The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-13

col Drake in 1857 was a conductor on the
New York and New Haven Railroad lie
lad about 800 invested in the stock Of an oil
,mparv that had a lease Of some land near
Tiiusville on which there was an oil spring
and he was deputed by larger Stockholders
20 visit the proEerty ~ To ". time pt
springs and pits by skirnming and sold
mainly for liniment At IS and 50 cents a
iottle. IL was an Indian remedy and
known A. seneca oil.
A visit 90 the salt wells al Tarentum
suggested 20 him the idea that more on
could 10 obtained by drilling a well and he
carried OUT the prospect In the face OF
opposition and discouragement.
Col brakes right power was Uncle
Rnly smith. a salt well borer Of Tarentum.
and his three -talwa art sons, J. j. smith.
W n Smith and Samuel smith. Uncle
Rilv was n practical man and he MADE
the drilling tools az his shop at Tarentum.
Tho hill for the work was $3.50: smith
and his sons arrived on the ground on Ma
~. 1859 lie was To got $3.50 a day for his
services. One Of his boys was To receive
81 . a day and the other two 81 aday .
although work was begun on the well
~ Nav 70. il wa not until Aug. II that
led rock, "a feet 4 inches from the surfafe;
was reachsd Col. DR. AXE finally conceived
the idea Of driving an iron pipe TO BED,
rock. thus shutting on the water. clay and
Pl'cksand. The tools we're pigmies COM
pared with those In Use Ia the oil regions
'o-iav. and a strong man could walk OF
with them on his shoulder. The derrick
va " feet, high and boarded up all around
II stood iust below the Brewer. Watson
\ 60. saw mill. On one side OF II the creek
ran and 81 the other the mill rare ~ the
vel vas virtually az m Island.
Tn. drill began TO pound the rock on
Aug Is slabs we're used for fuel and
Progress was slow Col. Drake had no
idea a. 20 TIE depth at which oil might be
found Ne vas out % funds. Encouraged
and Rad IL not bcen for David Fletcher
merchant % ntu.ville. and Peter Wilson
another friend he had made In Ttusviiie'
u is doubtful II he would not have given
up IL despair. Fletcher and wilson ud.d
lin over 10y indursing his note Tor tSS'
which was secured from a N"advtlie hank
lrogfess vas mad n, the rate OF a tTine
more than two feet a day Many visitors
cans a. -. the work. but they treated the
lro)ec' largely ~ a joke. But Dtske
lad some faith Ia his heart and some bOr,
tpv'd money IN his pockets, n the uriI'
h"p' working it's Wal through The ruck
On Saturday afternoon. Aug. ~. 1859,
We drll, at a depth OF % feet, droppssu
~ inches into a crcvicc. DOWN IN 'he
'Ai-sel country crevict~ were common
,nough and nothing was thought OF "
but then IN. tools were withdrawn from
~ s-.i there n ss oil n tn. rope. Uncle
laar ugg,d III n piece VI til rpouung and
pS-f,i i, into the well. and In this way
lArd ou' several gallons Of petroleum
IN MundAv a pitcher pump was put On
and several haTTcln pumped out by hand
a MAJ Wa sent Ia Pt,sburg Tor COPPER
'lhts such a. was usei la salt wells, enu
H a '"~ DAYS the well Wa rugged up. lot
Iint.nE With al engine and pumTsd nieht
ana raN pruiucng more than twenty
"Arf's a day Tor two ~ three years.
lhr news 81 ~. -trke spread all over
I'd" cu-itTv and thousands of visitors
'~'a'.'r, fsf g. --~ the wonderful sight
'i"F ihrr fUr mil.s around wa- quickly
. Col AXE AJJ-sf~i 20 thhlh
'a d. "It hf he tuuutAin head u tnsh'
" go mote land Thrn ie thrr~
" # '.Iiuu- 10 not s~urng q patent
DIVE Iaf- id-a Col Rolrrt- man"
rs ,af q a d',1c- Zoe e,plplinc tor
boz eel s-lis. aud that d~v,c- ~As
"uv aii- than tho ore invented
600 lrats
'.rH fH- tHAse w~li came az u hruk~
" wsr' ua~k,' ard ~ toiunel "a
h r'sliss uAi auoihsf msfkct mus
s| 60 fhr I~r,stuct q he eel ""
sur 4 ihs 81 a. ifu-isuis and hsd
HfH-. 1Hs ffsf ~ e t~n galun'
"a" raN~I ~ 11tusRtlls NuN ~ isA
A. rAbu 81 - = gAilh Ntih 4
go "a t~fuIfusrt & iAmI~ ~ harn y o.
go knusn a. CAft-sn cal and go ~
|f William Nsrk~oxn A -~-z@
arrived b. 1tuFerls d. !
'@a a. u iNS SAAo.a TVteAka sl 80