Year: 1865

There is an opportunity for some enter
prlsing individual to get up an oil company;
whose efforts, if properly directed, are al
most perfectly certain to result in success
We mean by this the organization of an
undertaking whose object shall be TO dig for
oil, instead of boring for it, as is now the
universal plan.


From what scientific observation has, thus
far, been able to learn with reference to the
deposits Of oil, it is concluded that they ex-
ist in generally isolated cavities. These
receptaces are formed by a geological up
heaval which has disturbed the normal
horizontal plan Of stratifcation, and by the
displacement Of the layers of rocks, has
created greater or less cavities, which may
or may not connect with each other, and in
which the oil gathers by filtration or some
other process. We know but little or moth.
ing positively with relation to the character
and our only knowledge is inferential, and
is adopted because, by it, more phenomena
connected with "a mining can be satisfac-
torily explained than by any other.


Admitting the truth of this theory of a
system of isolated cavities, aud we can readily
see that success in boring for oil is a matter
OF the yariest chance. If bore be com
menced directly over a cavity, oil will be
obtained. In practice there is nothing on
the surface to indicate the existence or non
existence Of oil beneath the bore may
reach cavity, or it may miss one by three
feet, in which case it might Just as well be
thousand miles away.


a heavy per centage of wells sunk result
in nothing Perhaps not more than one
well in fifty strikes oil and this fact of it.
self shows how much the whole operation is
governed by chances, and also that the
cavities containing oil are separate, and
present but few surfaces that can be reached
A cavity containing a million barrels may
be narrow, vertical, fssure- like opening in
the rocks; and it is equally possible that
hundred wells may be sunk all around it
without tapping it.


BY sinking shafts the process of mining
for oil would be taken from the domain Of
chance, and placed within that which gov
erns mining for lead or other metals. By
sinking shaft we should be able at any
stage OF the proceedings to put out lateral
tunnels in every direction and if there were
any cavities they would be certain to be dis
covered. In addition to the certainty Of
discovering oil in remunerative quantities,
great advantages would accrue to science
from the opportunity which shaft would
afford Of examining the character of the
rock formations. The shape and other
characteristics Of the oil cavities could be
tanned that would enable US to decide from
surface indications Of the absence or presence
OF AN opening below. In any case, vast
amount of light would be thrown upon q
! thousand things that are now hidden in i'm.
penetrable darkness.


! Thare are no insurmountable practicable
I difficulties In the way Of sinking shaft o


almost any size to any required depth. IL
west Virginia and Ohio, oil is frequently
found in paying quantities at depth much
! less than that Of the shafts originally sunk
by miners in the lead districts There a
shaft would be Of easy construction; and it
would be almost certain to be remunerative.
| In the Pennsylvania regions shaft would
be more expensive, as it would have TO be
put down much greater distance,


The present is perhaps bad time to in
augurate anything new in oil operations.
! But an undertaking of the kind we have
mentioned would be likely to be favorably
received BY capitalists, providing it were


presented by the right sort of men. 1t has
a common sense element that would strong
ly recommend it to the attention and invest


ments Of moneycd men. To secure the ne


ceasary capital for such thing, the public


would need no further assurance than that


they were committing their money to the


keeping of honest, energetic, capable men.


There must be revolution in our pro-


cess Of mining for oil, or the whole thing


will result in final failure and loss. 1t does


not pay to have to sink fifty wells to strike


oil or to have only about dozen companies


among two are three thousand paying dlvi-
dends. Ifthe amount of effort that is now
wasted in wells having their location GOV
erned only by chance We're concentrated, it
would, without additional cost, substitute
shafts for bores, and almost universal sue.
cess for almost universal failure. - -Lhicago
) lanes.