The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-12-01
Charles Grimes
Starting Something

thhfleA Grimes Nneu ne spoke bc-
fore the city club In Tulsa early In
November. made many statements
which related 10 the discovery Of oil
has hurt tho feelings OF the Keeper
OF records and seals, Edwin G.. Bell
of Titusvillc, who replies to Mr..
Grimes remark, and the Titusv,lle
Herald gives publicity as follows.
"E, @. Bell, custi liau " tho
Drake Memorial musoum, furnished
tho following from Colonel Dra-r =
own handwriting AS to his Views on
the discovery OF Oil
My inquiries led to Il discussion
upon the properties of the oil. or
whether II was an oil, and next. I
doubted It's coming from the ground
under tho creek. Or. r. Il. Brewe:
Immediately volunteered to pilot me
TO a point on the creek. where II
could be found without much
trouble, and Soon convinced mo that
II came from undcr tho water. a;
the same time he informed mo that
II was hia opinion that It came from
tho hills on each side Of the creek,
hut I'm this / did not agree with
him. learned that II had beea
gathered I'm small quantities by the
Inhabitants OF that Vicinity ever
since tho first settlement OF the
place, and, from appearances. the
Indians must have gathered II a
hundred years before that. The
method adopted tS the natives TO
obtain the oil was very simple.
They merely dug holes I'm the
ground, and when these places filled
with oil and water, they spread "A
piece Of flannel or woolen cloth up
on tho oil which riscs on tho water
and is taken up by tho cloth, which
is then removed and tho oil wrung
out. Within 10 minutes after my
arrival upon the ground with Doctor
Brewer I had mado up my mind
that it could he obtained in large
quantities by boring as for salt
water. | also determined that |
should be the one TO do IL. But |
found thai no ono with whom ]
converscd upon the subject agreed
with me, all maintaining that the
oil was drippings Of an extensive
coal land or bed. II 10. there would
he no use I'm boring as the oil was
near the surface. But 1 could not
understand why Il was under the
creek if lt-eame- from4he hills, -as
II is 40 much lighter than water
that II would be impossible for It 20
go down OF its own accord.
II Immediately returned 10 New
Haven, Conn, and commenced ne
Eotlatious at once with tho owners
OF the land for n lease, which was
obtained without much difficulty,
and tho following spring, with my
family, I moved 70 Titusville.'
The foregoing history OF how
Colonel Edwin l.. Drake became In
torestod IN the project OF drilling
the first well In the world for the
purpose OF obtaining crude petro'
lcum In quantity gives him the
honor OF founding the great oil in
dustry. There IL no getting by this
| fact. for IT, was he who first OBJ
| tanned the crude petroleum I'm
! quantity so that refnories could be
constructed 10 convert the COM
modify into cheap burning fluid
| That was tho first demand upon
I liquid petroleum. 10 was tho first
proof that sCepaFes came from a
sand rock buried in the bosom OF
/ the earth.
"Mr Grimes, It Is represented
/ has large library OF books, treat
| ing upon the subject OF oil, Care
/ ful reading Of such volumes ougnt
! To lead him 20 pronounce Colonel
Drake as drilling the first oil well
! I'm the world IL IL a fact that crude
petroleum did issue from seepage
| from the ground in several parts of
| the earth, and 10 was known for
ages. but it was Drake who first
opened the earth so that It could
be obtained In quantity"