The age-herald., 1901-04-28

the former State is the business center. is increasing, with the fact now fully established that the resources of the dis trict are immense, and probably equal to any demand.
 In the beginning reports were put for ward, probably by interested parties, that the Beaumont oil was of an inferior quality and fit only for fuel. But there is every reason to believe that 1t is fit for any and all purposes for which pe- troleum is used, and that no misrepre- sentation can mar its value.
 That the development of this Southern oil field will bring to this city and sec ttion capital and business in great volume is certain. The contiguity of the oil district to several important ports on the gulf coast and the readiness with which the oil may be piped to any or all of them, are advantages possessed by no other oil region on the continent. The oil, whether crude or refined can be shipped from those ports in tank steam CTS at the lowest possible cost, while the oil of the Alleghany region of New York. Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio must be carried across two ranges of mountains before it can reach the At lantic coast This is an enormous ad- vantage possessed by the Southern field.
 One of the chances Is that this great Southern oil field may be sold out to the
  petition with the Allegheny district until the failure of the latter, or an increasing demand shall make the opening of the Southern oil region imperative. Accord ing to the reports made in the census of 1900 concerning the production of petrol- cum in the United States it is seen that the total amount of crude petroleum in 1899, according to the reports to the United States geological survey, was 57,- 070S5O barrels of 42 Winchester gallons of which 2,S01 999 barrels were exported The amount of crude oil reported as used by the refineries was 52,0l1 ,105 barrels, leaving 2,257 ,S46 barrels added to stocks of crude oil or lost by leakage, fire or other accident. The total quantity of refined products reported on the census sched- ules amounted to 42,2S4,664 barrels or 50 gallons each, which would be equivalent to 50,279,S61 barrels of 42 gallons each. The principal products obtained by the distillation of crude petroleum are ker- osene, benzine gasoline. naphtha, heavy or lubricating oils. residum, and. accord ing as the crude oil has a paraffin or an asphaltic base. paraffn or asphalt The qualities of crude petroleum and the quail ities or specific gravities of the refined oils distilled from 1t are almost infinite in their variety.
 The total amount of crude petroleum consumed by the refineries of the United States in 1899 was 52, oil. 005 barrels against 9O.662,62s barrels in 1889 and 17,417,455 bar rels in 1SS0 the amount used in 1899 being nearly three times that used in 1880 and 69.6 CT cent more than that used in 1889. In 1880 the value of the crude petroleum used was a little less than s1 per barrel: in 1889 it was worth $1 .46 per barrel and in 1899 1t was worth .55 per barrel. The total value of the crude oil consumed in 1899 was ss0,4 POT, as compared with $44,- S79,7s3 in 1889 and s16,340 40.5S1 in 1880.
 These figures, recently issued from the Census Bureau. show how great Is the volume of business growing out of the oil reduction of the United States, busi- oil production of the United States a busi- to increase and in which the southern oil will have great opportunity to compete.