Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-10-07
nurk.,,,,e. XIV, Oct. I'm the his

cAA VSAAA~ HNSp
tory Of the conversion OF natural
products Into commodities useful to
man nothing. seems stranger than
that petroleum. was known by %ancients
and known continuously for uncount-
ed centuries, yet did no become an
important commercial product till 80
years ago.
From the Latin words "petro." a
name "petroleum"-"rock oil" The
'.slime" spoken Of in the Old Tesla
ment in the construction of the Tower
Of Babel was partly ~evaporated petro-
leum. The Inhabitants of Nineveh
and Babylon used 1t as q binder for
brick as mortar ia used nowadays in
making walls. OIL springs on the is
land Of Znnte are mentioned by the
Greek historian Herod otus.
Egyptians used petroleum in en-
balmtns and imported 1t the VI
entity Of the Dead Sea centuries be-
fore the birth Of Christ. Lamps of
the Temple of Jupiter We're lighted
with oil from the springs of Agrigen-
tum. on the island Of Sicily.
Persians, Chinese, Japanese, used 1t
to q limited extent 5000 years ago.
The mound builders who preceded
the American Indians Of the period
OF Christopher Columbus, made some
use Of It. Yet when Q man drilling
for salt near Burlkesville in southern
| disappointed and alarmed, and did
not realize that he had tapped what
! was to become q natural resource en-
ormously valuable.
The story as told in Burkesville ia
that the salt we'll driller had been
several. times disappointed. Making
another attempt he remarked that he
would drill till he should strike salt
or strike hell"
When he struck oil and gusher
poured its contents into Cumberland
surface Of the stream with flame for
80 miles, he was sure that he had
made good his boast. According to
the. legends of the Cumberland he
started running from the scene and
perhaps still 10 going, as the Flying
Dutchman still is sailing his ship.
Nowadays every drug store sells
clear tasteless mineral oil" as med
icfns. When tho Burkesville well
stopped burning, or when means We're
found to stop 1t a company began bot
ting the crude oil and selling it al
tmedicine, while Seneca Oir' was be-
ing sold from the salt wells OF the
P1ttsburg region and. from a spring
ii which oil flowed near Cuba. New
York.
Beeswax, tallow, whale oil and lard
oil were the popular illuminants in
those days, and whales were becom-
ling scarce. Crude petroleum was un-
at. to burn indoors because of the
smoke and odor. The first patent for
refining 1t was not granted till 1850.
All the history of kerosene has been
written since then. Gasoline Is q la
ter product, ana more recent than
the first manufacture Of gasoline II
the use Of oil as a binder for roads.
q use somewhat similar to that made
OF It in Babylon.
OH and Coal Development.
OIL, wells have changed the aspects
OF life in the oil counties in Kentucky
much leSs than coal mines have
changed life in far larger scale than
OIL Development. The former villages
Cumberland and the kentucky have
been made SO important by coal that
various cities are in hot competition
for the busipSss that is to be done
In. them. Cincinnati, Louisville,
lKnoxyiNa. and Huntington send trav.
cling men INTO territory which hardly
was on the trade mar till coal made
~ rich. Oil 10 tapped. There 10 a
boom. The oirtowns: are crowded be-
y000 c2p3clIy ZOE b Tune. 0uI When
the last wildcat territory has been de-
vsloped and the oil Is flowing through
the pipelines. evidence Of the boom
consiftG 70 q considerable degree In
talkS Of sudden wealth which came
70 poor land hoidsrs WHO. "a many tn-
stances, left the m~0untatns to settlS
III the gluegraa where roads are good
and AUTOMOBILES may sbe used. II
- raid commonly III the Bluegrass
that mountain money has done more
than anything Aelse to advance the
counttos.
Many mountain farms. Witch ~
wsrdSd labor 20 siightly that no sem
ftiment for the ktprlo bound tbs own.
IL IL the~seil when III bnld out 10 al
al COMPANY pr topk His sone-sighth
F6yaltys ars aban66nSdgte ldi9 5groJEth.
tTh6lry Termed eSsnate No. ttvin9 Il
ttts sAc1onsok tie 1t4te. which James
lI4Np A1I6nh 49, esi1EfatSd III noySla