RICH IN PETROLEUM. The Wells of Southern California Are Fair Producers. Onljr Drnnlmrk In ihr Speculative Fever Which They (»»«<■ una Which Impuverinhea Many hiuuil liivcHtum. [Special Los Angeles (Cal.) Letter.] IT WAS remarked recently that there is hardly a poor working woman in Los Angeles who has not lost more fir less money by in vesting in oil wells. While facts are exaggerated in this statement, it re mains true that the petroleum craze, in its seasons, more thoroughly than any other enterprise in southern California, drains the pockets of large numbers of citizens who can ill afford to lose their small sa\%igs. It is undoubtedly true that the poor people of this state are wretchedly, sordidly poor; and the remembrance of better days and a hope of adding to a depleted income causes many to listen with over-willing ears to smooth stories concerning the oily product. There are still unwary in dividuals who seem not to be con tent unless they are risking burning their fingers, but the petroleum in dustry is now reduced to a very safe working basis. A radical though gradual change has been taking place during the last six months in methods of conducting this business. Instead of the eagerness formerly displayed to secure the oil in tanks, care is now being directed toward arranging for better transportation to sucli market as existed and in creasing that market. For, although there was an increase of 50 per cent, in the oil product of California last year over that of 1900, the decline of 37.7 cents per barrel, resulted iji a loss «if about $2,960,000. This has caused a decline in the amount of development* being made. In May, there were 122 rigs and 533 Wvells drilling, while in June there were 113 rigs and 529 wells drilling. This is a greater reduction than at first , ' - OIL WELLS IN THE WATER AT SI'MMERLAND. CAL. appears, for of the 80 wells drilling in the Kern river field 50 were sus pended. leaving in operation. In the Me Kit t rick-Sunset fields, of the 167 drilling 118 were suspended. The same stale of affairs exists more or less in other portions of tlie plate. However, the increase, in June, to l,o::o barrels per day, from 625 in May, in the Carrcaga and Fullerton fields has kept up the gen eral average. There is talk of ex tending railroad lines in different di rections in order to tap the oil lands now nearly inaccessible to market. California is justified in being proud of her newly-acquired fuel wealth. Coal and wood have always been scarce and high and the dis covery of an abundant supply of petrc. 'in lias rendered the heating and c ' <* problem easy of solu tion. estimated that the yield in "s about 4,000,000 bar rels an din nearly twice that WHITE OIL GUSHER, NENVHALU amount. Twelve oil refineries in the state are using at a rate of over 1,500,000 barrels of petroleum per year, the total amount of distillates being over l'ti.OOO barrels, and the refining business is in its infancy. It has been practically proven that the supply is well-nigh inexhaustible, and manufacturers will no longer hesitate tom ike needed changes in their furnace*. I ntil comparatively recent time*, petroleum has been almost eg cliislvely used for illuminating pur poses, ami the public has been slow In learning its value as a lubricant and fuel. Oil at one dollar per bar rel is equivalent In cost to coal at $4 '.O per ton. Coal in < alifornla Ih worth from $7.50 per ton, up. A In tire quantity of the output is not susceptible to refining to an y pay In* extent, and this fact lias given a wide spread impression that it is all too heavy. This in a mistake as there nre all grades of oil in tha state. In fact, near Newliall, are the white wells where perfectly clear kerosene, ready for illuminating purposes, has been found. This ter ritory is, so far, supposed to be lim ited, being confined to a portion of I'lacerita canyon. The first well was drilled at a large expense owing to the quality of the rock formation, but after months of hard labor the operators were rewarded by a fine floor; in fact, for a short time, the well was a gusher, throwing a stream 100 feet into the air—a 400-barrel tank was filled in 24 hours. They tried boring deeper, but the pipe deflected and the flow was "smothered."' It is thought that the removal of the pipe and redrilling in a straight line will bring oil in paying quantities again. It filters through the rock in some way until it is distilled, and is w irth from four to five dollars per bar rel fin the field. The smell of na tural gas meets one at every turn in I'lacerita canyon, and in some por tions of the state there are paying, flowing gas wells. It is probable that the Los Angeles fields have pro duced more oil than others in the state, although the greater portion of the product has been of low grade, and most of the wells must be pumped at considerable expense. One skeptic who believed that there were no flowing wells in the city was invited to look at a gusher when the cap was removed, with the .result that a new SSO suit of clothing was ruined. In oil more than in any other industry fine must look for the unexpected to happen. Most of the wells produce in large quanti ties at first, but a woman who lives in the midst of some wells, near Westlake I'ark, stated recently that some of the wells at the rear of her residence formerly furnished fis bar rels daily each. Xow il is necessary to pump <55 wells to obtain that I amount of petroleum. In lsij3 a vvell costing $05,000 was drilled on Hoover street, but the busi ness was not pushed. [ The California product differs from that found in the east in that it oon« tains, as a rule, asphalt instead of paraffin. Since tlie earliest times the Indians used it for various purposes, ami the Catholic fathers employed asphalt in rooffiiig the missions. During the time of the early oil ex citement in Pennsylvania there was a great deal of wildcat speculation in thi> state, large sums of money being sunk. Oil is found in different strata representing different ages of the world. The productive strata are of sandstone or sand underlying bodies ol' shale. The most productive wells are about 1,000 feeit deep, or even deep er. Their "life" varies. At Summer land some run down only 125 feet. And this point is one of the most pictur esque of all the oil fields. The town is a settlement of spiritists and is sit uated on a narrow strip of land be tween the ocean and the mountains, the latter approaching very near the shore line at this place. Nearly the whole territory out into the sea is cov ered with wells. These ocean wells are most interesting to visitors. Some run to a depth of 350 feet, but 200 feet is a fair average. Wharves run out into the water and are surmounted by derricks. These wells pay pretty ell, for al though the quality is not especially good or the output great, the cost of drilling is small and a well may be pumped for ten dollars per month. It may be loaded directly into vessels from the wells or be shipped on the trains while run through this field. A bituminous belt extends along the en tire Pacific coast from some point in Mexico to Alaska. In transmitting solid asphaltum from the mountain mines of Santa Barbara to the coast refinery, naphtha is used as a solvent. After reaching its destination the naphtha is pumped back through the pipe to the mine and is ready for an other journey with another load of as phaltum. Oils in the state vary from eight to over 50 specific gravity. The cost of wells varies with depth and formation of the ground. The cheap est are at Summerland, where $;i00 will put down a well 1.10 feet deep and fur nish the equipment. There are wells costing; up tn $: 5,000. In I.us Angeles the cost varies from SSOO to (.1,000, the rise in iron work having increased the price, particularly of casing. Oil was first found in pa \ ingquantities In Ven tura countj. It has been produced and refined there for S3 year*. Oil bearing sand is found, alternating with shale. If the latter be soft there is little an noyance from water If hard shale, the water i« not easily shut off. A well in Tar creek is *r liliO feet deep. It at first produced 'iflit bnrrels per da/, now about Mi barrels lint the product of the white well* near New hull la most tuluuble of aII. KOWAItLi JULIAN. CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 1902. GRAND ARMY HONORS. Friends and Comrades of John Mo- Elroy Ilooiu lllni for Comman der In Chief. A circular has been issued by the de partment of the Potomac, Grand Army of the Republic, setting forth the claims of Senior Vice Commander-in- Chief John McKlroy for the office ol commander-in-chief, to be voted for at the national encampment in Washing ton, D. C., in October. It is believed that he has the lead in the race, be cause of being in line of promotion. The circular gives Comrade MeUlroy's record, anil the reasons for his elec tion as follows: "Comrade McKlroy's military rec ord, covering the period from Octo- COL. JOHN M'ELROY. (Candidate for Commander in Chief ol the Grand Army.) ber, 1862, to the close of the war, is above criticism. He enlisted at the age of 16 (having been born in 1846) in the MacClertiand Guards, which sub sequently became company L, Six teenth Illinois volunteer cavalry, and was consequently only l'J when dis charged. "When a prisoner of war at Ander sonville and other places, his excellent qualities as a soldier and comrade were fully tested. He refused re peated offers from the rebel au thorities of assignment to duty outside the stockade, preferring to decline all favors and remain with his fellow prisoners in distress. He was known to all as 'Little Illinois,* and was a member of the baud of Reg ulators, who arrested, tried and hanged six 'raiders,' July 11, 1861, and thus contributed to the restoration of law, order and security to life among the 25,000 prisoners then confined at Andersonvilie, many of whom were helpless and wholly at the mercy of the lawless. This incident shows his mettle as a boy, and was prophetic of the unswerving loyalty he lias shown lua comrades and the untiring efforts lie has made to advance their inter ests continuously since the war. "As a grand army man lie requires no introduction anywhere among his comrades. His membership in the or ganisation dates back to 1866, and he has been at all times during the in tervening 36 years the loyal and un failing friend of the order, never evad ing or shirking any duty or service within his ability to perform for the advancement of its interests or those of his comrades. "In 1.574 he became managing edit or of the Toledo Blade, Toledo, (1., a paper of wide influence and extensive circulation throughout the country, and immediately made it a strong ad vocate of veterans' rights, and in 1884 he accepted the managing editorship of the National Tribune, at Washing ton, D. C., which he yet retains; thus making a period of 28 years during which he has had editorial control of papers of national reputation and in fluence." VEST NOT DISABLED. Humor Thnt MlMiourl'n I'mnuna Sen ator Is tjioliiK Hllnd Is Einphnti eally Denied. United States Senator George Gra ham Vest, who was falsely reported as going blind, is now 7:i years old, but of as keen sight aud clear an eye aa GEOHGE GHAIIAM VEST. (Senior United States Senator from tha .Slate o( Missouri.) any man of his age in the country. The senator is now serv ing his fourt b term iir the representative of Missouri in t ha nut ionul legislal tire lie has been in pub lie life since I siill, in which \ ear lie first took his seat as a member of the Mis souri legislature. lie was born at Frankfort, Ivy., and was graduated ■ front Center college in IH4*. He re tnoved to Missouri in I Uliil set tied at Sweet Springs, w here he si ill liven. I'lin t«i |iaM ne from IMnea |»|»le«. A Detroit chemist has found a pro ce«.- for making it iliainpagu* like wig* from pineupple juice. AMERICAN-BUILT SHIPS. Tl»« Number Constructed Greater I»ur- I lilt Lout I ear, but tiie Ton untie 1* Lrmi, During the fiscal year ended June j 30, 1902, the bureau of navigation re- | ports that 1,657 vessels of 473,081 j gross tons were built in the United j States, against 1,070 vessels of 498,616 tons for the previous fiscal year. The decrease in tonnage is in sailing ves sels, canal-boats and barges. New steel steamers aggregate 275,479 tons, compared with 235,265 tons last year, j Included in the total new tonnage are 94 vessels, each of over 1,000 tons, i aggregating 315,062 tons, or two- j tliirds of the output. Of this large j construction 41 steel steamers of 158,- 631 tons were built on the great lakes. The output of steel steamers on the seaboard litis been much below the indications of last July. The launch ing of nearly every large steamer has been delayed from three to eight months and some are still on the ways. The delays have been partly due to the steel strike last summer, to the great demand for structural steel and to low oeean freights and the lack of new shipping orders, which has left builders and owners without motive for haste. Last July 255,000 tons of ocean steel steamers were under construction or under contract, while tit present only 160,000 tons are under construction and no large seaboard contracts are reported. HER VIEW OF WESTERNERS. &K»iitftter Thought Tliey Were Too Forwurd, Hut the- Men Didn't llother Her Much, "I think that the people of the west are exceedingly interesting, but I do not like their ways," said t£,e spinster landlady, as she began her nightly attack with the carv ing knife on a leg of cold mutton, relates the New York Tribune. "What don't you like about them?" asked her nephew, who sat next to her and often I embarrassed the boarders by saying there was too much water in the soup. "Why, 1 think they are too forward," said the woman with the knife, as«he peeled oft a thin slice for a hard working politician and officeholder, who often entertained the rest of the boarders by telling them of his campaign experiences. | "Have you met many westerners?" asked I the politician, as lie saw his almost empty plate set before him. "Yes," was the prompt reply. "I was out | in California and the people out there en | tertained me almost t<> death. The women \ 1 met at noon acted as if they had known j ne their whole lives by two o'clock. I'hey i were altogether too forward. I didn't like jit." "But the men didn't bother you, auuty, did they?" piped up the nephew. DRIVEN TO DESPERATION. Sea.*leU Maiden (ilii'n l't» Every thing, Including Iter Love for Her I.over. The maiden was suffering with seasick ness. In fact, she was, "at the time when tiie incidents of this story open," a veritable mal de mermaid. Her lover, whose heart ached at tier most unromantic gaspingsover the rail and her agitated and strenuous | effort to tamp tiie hole in the bottom of the j tea, approached her tenderly,, relates the I Los Angeles Herald. "It is too bad," he said, idiotically. "Is- is it?" she asked, satirically, as she again made Pelee-oid demonstrations. "Too bad you had to give up." he contin [ ued, with tiie same beautiful intelligence that characterizes all persons who try to render first aid to the seasick. "Yes," she said, with exasperated savage ; ness, as she wiped the tears from her red ! dening lids. "I have given up everything j but my love for you; and now"—she made a j Ud reach for the rail once more, and, after a few moments, she completed her sentence —"there, that's gone, too." But they made up again when she was j better. Hoot, Mon! and lie Whf. By its persistency of face repose, the | owl gets a great reputation for wisdom, j But whoever heard of an owl doing a wise ! thing? Moral: If the conversation is too j deep for you. look owlish and hoot oeea j atonal iy. Washington Post. Not <>«illty. Judge— l can sec dissipation written on I your lace. i > Kemus (frightened) Yo'kin.sah? Well, j 'deed Ah didn't write it, 'cause 1 can't spell ! sech a long word.-Chicago Daily News. Wliy Not the Generals* He—A scientist claims that war is neces | isry to keep the people thinned down. She—Why is it. then, that we have so many fat generals?—Yonkers Statesman. Something Needed. Editor—-There is something lacking about the feet of this poem. Poet (absently)- Perhaps it's shoes, sir. ; —Oaiu State Journal. THE MARKETS. New York, Augusts, 1901 Flour Minnesota patent $3.50(<i3.95. Wheat No. 2 rod 73% c. ( urn No. 2 at 64c. Oats- No. 2 white 70c. Beeves (icnernlly steady. Sheep—Steady. •Hogs Nominally lower. Cleveland, \ll <jf. 9. I'lour—Winter wheat patents s4.3o(ii 1.15, Wheat No. 2 red 69'/.,c. Corn—No. 2 yellow 67c. (lats No. 2 white 40</ 3 c. Ila,\ No. 1 timothy sl4.ooftt 14.30. Kggs Strictly fresh 1 x(a I s Vg l '. Cheese York state 11(Vi12c. Butter Best creamery 21(ii21 '|,e. Potatoes New 60(ti65c. Cattle Best steers s6.Ho(ii 6.25, best cows $ I.unfit 4.50. Sheep -Best s4.ollfu 4.50, lambs $5.00 4t"'."'o. Hogs Yorkers $7.0i1. Chicago, Aug. 9. Wheat August 6S'/ic. ( orn \ iingnst .Vie. Oats \ugust 26% e. Pork August sto.:is. Toledo, \ug. 9. -Wheat —Cash (i'je. Corn Cash 02i/ a c. Oat- Cash 2 sc. ( loverseed October $5.25. Last Liberty, \ug. 9. Cattle |)x tiu s7.so<i» 7.75. Hogs orkcrs $7.7.". Sheep .prime wethers s4.lsfu 4.25, 1: tubs (.i.Otlfri 5.73. Hast ButTulo, N. Y., Aug. 9. Cuttle —Steers $7.75(0 K. 25. Hogs Yorkers s7.7it(ii 7.75. sheep I.limbs »5.75'0 0.00, sheep I l .25(ii 1.50. CONVENIENCE FOR TH A VEI.ERB. It Is Found In the I n IcrrhanKcii bl« MllrnKr Ticket, The interchangeable mileage ticket is sued by the New York Central in good over more than 6,000 unlet of railway east of Buffalo, including the New York Central & Hudson River and branches; Rome, Water town & Ogdensburg and branches; Carthage & Adirondack; Mohawk & Malone; St. Lawrence & Adirondack; New York & Putnam; New York & Harlem: Pennsyl vania Division of the New Yoi"k Central; West Shore Railroad, including its Chenan fo and \Vallkill Valley branches; and the lost on & Albany Railroad Over all of the above roads the tickets are good in the hands of the bearer for one per son or a dozen, and good until used, thero being no limit to the ticket. They are also accepted for passage, subject to the local rules and regulations, on the following lines: Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railway; Central Railroad of Pennsylvania; Pitts burg, Johnstown, Ebensbarg & Eastern Railroad; Philadelphia A Reading Railway, and Atlantic City Railroad. These tickets are sold at the fljjt rate of two cents jier mile, and that they are a great, convenience to the public is proven by the fact that thousands of them are in the hands of not only regular travelers, but of many families that travel only occasion ally, as they are always ready for use and enable their holders to travel on all the New York Centra! lines east of Buffalo at two cents per mile without waiting for re bates or proof of ownership.—From the Albany Argus. True, Too True. "I was to come on the stage stealthily and say 'Hist!' " explained the fledgling actor. "And—" "And I said it —and I was."he mourn fully concluded.—Stray Stories. Courtesy Rfwnrdcd. Not many months ago SI,OOO was willed to a conductor of The Chicago & Alton Kail way for being attentive and courteous. A somewhat similar circumstance has reoc curred. Mr. 11. J. Titus, a steward on one of the "Alton's" dinirig-cars ( recently had for a guest a gentleman to whom he uncon sciously gave such polite attention as to at tract his patron ~ notice. Upon arrival of the train in Chicago, this passenger, who was a high official of the Mobile & Ohio Railway, repaired to the general offices of The Chicago & Alton Railway, and being issured of Mr. Titus's ability, promptly ap pointed the latter Superintendent Commis sary of the Mobile & Ohio Railway. Mr. Titus assumes his new duties August loth, with headquarters in Jackson, Tenn. He will be the youngest railway superintendent of dining-cars in the United States, his age being but twenty-four. Eltmw I'oweT. "I tell you," said the doctor, "it's the man who can push himself along that suc ceeds best in this world." "Not at all," replied the professor. "It's the man who can shove others out of his way that succeeds best."—St. Louis Re public. Knight* Vy tliin.s lliemilal Meeting;. For this gathering in San Francisco in August next excursion tickets will be sold via the Chicago, Milwaukee A St. Paul Ky. from Chicago to San Francisco or Los An geles for $..0 for the round trip witii final return limit September 30. The "Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul" railway is tiie Short Line between Chicago and Omaha. Two through trains daily in each direction with the best Sleeping Car and Dining Car Service, and all regular travelers know and appreciate the merits of the Chicago, Milwuakee & St. Paul Rail way's Short Line between the East and the West. Time tables, maps and information fur nished on application to F. A. Miller, Gen eral Passenger Agent, Chicago. Arboriculture In Xebrnskn. A Beatrice man who tried to plant a tree on Arbor day complains that the wind blew away the tree and then the hole that he was going to plant it in. He only saved himself From a similar fate by sticking his Spade into the ground and hanging onto it. — Ne braska Journal. "Jivyt iim liiioil"—Nrvcr. When you ask for a well known meritor ious medicine like Cascarets, see that you get it. If something else is offered "just as good," it is done to sneak a few cents extra profit. CASCARETS have a larger sale than any medicine of the kind in the world. Over ten million boxes last year. The gen uine tablets- are stamped "C.C.C." and are never sold in bulk or jars. You can buy them at any drug store at 10c, 25c, and 50c per box. Customer—"When was this chicken killed .' Waiter —"We don't furnish dates with chickens, sir. Only bread and butter." —Baltimore World. Xot Dependent on ft Single Trnln. The New ork Central Lines have whole flying batteries of trains connecting the centers of population and the gateways of commerce. A statistician has figured out to his own satisfaction that it is 3,333,333 times easier to indorse a neighbor's note than it is to pay it. —Chicago Daily News. E Y E The Sanative, Antisep tic, Cleansing;, Purifying, Beautifying Properties of CUTICURA SOAP render it of Priceless Value to Women. t VMlicit tlmt every »<niiun KIh.hUI know U told in TBO I'lrriilur w rttfyvU ul>uut the Kiur, $3 &$3a52 SHOES K? W. L. Douglas shoes are worn by more men in all stations of life tlian any other make, because they are the only shoes that in every way equal those costing Sii.oo and s<>.<X). W. IL. DOUGLAS S4 SHOES CANNOT BE EXCELLED. $1,103.82015*°0".DtV 52.340,000 Best imoor'e(J ani American Icrttcrs. IJi'y! a Patent Calf. E'.cimel, B"x Calf, Calf. VUlKid. Corona Colt, Nat. Kangaroo. Fa*t C'olor Eyelets liwil. Ca.liinn ! The genuine hfive W. 1.. DOUGLAS' 1 nam ,, n nl | price I'MraK'i on bottom. Shoeß by mnil, 2fic. extrii. Jfhtn. (\ilalvg jrtc» W. L. DOUGLAS, BROCKTON, MASS. A New Train TO St. Louis, Has been inaugurated by the "Big Four" Which will be known as the "Expositrflp. 55 Look at the SCHHDULti. Lv. Cleveland.. - 5.00 F. M- Lv. Shelby 6-35 " L.v. Crestline t.50 Lv. Gallon 7.00 Lv. Marion 7 27 Lv. Bellefor.tair.e 8 25 Lv. Sidney 8 54 Lv. Union City 9 45 Lv. Muncie 10.28 *Lv. Anderson 10.55 Ar. Indianapolis 11.45 , Ar. St. Louis 7.30 A. M. Making nil connection* fur the West and Southwest I For further Information and particulars call on | Awnts "ltig Four Route," or uddrestt tbo undcr -1 signed. W\RRIN J. LYNCH, W. P. DFPLF, Gun'l I'ass. \ Tkt. A#t. Asst. <J, I\ &T, A. - Cincinnati, o. H 111 save you many dollars' ■ B It contains over 1,000 pages quoting whnle- PS sale prices on 70.000 different articles—l7.ooo U Illustrations aro used to help you under- KM H stand what the goods look lilce. Send 15 B M cents for catalogue and loarn bow to rnuko H ■ four dollars do tbo work of live. I 5 CHICAGO ! ■ The house that tells the truth. a I IhAZARD Haiard Smokeless gives the greatest velocity. This ex plains why. when using it. you do not have unaccountable misses In firing at birds on GUN POWDER fill ffagfe ANAKESIS SIS' & tfLM HJ& H m li.-f and I*ONiTIVI> pa % IjV CIIKKN PILKM. I I IBS lad »AM r AßKi^"Trl™ I wmt -mr UUB buildiuii, Mow Yurlu 7
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers