The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-30


AS, 91504 211,161-17 SAC, Vl6- q
415,221S IS 1876, 924.50 751, 146.3 So
4.2seaO1sO 1885 ss4.a 5,6O2, 1ss. Al
ervation in 1887 and 1888, with stocks
and productions as stated, what about
conditions now, with a daily produc-
ton of III, 900 barrels, and $500, 900
of Trans Mississippi stocks not in
cluded in the above 20, $50, 1853 bar
rels? Present trade conditions as
compared with those existing in 1887
sufficiently attest that the Standard
Oil company has not been negligent Of
market extensions nor parsimonious in
its dealings with the producers. 1t
has met every demand upon 1t at
home and maintained the commercial
supremacy of American oil abroad.
1t has secured and held markets for
a greatly enlarged production at sat
isfactory prices. Serious as the sta
tistical situation may seem at this
time. the industry has appeared TO
worse advantage in the past, notably
in 1887 when the trade was cast, as it
were, into the trough of despond" on
account of large stocks and a daily
production that would now seem
ridiculously small. The production
has increased some $50 per cent and
ratio. The Increase of Pennsylvania
oil amounts at this time to 20 per
cent-although the difference has
been much greater-the prevailing
higher than those of 1887. The
changed conditions of Lima oil prices
and production are even more Sensa-
tionak The increase in product1on
amounting to 400 per cent is met with
an increase of price exceeding $50 per
cent.
Kansas oil of the better grade then
unknown commands a higher price
Gus year Of 1887. Trade conditions
are quite as encouragtng now as they
were in 1887 with ample competition
at home and abroad to stimulate efrorc
and regulate prices
Oil Production in 1904.
Taking the pipe line runs as basis
for production. and making careful
estimates of the oil consumed by
smaller refineries, which does not ap-
pear in the pipe line reports, 1t is
of the yield of the PETROLEUM fields OF
the United States during 1904. The
total amount indicated is the greatest
recorded in the history of the oil in
dustry, and reveals the fact that the
oil famine, so long threatened and
prophesied, is farther off. than ever
before. Instead of the production be-
ing confined to a single state. as it was
for a great number of years, oil is
found in abundant quantity in at least
a dozen states and two territories, and
is known to exist in almost as many
more.
The shifting nature of the industry
Is strikingly shown in the fact that
during the past year over 80 per cent
Of the total production of the United |
States came from the territory west of
the Mississippi river, which. five years
ago, was not considered as a factor in I
he worlds supply of crude OIL Prior |
% the year 1900, more than 80 per |
cent of the reduction came from the |
states of New York, Pennsylvania, I
West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana. In
1898 these five states were credited /
with "a per cent of the total yield. In 1
the states beyond the Mississippi IS
per cent of the entire output. For
1904 the production of the western /
section amounted to over 8 per cent,
while the yield of the eastern oil fields
vas only Al per cent of the total. Cali
ornia, which was credited with 2,642-
)95 barrels production in 1899, yielded /
70, 10000 barrels in 1904; Texas,
which. in 1899, produced 669,013 bar
els, summed up nearly 10000, 900
barrels the past year, and between
1899 and 1904 the production of
louisiana increased from nothing at (
III to 100000 barrels. Kansas and
he two adjoining territories increased
heir production from 1,071.125 bar
els in 1903 to 100000 in 1904.
While the production from new and
previously unknown oil regions has
,een steadily increasing, that from the
riots has remained at very nearly the
anne figure for a numebr of years
'ast. The yield has been maintained
It great expense, requiring an increas-
ng number of new wells each year,
tut persistent working over of the old
districts, and occasional discovery of a
lew pool, has accomplished these sur
orising results
In the appended table, the produc-
ion of the oil producing states of the
asst is given for the past two years:
1904 1903.
New. York and Penna. Il, s99.o55 12,5iS, 1874
Vest virginia -......-- IL, Dos 1888 1856
southeastern Ohio ...... 5.712.O42 5,5S5, S5S
Aentucky and Tenn....- 1,015,O6S 554 2S6
Total $3.50. 81. 4s0.17O 31557, 673
The fields of southeastern Ohio.
kentucky and Tennessee made sub
tantial gains in 1904, while there was
considerable decline in the produc-
ion of the other sections. It will be
cen that the production of the past
wo years is almost identical. There
las also been a remarkable uniformity
n the production of what is known
$ Lima oil for the past two years
The figures are given in the following: |;
Northwestern Ohio. -13. S5O.50S A. 500, SIS
ndlana .-........--- 1315,O00 9,1S6, Al