The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1901-10-31
BIRTH OF THE OIL INDUSTRY
Difficulties and Delays which Desrt
colonel Drake. who sunk
the First Pipes.

The beginning of the oil industr
in the United States forms the sui
| ject of an article in Success. job
! McGraw, Jr., the author, who is
residen of Titusville, Pa, where tn
| first well was sunk by Col. Edwar
l.. Drake, tells its history. The fol
| lowing is a condensed version:
Edward l.. Drake was a man o
one idea, but he managed to use i
to such advantage that he added 80,
900, 100000 TO the industrial wealth
of the United States. He was tn,
man who drilled the first oil well il
Pennsylvania. The Standard Oil com
pany, in recognition of this service
TO mankind in general, and TO that
corporation in particular, has recent
" erected handsome tomb in
Woodlawn cemetery, in TitGsville, as
a final resting place for the remains
Of Col. Drake.
zone bright spring morning :"
year 1857, a tall, dark-bearded man,
wearing the uniform Of railway
conductor, appeared at the office of
Evcieth and Bissell. al New Haven,
and purchased 500 shares of stock
IN "A newly organized company hay
ing for its object the gathering and
sale Of oil in western Pennsylvania.
Along the banks Of OH creek. crude
petroleum had been found, and the
excitement was still high when the
New Haven capitalists organized
their company
"AIr. Drake believed that, if he
could pierce the rock stratum that
lay below the soil of the company's
land, oil would gush forth. He was
firmly convinced that a subtcrranean
lake Of oil existed beneath the rock
bed.
His conviction was based on
study. Geological formations had
ever proved fascinating TO him, and
he had spent much Of his spare time,
when farmers helper, in pursuing
Ibis line of inquiry. lie was lacking
IN scientific training only.
convincing the officers Of the new
iii company that there was Some
fhing' in his plan of boring for OIL
pc went to the district supplied with
1000 for experiments.
Gle ordered a steam engine. and
after much difficulty. secured the
services Of en- experienced salt
vel! driller The arrival Of he en-
zine was long delayed, and. after
Waiting for several weeks, the drillcr.
believing that the colonel was seer
- VISIONS. refused to have anything
% DO with the enterprise. Thus the
lmmCr wore away without any new
developments, The company lost
'aith in Drake and his idea, and re-
used 10 advance any more money.
"1itusyille people had begun to be-
ieyc that Drake was monomaniac.
He seemed 10 live on his one idea.
Early in the winter his money
gave out and credit was refused him |
1t the village shops. He faced abso-
ute poverty and barely supported |
ais family by doing odd jobs. He
dept strong heart, however. and |
MS faith in the final outcome Of his |
project remained mistaken.
EARLY in the spring OF 1850, he
uccceded in convincing two friends,
!. u. Fletcher and Peter Wilson, OF
ftusvillc, of the soundncss of his |
lea, and they provided him with |
capital to renew his cx-
''IIe secured the services Of Will
lam Smith and his two sons. Of
'arcntum, who were practical salt
veil drillers. They brought with
hem complete outfit Of tools
"Thc soil along the banks or Oil !
rcck was porous and watcr-soakcd.
nd, as fast as the hole was made. |
he soil crumblcd and the well tltrd |
With mud. No progress could he
made. Although work was ~ u
tandstll for number Of days. |
brakes ingenuity soon showed it. |
elf, and, after many costly expert |
nents. he finally hit upon n plan to
vcrcomc the difficulty. He secured |
pipes, six inches IN diam |
ter, and endcavorcd TO drive them |
nto the ground. The pipes, being |
90 light, were soon shattered by |
flows from battcriug-ram which |
re devised. There was another vcxa-
ious delay. and, finally, n thicker
,iping was secured in lengths Of ten
Get These were readily driven into
he soft earth, one pipe ON top Of
mother, until they came in contact
Crude petroleum was
worth five dollars gallon at that
time"