The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-16

(efituEieS DeIoIe the pdie ldces iahu- ed in America, the Indian tribes living about what is now known as Seneca Lake. in Central New York, were ob- tain:ng petroleum oil that floated upon the surface of the lake, particularly af- ter the waves ran high.
 Their modus-operandi was to spread blankets upon the oil where thev saw it f:catng and take up and wiring the blankets into their rude clay or stone utensils. when the water would settle to the bottom. leaving the oil easily dipped off.
 by the Senecas and other tribes, and upon the settling up of York state and Pennsylvania by the whites, and glass viais were obtainable, the Indians bot tied it and went peddling it to the whites for medicinal use, the usual price being 25 cents for a 2-ounce vial
 Strange to say never has been an oil we'll brought in within 80 to 90 miles o. Sereca Lake. The next strongest indi- cation of petroleum was upon the sur face of small lake in Crawford county in the northwestern part of PennsyI- Oil Lake, and, was the source of a creek which emptied into the Allegheny river at Moran's Eddy, known for the last 60 or more years as Oil City, Penn.
 FIRST AMERICAN OIL WELL
 The original oil well of America was st-- 1 rtxF banks near Burkesville Ky, flowing con- siderable oil for a long time, draining into the Cumberland river, where it oc- casionaIly was set on fire Want of a refining process with which to utilize the crude petroleum for illumination and lubr.cating purposes. prompted a pr, Brewer to set about in 1853 devising same, with fair success. This brought about in 1S5e the formation Of the Pennsyl- vania Rock Oil company to drill for oil. Their first well proved successful to the extent of 800 to 1000 gallons daily pro duction, but lack of bushes management and harmony rendered it unsuccessful and for five years there was nothing do- ing In 1859 Col. F.. l.. Drake leased from the company land and put down well that proved highly productive, ana may be said to be the starter of the OH m dustry and the first real 'ol boom
  reached such a stage as to show ex- ceeding 100 square miles of the Oil creek territory to se productive. then in Hol came a big imitation of the boom ana prospectors rushed in there from all over the United States to Cory. Pa, distant 40 to 60 miles from the developed terri- tory. while from Pittsburg in fair stage of water light draft steampoats piieo the 100 miles or so to Oil City
 Of the CIVIL W ar at this time and it's attendant excitement and enlisting of large numbers or men seemed to be hardly thought Of Tn the developed oil territory the great ques- tion being. "can we lease some good territory and start us well or two right away?' ,,,,
 Tn 1s6s-S4 railroad building to reach oil City became vigorous rom cory, a.' Meadville, Pa. and Pittsburg ana az complshed in the spring of 1865, except that the Atlantic and Great Western raii- road brought theirs in during 1884
 The first large well to be drilled in was upon the "Widow McClintock farm' sl' uated upon oil creek, about three ana one-half miles above it's mouth al oh City. This we'll flowed about 3Oo par rels per day. most of the oil being storeu in ground pits because or wan. 9s , a,. rels and transportation. but consioeraoie was boated down to Oil City in hastily and rudely constructed flat boats.
 shrewd western Pennsylvania cu- zen named Charles Persons leased srouno hack of the old time grist in oil CitV and erected some 10 or F wooden tanks along the brow of the hill when, noioins about 300 barrel seach, he filled "i,n oi' purchased at 25 cents per barrel, which about two years later he sold to Frew & Vandergrift of Pittsburg Tor S"'o per barrel.
 The next largest well to come III Was known as the Maple Shade, doing eoo to 1000 barrels per day for several lnohsns' tns but proving a lasting bumper anu ioi tune maker for it's owners.
 The next large wells were brought in upon Pithole creek in the summer or 1sss bringing big '.boom" to that ter ritory. but wells were drilled thick ana fast, resulting in the apparent almost extinction of the pool the oil came rom in the ensuing 20 to % months. and ieav- ing in it's trail many financially ruined men who thought themselves r1ch o' surely on the road to big riches
 Nvr DDrvNrrDu IMPEACHMENT