The Washington times., 1937-04-17
The Human Side of the News = = By Edwin c.. Hill

>pulled out OF the company puC
himself, Drake ran across Uncle
Billy Smith, who knew how to drill
for water. He had the luck to
strike oil-the first gusher-and
that was on August 81, 1859.
Since that memorable day 70
years ago, more than 13 billion
dollars has been invested in the
oil industry. More than 400 re.
fineries have been built, which
represent over IS per cent of the
worlds refining capacity. A ma
tional transportation system of
over 100000 miles Of gathering and
pipe lines has been built UP.
There are 100000 employees to
serve the industry founded by
Colonel Drake, Uncle Billy Smith
and his three children; half
million filling stations belonging
to 10000 companies supply Amer
ica's ~ million automobiles with
gasoline and oil. And, in con-
trast to Cray brakes Folly"
there are 100000 producing wells
located in "a States.
Following brakes strike, oil
came to Pennsylvania. Men dared
risk everything in wildcat ven
tures-Staked their lives and their
money on holes in ground guSh-
ing forth black gold. Pithole, Pa,
had 10000 souls in 1t in 1855; 10
years later two families remained.
Today nothing remains but the
grim skeleton Of the old Methodist
Church, falling quietly into ruins.
Another boom town was Petro-
leum Center, with a population
of 5000. Here John Wilkes Booth,
successful actor and unsuccessful
oil producer, drank, danced and,
in one famous dice game, won
1000 on a single throw. And the
wild frenzy of the wide-open oil
towns was duplicated on the oil
exchanges. From twenty dollars q
barrel, after the drilling Of the
Drake Well, over.production
brought the crude petroleum down
to ten cents a barrel within two
years. Fortunes were made and
lost in dramatic scenes, tense
with excitement, many too fan
taStic for belief.
JOHN d. ROCKEFELLER
And equalling the drama Of the
field was the drama Of transpor'
tation-getting the oil to market
The first wells were in the middle
of wilderneSSes. There were few
roads, but the barreled oil had to
be taken out. At one time there
was q wagon train of six thousand
wagons and two-horSe teams in
operation. Often teams foundered
and persisted in a sea Of mud.
From the wagons, the barrels
were transferred to bargeS, floated
down the Allegheny on artificial
floods, q hazardous, desperate job
Boats were easily wrecked, barrels
destroyed, lives sacrificed, a
months production lost in a few
moments.
But into the picture marched
John u. RocKe1eIIer, one OF the
greatest of all industrialists, to
master the oil business, organize
it, whip business sanity into it,
and change the world status Of the
United States. The first man to
recognize the advantages of large.
scale buying, to grasp the folly
of cut-throat competition, Rookie
teller, more than any single man,
changed oil production and mar
keting from a gamblers nightmare
into a great industry.
The whir Of a million wheels
the hum Of millions Of machines
the roar of millions Of factories
pay tribute to the mighty Signifi
canoe Of oil, made by nature
when the world was young, stored
through countless ages, to be re
leased in our times to make pos
; sible the amazing age of the ma
chine in which we live.
Copyright, 1897, by King Features
Syndicate. Inc.)