The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-22

into the river, and back of Franklin arise extensive hills of considerable height.
 Upon the breaking out of the oil boom
 on oil creek in the early eos several
 wells were drilled along and part way
 up the hills, nearly all showing oil. but
 in very limited volumes as compared to
 the wells on the McCHntock, Steele, Tarr,
 Maple Shade and oAher farms on on creek.
 In those years and many previous years, sperm oil, lard oil and numerous
 fish oils had been the principal lubri- cants in use for machinery, etc. Upon the discovery that petroleum oil con- tained more or less lubricating matter,
 chemists began to ascertain economica! methods for it's recovery and utilization STANDARD GETS BUSY While this development of processes was going on two shrewd young citizens of Franklin, namely Charles Miller and Joseph Sibley, had some of the oil from those hill wells" tested, finding it to contain much larger percentages of lub- ricants than any of the Oil creek petrol cum. Naturally, Messrs Miller and Sibley got busy at obtaining control as far as reasonably possible of that "hilr terri tory.
 In due time they organized a corpora ton known as the "Galena Oil Com pany, Incorporated, for the purpose Of taking over their holdings and handling the refining and distributing of the re- fined products. By hard pushing and shrewd sales management the Galena Oil Company, Inc, acquired a large percent age of the railroad lubricating oil pur- chases, especially of high grade oil for locomotive fabrication. The Downer Oil works at Corry, Pa, in the start were their most formidable competitor, but as the Standard Oil company gained strength they became by far the most formidable of all their competitors.
 With all it's heavy shipments of oil. naturally enough it would be as shrewd business management and salesmanship said by the Standards s representatives to the railroad purchasing agents, If your road wants our freight to haul, they must give us fair show in your purchases Of i lubricating oils" Many railroads refused to do it, claiming that for the safety of their locomotives, etc, they could not afford to change lubricating oils. The Standard Oil company began mak- ing overtures to the Galena Oil company to consolidate with the Standard com. pany in the matter of distribution of lub- ricating oils but, it was long time be- tore the deal wac effected whereby the Standard Oil company became the own
 CTS of any considerable amount of Ga lena Oil company stock and Galena stock
 holders paid in stock of the Standard oil company. Immediately upon the comple tion of the deal an immense increase in
 the business of the Galena Oil company became apparent.
 The effect of the fierce competition of the Gulf, Texas and other independent refining companies has been showing up for the last three or four years upon the business and profits of the Galena
 Oil company, and some changes have occurred in both the policy and manage ment of the Galena company, with a view to the regaining of the declining trade and profits. General Miller and Ex-Con- gressman Sibley have not for several years given the business much of their personal attention, it is stated.
 In fact, Sibley has given it little at tention since his memorable campaign for re-nomination to Congress against Joseph Wheeler, millionaire lumberman of En-
 ieavor, Forest county, Pa, in which it was shown in congressional investiga- tion that Sibley had expended about s57,-
 G0 to secure his nomination in the pri- maries and only $50O0 per annum salary for the two years he would sit, caused a lively congressional investigation.
 Attempts to bring about attendance of Sibley at the investigation, brought cer- tifcates from Sibley's physicians to the effect that he was suffering from an- gina pertoris and physically unable to safely make the trip, resulting in the in- vestgation going on without his pres ence. Angina pertoris is generally con- sidered incuraple, put the marriage of Sibley in the last two or three years to buxom woman of about 3S years indi- Ncates that his cure was an texception to the general rule.
 The many millions of dollars profits made by the Galena Oil company, Inc, got it's start from the shallow oil field back of Franklin, and undoubtedly, it was the most profitable shallow oil field SO far developed
 Along in the latter cos there was de- veloped what was known as the Mecca oil field in Trumbull and Mahoning coun- ties, Ohio, the oil being. got from shallow wells or 40 to 200 feet depth, and carry ing high percentages of good lubricants, and located north and east of Youngs- handy to Cleveland and the Standard Oil company the latter naturally purchased most of the output which had nearly ceased within five years of it's develop ment upon considerably large scale i Development demonstrated that no large | pools of it existed and that it was not l a sand or rock oil, like other oils.
 In a later article will be taken up the ] matter of the present rapid decline in | the price of the fuel oils of southern | Texas, without there being any reduc- i tion in the price of Illuminating grades. | carrying good percentages of light mat l ter, also as to the oils of Kansas
 T