Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-27
ROAD TO MANDALAY
VOL FIELDS OF BURMA
By Frederic j. Haskin

the deep springs in the rich sand were
found. and, lust twenty years ago, the
modern Burma oil industry had Its
birth.
The British still control the field in
financial way, although the lands and
wells are owned by natives of the old
Yoya stock, or Chinese and native
spectators who have acquired land on
chance. The actual work in the field Is
done by Americans. Not long ago an
American became involved in a quarrel
with a native and was arrested on
charge of attempted murder. 1t was
proposed to try him summarily, before
q local judge, without benefit OF counsel
and without a jury Petitions were
circulated praying the government to
have him tried in Rangoon before
Jury Of his peers. The petition, which
was formal and most respectful, was
reinforced by the quiet whisper that
summary trial of the American on such
a serious charge would result IN COM
plete cessation of the oil business IN
that particular field, for every drill
was being operated by an American
Whether such a threat was necessary
or not, the man was taken to Rangooh
tried by, jury and acquitted.
The great American company, tns
Standard, was not successful in It's ef.
the Burma oil business. A great wal
Of competition was launched against
the Burma company in India, and the
American company delivered some tell.
ing blows The Burma company retail
ated by going into territory theretotore
exclusively belonging to the TRACE OF
the Standard. For several years TINS
war went on at ruinous rate. but two
years ago the American concern agreed
10 a compromise. The Burma company
now has its natural sphere of influence
IN the Indian empire, and the Standard
is bound not to send any but the nlgn'
est grades of Illuminating oil into Bur,
ma, and that must come in tins and MOI
In bulk.
The BURMESE oil has been brought
down from Yenangyuang, whlcn is tns
chief producing field, in tank floats ana
boats But this, of course, proved tos
expensive, and experiments nave beer
made in pipe lines, one 10 Rangoo.
having been finished recently, Which II. =
2OO miles long. Too few pumping sta
tions were provided at first, and tht
line was not altogether satisfactory
but this defect will be remedled IN
short time. e..
The Burmese oil Is remarkable toi
the great proportion of parathne Wa'
which It contains and for its extra
under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. 1t is re-
fined In the country. and the candlei
made from the wax have an EXTENSIVE
sale throughout the Orient ana Austra
lasia Very little OF the oil has peer
used for fuel, but with increased pro
ductlon and cheaper method OF prIils
Ing the oil to the seaboard this featuri
is expected to take OH great Importance
! within the next few years.
Side by side with the up-to-dau
methods employed by the big company
the ancient Burmese pit-wells are SUI
operated by a remnant or the foya
But the greater part of the naive pro
duction, which is also taken by IN,
Burma OIL company, Is derived iroii
the wells at Cheduba. The eartn II
sraded to q depth of about two rec
and a rough bank thrown UP AROUND
space about twenty yards square. I'M
rains soon transform this into shaf
low pond, and the oil we'll is READY Iol
business. Each morning the ownei
Soes ont To his pond and finds 1t GOV.
cred with a thin scum of thick, rich OIL
| He skins It off with a cocoanut shel
dipper tied to a bamboo roo, ana pun
| It into a refining pot. The pond ls con
| stantiy bubbllng with escaping gases
and the daily crop of oil from new
prospect is considerable. The close o.
the rainy season puts an enu TO III.
harvest, as the pond soon dries up. II
the drv season the oil farmer digs thi
| soil in the bottom of the pond ana III
deener he can loosen 1t the greater VIII
be the harvest of oil when the ran
comes again.
| Aside from the native pits operated
bv the ancient monopoly, and the spring.
which really furnish small portloi
| of the annual production-there arr
| seven European companies engaged IL
| oil production in Burma, having com
| bined capital of about $2OOOO,OUU. In'
| annual production is now Valueo Az
! nearly $4,000, 900. Prospecting Is car.
! ried on all the time, and new wells ant
new fields are reported frequently.
The British government, however
was wise enough to avail itself of tht
! late King Mindons forehandedness
| and protesting sovereign power oVe'
| the whole business, regulates TO nice.
| tv the conduct OF the industry. IN au.
| dition to this regulation, ana pursuaIr
~ tf1a eycalIent Dlan of conservation d
resources adopted by the British gov.
| ernment in the Indian empire, apou'
one-third of the known producing OF
| territory has been reserved to the goV'
Tn the exchanges OF Rangoon ont
! hears much talk of oil, ana ne alss
hears it asserted as an indlsputapie Iac'
| that the oil business IS an inuuseIl
| which requires q monopoly for lts prop
or and economic development. The MIS-
torv IF the Burmese oil trust is curl.
! one nroof that, however wide the Bul!
! between east and west, there Is sooS
! deal of human nature scattered an
around the globe.
Tomorrow-The Straits settlements Il AA
! English Toll Gate.