and was then secur-
ed by soaking wooden blankets and
wTingiEg them out. II was sold at high
prices for medical purposes. and 70 this
day Is remedy for rheumatism and 9th
er diseases In 1857 r. L. Drake visited
Titusville and made an inspection Of the
ground and conceived the idea that as
the oil percolated through the crevices
and assures like water. the most prac-
tirable way To obtain il in larger Quanti-
ties was To- drill for IT, lie journeyed by
buggy to TareUtum, on the Allegheny
River, and 10 his agreeable surprise dis
covered that the salt wells in that local
ity yielded small quantities Of petroleum
Impressed with this idea he made TWO
contracts with practical salt well drill
ers to put down a well at TitusvTle for
petroleum oil. but in both cases they fail
ed 10 come 20 time on the hypothesis that
he was a visionary schemer. In the
spring Of 1859 ne finally made contract
with William Smith, a practical driller. TO
put down the first well. and drilling was
commenced. after innumerable difficulties,
MAY 20 1883. This Wen was located on the
east bank Of Oil Creek, one mile below
TitusviIle
After much delay and almost insur-
mountable difficulties it was completed
Saturday. August 20 1873. at a depth Of
S34 inches or a fraction over sixty-nine
feet from the surface. The well filed up
within a few feet Of the surface with pc
troleum oil. a pump and the necessary
adjUncts were procured and tankage pro-
vided. The well was pumped every day
except Sundays. yielding for almost a
year from twenty 10 thirty barrels Of oil.
In 1853 Colonel Drake sold his entire
property in the oil regions for about 500
00O and went into Wall Street speculation,
which speedily swamped him he TO
moved with his wife and family 10 Yer
mont, and thence 20 cottage on the
Highlands of NaTesink- Having had Sc
Ti0us attacks Of neuralgia Of his spine
and paralysis Of the lower limbs, he suf
fered for many years. his wife supplying
the wants OF the family by her needle
On a visit to New York 10 obtain q pO-
sitiOn for one Of his sons he was reCog-
nized by an old friend frOE. TitUSville,
who noticed his wretched APPEARANCE. do
mated him a dinner and so. and cheered
him with the promise Of getting further
help. I'm this way his distressed condition
become known in Titusville. whore a sub
scriptiOn was soon raised amounting 20
nearly s.. l01 by friends and oil producers.
with generosity for which they have
ever been famed.
This fund was committed 20 the care
Of Mrs. Drake. who frUgally boarded II
and yet continued to meet a part Of the
family expenses with the wages of her
needle. In 1913 the Pennsylvania Les isla-
ture passed "a law granting him "A pension
Of S15gGU year, which he enjoyed up 70
the time Of his death on November p.
lsSU
Colonel Drake was n poor boy and once
worked as a clerk in a New York dry
goods house. He could have been "A fabu-
i0usly rich man Il he had possessed the
mOncy-making quality IN his makeup,
but ne had little business talent His
wife was Laura Dow. Of an excellent New
Haven family. who was ever his devoted
counselor and guide