Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1926-12-16


with its insatiate demand for lubri-
,ants, while kerosene. though the best
lluminant ever known, was danger
BUS because poor refining left gasoline
hat was liable to explode. II is diff
suit nowadays, when the world is be-
ng combed for more petroleum to
make more gasoline. to realize that
gasoline was once q nuisance and a
menace. The internal combustion en-
CINE created the demand for gasoline,
now the primary product of petro-
cum. The demands of millions of mo-
tor cars increasing constantly, inven-
lion and chemistry were set at work
by the captains of the industry to
make the barrel of petroleum turn out
a larger and larger proportion OF gas
,line. This was done by the cracking
process, through which every year now
sees a larger proportion of crude oil
turned into gasoline.
High and Growing Demands
Today well-nigh 100000 barrels OF
petroleum are required every day to
satisfy the demand for motor cars,
tractors, trucks, buses, artificial gas
plants and the innumerable by-prod-
1cts. Invention is constantly finding
new uses, as enterprise just as con,
stantly finds new supplies Of petro-
ieum. The wonderful and rather mys-
terious fluid has revolutionized social
habits and industrial methods; yet It
Is only two-thirds Of century since
the industry had its feeble beginning
n the Pennsylvania oil country.
This year the country will use about
150,000,000 barrels of petroleum. The
country will use 700,000000 gallons Of
gasoline and will export 100000
more. The production, processing and
marketing of petroleum is probably
second only to agriculture among
American industries.
Roundly. 70 per cent of the worlds
petroleum industry is American. Ten
billions OF capital is invested In It.
half the valuation of the national rail-
road system. 1t employs just about
100000 people. The petroleum pipe
line system, gridironing good share
Of the country, aggregates about 3d.
300 miles. Petroleum revolutionized
naval warfare by bringing in the oil
burning ship: 1t is fast reyolutionizing
merchant marines in the same fash
ion Multiplication OF motor cars,
along with the special taxation OK
their gasoline, has made possible the
modern highway system
A TrGs Social Service
Perhaps the most nearly revolutions
airy result of brakes modernization of
the petroleum industry is to be found
in the change it has brought in the
life of rural America. 1t has carried
the city to the country. the country
to the city 1t has, by making posi-
Bile the cheap and quick transporta-
ton that everybody nowadays en-
joys, enabled country and city to
know and understand each other as
they never did before. 1t has brought
social and educational privileges to
country jewellers that a few decades
ago seemed absolutely denied to
them. On the one hand 1t has en-
abled the cities to spread out into sub
urban areas and the zone of country
estates; on the other, 1t has enabled
the people of the open country to have
neighbors, society, church and school
privileges, intimate acquaintance
1t is historic fact that the tenden-
cy toward division of interest and un-
derstanding between city and country
is the most serious internal menace to
the security of nations. to the integri-
ty Of society.
More than anything else, country
and city need to know and understand
each other and each others prob
lens. The easy transportation, the
ready opportunity for association and
acquaintance that have come with
the Age of Petroleum have made pos
sible. in this favored country at least
exactly this new intimacy and under
standing.