Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-30
THE ROAD TO-
MANDALAY|
BY
Frederic j.
Haskin

} ment, whatever precedent he may have
established for the guidance of those
who hold the petroleum business in
trust for the use Of mankind
But the British advance Hwept over
King Mindon's realm and put an end to
his power In his stead, so far as the
oil business was concerned there arose
and reigned a proper British joint stock
company, the Burma Oil company. That
concern left the Twin-sa in possession
Of their property, but bought and vended
the oil. Finally the experiment of drill
ing deep weels with shaft drills, in
the European fashion, was tried. The re-
suit was a practical failure. Then
American aid was sought, the cable drill
brought into use, the wells were driven
down to $500 and 1000 feet, the deep
springs in the rich sand were found, and,
just 20 years ago, the modern Burma
oil industry had it's birth.
The British still contros the field in a
financial way, although the lands and
wells are owned by natives OF the old
Yoya stock. or Chinese and native specu.
lators 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
HdlANc anu was dTICSlCQ Oh CnaEBG u
attempted murder. 1t was proposed to
try him summarily, before 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 re-
spectful, was REINFORCED by the quiet
whisper that a summary trial Of the
American on such serious charge would
result In a complete cessation OF the oilk
business in that particular field, for every
drill was being operated by an Ameri-
can. Whether such a threat was nee
essary or not, the man was taken to
Rangoon, tried by jury and acquitted
to dominate the financial end Of the Bur-
ma oil business. great war of COM
petition was launched against the Burma
company in India, and the American
company delivered some telling blows
The Burma company retaliated by going
into a territory therefore exclusively
belonging to the trade of the Standard
For several years the war went on at
ruinous rate. but two years ago the
American concern agreed to a compro-
mise. The Burma company now has its
natural sphere of inflence In the Indian
empire, and the Standard is bound not
to send any but the highest grades OF IL
Illuminating oil into Burma, and that must
come in tins, and not in bulk.
The Burmese oil has been Brought down
from Tenangyuang, which is the chisi
producing field, in tank floats and boats
But this of course, proved too expensive
and experiments have been made in pipe
lines, one to Rangoon having been finish
ed recently, which is nearly 800 miles
long. Too few pumping stations wers
provided at first and the line was not al
together satisfactory, but this defect win
be remedied in a short time.
The Burmese oil Is remarkable for the
great proportion Of paraffine wax which
it contains, and for its extraordinarily
low flashing point, which is under 40 de-
grees Fahrenheit. It is refined in the
country and the candles made from the
wax have an extensive sale throughout
the Orient and Australasia. Very little
Of the oil has been used for fuel, but with
increased production and a cheaper meth
ed Of bringing the oil to the seaboard
this feature is expected to take on grea
Importance within the next few years.
Side by side with the up-to-date methods
employed by the big company, the ancient
Burmese pit-wells are still operated by q
remnant Of the Yoya. But the geratef
part Of the native production, which IL
also taken by the Burma OIL company
is derived from the wells at Cheduba
The method of gathering oil in that sec.
ton is most primitive. The earth is spaded
to a depth of about two feet and rough
bank thrown up around a space about
20 yards square. The rains soon trans.
form this into a shallow pond, and the
oil well Is ready for business. Each morn
ing the owner goes out to his pond and
finds 1t covered with a thin scum CT thick,
rich oil. He skins it off with cocoanut
shell dipper tied to a bamboo rod, and
puts It into a refining pot. The pond
is constantly bubbling with escaping
gases and the daily crop of oil from a
new prospect is considerable. The close
OF the rainy season puts an end to the
harvest, as the pond soon dries up. In .
the dry season the Oil-farmer digs the soil
in the bottom Of the pond, and the deeper y
he can loosen it the greater will be the
harvest of oil when the rains come again