TERMS of publication. f! • jiepokteb is published every Thursday Morn i <) Goodrich, at #2 per aunuui, in ad ■ ins.'- " are inserted at ten cents I ;ine tor first insertion, and hve cents per line I subsequent insertions. A liberal discount is to persons advertising by the quarter, half ror year. Special notices charged one-half , ri i than regular advertisements. All resolutions \ssocifttions ; communications of limited or iu i vnhial interest, and notices of Marriages and I ji.-itlw exceeding five lines, are charged ten cents 1 Year. 6 mo. 3 mo. One Column 450 $35 S2O '• 30 25 15 , t n e Square, 10 7 j 5 v lniiuistrator's and Executors Notices. $2 (X) Auditor's Notices 2 50 Ku>iuess Cards, five lines, (per year) 5 00 Merchants and others, advertising their business, | H , i tie charged sls. They will be entitled to j 1 , ,i nm n. confined exclusively to their business, with I privilege of change. 'jtr Advertising in all cases exclusive of sub- I ~-ription to the paper. ,rOH PRINTING of every kind in Plain andFun -1 v colors, done with neatness and dispatch. Hand- J puis. Blanks, Cards, Pamphlets, Ac., of every va- I ,-ietv and style, printed at the shortest notice. The I Reporter Office has just been re-fitted with Power I passes, anil every thing in the Printing line can I i executed in the most artistic manner and at the j; -est rates. TERMS INVARIABLY CASH. Complimentary Supper to Judge Mercur. | Hon. I T . Mercur, Dear Sir: —We, theundersign | ,1 members of the Bar and Officers of the Court ■ i Bradford county, in contemplation of your re- I tiring from the Bench, as a testimonial of our I high regard and esteem for you as a Judge and a ■ man inv ite you to partake of a Supper with us. II ,t such time and place as you may suggest : I J I ADAMS. S. R. PAYNE, I K 1.1 IAN AN SMITH. JOHN N. CALIFF. i l>. MORROW. .T. DEWITT, D. MONTANYE, HENRY PEET, I P. DA VIES. DELOS ROCKWELL. I II B. M. KEAN. J. P. VAN FLEET, p O.GOODRICH, JNO. D. MONTANYE. MIES WOOD. W. A. PECK, \ C. ELSBREE. IV. PATTON. JOHN W. MIX, D. WILMOT. March 6. 1865. Towanda, March 8, 1865. 1. ('. Adams. Ei.hanan Smith, P. D. Morrow, and others, ,',>t/eine>i: — Yours, from the members of the Bar a I d'ti -ers of the Court, inviting me to partake of Sapper is received. s I'iig indentified with the Bar of this County, u l h.-viug ever sustained the most kind and inti mai< relations towards all its members, theexpres m, 10 >f kindness and confidence therein expressed, an highly valued, and will be long remembered. Mi -nr years upon the Bench, have been to lue, vi-i-v pleasant, and I trust, notnninstructive. lam t :ie 1 to know that my duties have been so dis ,!. . Ja- to meet the approval of the members of ■ B irand officers of the Court. VI - pting therefore, and reciprocating, your ex j i sM.ius of kindness anil confidence, in the frater nal spirit in which they are offered, I will name satui iav evening, the 11th inst., at the Ward House. ' I remain, yours truly, Ulysses Mercur. la .iv.-i dance with the above correspondence tin- members of the Bar and officers of the Court, with other prominent citizens, met Judge Mercur at tiie Ward House, at the time designated in his 1 ttei of acceptance. Whereupon Gen. W. Patton, being tin- oldest member of the Bar present, offici ated a-- Chairman and presided at the table ; which was well supplied with the luxuries of the season. Aft- t enjoying the supper, the Chairman, Gen. P., proposed the following toast, which was drank with apj i iiise : Our distinguished guest, Judge Mercur, may ln> mora! life in the future, be as pure as it has iifen in the past." J. C. Adams, Esq., being called upon for a speech, ■/i:itl*inen of Hie Bur ami officers of the (hurt:— l j as. ss little aptitude for after-supper speeches, and seldom make them, but on this occasion I will cL '.tally and briefly respond to your call. I sup- Ise all present understand that this entertainment • sivu as a tribute of respect to Judge Mercur. — s a Judge, while upon the Bench, he has been nifbruily gentlemanly, kind and courteous to every :eiul-r of the Bar, from the oldest to the y'oung st 1 ought perhaps to make one exception how v< i. ior he did sometimes scold a little for being isy. which, considering what a quiet set we in- s i-med, to say the least, rather absurd. But t scolded us very politely, for when I was satisfied was hitting us, I always observed he looked ■wards some o her part of the Court-room. Kjl think you will all agree with me in saving he > charged his duties with the utmost fairness, _Mi;. lor and impartiality. In addition to this he I'Nsi ssed the rare faculty of charging juries so inly and clearly as to lie fully understood l>v rors of the dullest comprehension, and .beyond ty Judge I ever knew, he satisfied the Counsel on 'th sides of the cause, as to its fairness and cor -1 regret — sincerely regret his retirement from the e; h. but I greet with pleasure his return to the •ir. He will be gentlemanly in his intercourse ith others of the profession, indefatigable in pro ting and attending to the interests of his clients, i fnyt . ~f, lawyer, and others of the profession, articniaiiy he younger members, will t vill. uusw -rved by every e irthly consider iti -v. l. what he believes right and best, 1 have no doubt his career there will be higlilv . ht.ible to himself and that his constituents wiil i - e reason to be, and wili be. proud of biin as heir Representative. I , a 'ten. l'atton being called upon said : - lerf eiuen . I hav, known Judge Mercur from 8.1-- boyhood and I have never known him to do a ■n* honorable act. Notwithstanding he and 1 differ ■u our political views, those differences have never ■utorl'ered with our personal relations ; which, from ■ue time he commenced the practice of law, l u ,ve felways been of the most friendly and cordial char- It In a!! the relations of life the deportment i t the Judge has been marked by those dignified curtesies and social amenities which adorn the liiAracter of the true gentleman. During the per iod of ais judicial career, so far as I am informed, ho administered justice, and the law, with uuwuver- B®t{ ini|)artiality : and has handed over, to his suc- I" the judicial Ermine, in its unsullied purity. Rio profound legal attainments and high order of '- ■'uu.istratm talents, are too well known, to all r 't l. Ut ri <|uir( ,l "- v s P eu l endorsement at my hi alluding to the new theatre of action to which —' ■ udgi was to be called, Gen. P. deeply deplor thi- hubits of intemperance indulged in by mem yr* 't Congress, of all parties ; and referred, with •y -lugs of regret and mortification, to the dis - y -.-ml scenes recently enacted,by a high function ■y uy i-ngress, with whom lie had been on terms "ditiiuWriendship for many years ; and it was 1 '••dice to him, to say, that, during his long ac -"Utaiice with him, he had never known him to ■ iiit'.xii-ated, in the slightest degree; and, hence, ■ the m wspapers heralded forth those mortify- I*""'-?'''?■ '"db surprised and astounded. | v 'u* - vs 01 ,a °ral delinquency, however, said I - I shall feel proud of Judge Mercur, as the : atAtm of this Congressional District, be- I | WI " take his seat, in that body, as an ex § ■■! - in- model of moral propriety. § '"*>*■ being called upon said : 8, j ( ' ami OeutlemuH: — Being called up well do otherwise than saj f a word in ' ' bav no aptitude for after-supper -th.- I t therefore say very briefly the h iir j, . at , to , From you gentlemen of the ■ ,--a glad to learn the high esteem in which I aver' m!'a JUr , rttiri ®B Jud K f , Hon, U. Mercur. 1 K 'Pekk i J , m His Courts, and cannot therefore ' Ins merits mid graces as a I liigh'," L. r< -" 1 . 1 - ft ' oll ß acquaintance with him, and ic eiit^n < his character, I am preiiared I '-"tn.iv k. and merited all that has been, or I "'us Vi'sY m , his behalf - My friend. Mr. ' Dorue eloquent testimony to the learn i E. O. GOODRICH, JPtlMishei-. VOLUME XXV. ing, impartiality anil courtesy of Judge Mercur, anil I accept all as just and well deserved. I felt entire confidence when lie went upon the Bench, that through him the law would be intelligently and ably expounded, and that justice would find in liiin tin honest and fearless defender. Judge Mercur has done well in the responsible position which for four years he has filled, with honor to himself, and with satisfaction to the Bar and the public. He retires from judicial duties and labors, and by the partiality of his fellow cit izens will soon enter the Halls of our National Legislature, there to take part in the adjustment oi the gravest and most momentous interests that were ever committed to a deliberative body. i doubt not but that he will well discharge the new duties to which he is called. This it is that niarkes the maa—that whatever is undertaken is well and faithfully performed. That Judge Mercur will bring to the discharge of his great duties in Con gress, intelligence, laborious industry, untiring energy, and devoted and unselfish patriotism, we have even* assurance, from his character and past life. When we again assemble around this, or an other hoard to honor him, I trust that his public course will meet with the same hearty approval that is now so generously extended to him,and however we may differ in our political views, that all will accord to him an earnest find sincere purpose to do what to him seemed right, and for the general good. The following toast being offered by J. Maefar lane. was drank with applause : "The Judges of Bradford, from Gibson to Mer cur—the last of the line only excelled by the first.' James Wood and S. Richard Payne, Esqs., being called upon, also made short and interesting speech es appropriate to the occasion. S. R. Payne said : Mr. President, aml /elloic members of the Bur oj Bradford County:- It is a matter of pleasure to me that I am permitted to add my testimony of respect to the testimony to those whose fortune it is to have enjoyed a longer acquaintance and a more ex tended professional intercourse with his Honor, Judge Mercur, than have fallen to my lot. Although, by reason of my recent admission to the Bar,many opportunites have been lost to me of observing the exercise of those talents for which he is so justly distinguished, yet so far as my observation has ex tended, and so far as his common reputation has impressed me, 1 can cheerfully extend to his Honor an offering of sincere admiration : as well for those virtues which adorn his character as a citizen, as tor those extensive legal abilities displayed through out many years of successful practice, and more recently in his capacity as a Judge, In his Honor's career I perceive that which is not only interesting, but highly instructive : especially to those who. like myself, are yet in the infancy of professional life. Doubtless it was the experience of even- member of this Bar, that during his nov itiate, and perhaps for a considerable time there after he, met with discouragements sufficient to thwart any but the strongest resolutions of perse verance, and on this account, Ifrcquently suffered a suspension of that energy which is so necessary to conquer the obstinacy "i the law. Those of us who still labor under these difficulties : to whose minds the professional maxims ol the law are not yet familiar ; who are as yet unable to comprehend those great principles in the fulness of their gran deur, may well draw encouragement from the suc cess which has so eminently crowned his Honor's efforts ; and, by imitating those examples he has given us of private virtue and professional integri ty, of studious inquiry, steadiness of purpose and acquire an honorable standing in the profession we have chosen. I think, Mr. President, I do not speak solely for myself when I assure you that if the younger mem bers of the Bar, are less sensible than the older ones, of the great loss incurred by liis Honor's de parture from the Bench, they certainly are not less happy in the reflection that though the Judge is de parted,the friendly lawyer is yet with theiu;to whom, in questions of difficulty, which will many times oc cur in the course of their practice, they can apply for counsel with confidence of receiving the same generous assistance in the future, as that which has been so liberally extended to liim in the past. I will only add, that as he goes forth to discharge the duties of that exalted station to which the voice of his countrymen has called him, he will be attended by the best wishes of the entire commun ity for his personal felicity. P. D. Morrow, Esq., being called upon, made a few playful remarks, professedly finding fault with Judge Mercur for holding the mepihers of the Bar to an inconvenient stringency in the performance of their professional duties ; hut which, in reality, were highly complimentary to his astute legal per ception, promptitude and efficiency, as follows : Mr. Chairman:- It is unnecessary for me to add anything to what has already been said as to the eminent success which bus attended Judge Mercur while at the Bur or upon the Bench. The bright side i>f the picture has been presented to us, its beauties pointed out with skill anil taste, and at this stage of the proceedings criticism may not he nut of place. Sometimes members of the Bar would enter up on the argument of legal questions with assurance mil evidently prepared, if necessary, tooocupythe ittention of the Court for a great length of time, Imt upon stating the point, the Court would COHl iirehenil and decide it correctly at once—leaving :he advocate undelivered although lit* had been <*o<- ined -to the point. This was unconstitutional be cause it was "a erne! and unusual punishment." Another peculiarity of the Judge was, he had the tiabit of examining with care, all papers presented :o the Court, such as charters for religious corpor itions, applications for licenses, to sell land, Ac., fee., and if they were not " according to the Act of \ssemblv in such cast* made and provided,'' they were kindly handed back, sometimes with instruct ions. and sometimes with announcement of the fact that they were irregular, Ac., Ac. Again, in his official capacity he was suoriter in IUSIO, et fortiter in re —or in other words, was cour teous in his deportment, hut was firm, and took upon himself all the responsibilities of his posit ion. Suggestions were pedienlly heard, but his con flict and his decisions were based upon his own Kmud judgment and discretion. This was just and ■iatisfactory, and no one complained : and herein is my criticism, to wit : that even chronic fault finders found nothing in his actions or decisions to relieve their disease, or afford them ground for [•omplaint. But least my criticisms may turn out to be com mendations, I will simply say that by reason of his familiarity with our statutes and practice, liis ac curate and extensive legal learning, and his sterling integrity, business was done with dispatch and ac curacy. Entire confidence possessed us all. Prac tice was easy. Seldom we carried our hooks into Court. After he had carefully examined and deci ded a case, we were reluctant to cam- it to a high er Court. And while we all reg.vt' to hare him leave the Bench, it is a consolation to have him hack to our Bar. And this L say, not hv way of compliment or flattery : for praiAe deserved is'uot flattery, nor is it unbecoming to sav to his face what we feel and say in his absence." The following letters were read by George I). Montanye, Esq. : TROY, Pa., March 10, 1865. Messrs. H. B. MIKEAN ami G. D. MONTANYE, Com mittee. tientlemen Sirs : Mr. Smith has shown me a let ter to him ot the 9th inst., by which I perceive that the members of the Bar of this County, arc to tender to his Honor. Judge Mercur, a Supper at the Ward House, on the eve of the 12th inst. Nothing could give me greater pleasure than to be present on that occasion. But business, which I cannot forego, as well as the state of the roads, render it impossible for me to be there. It is eminently proper at this time to tender to his Honor, our thanks for the able and impar tial manner in vliich he has performed liis dutv as the Presiding Judge of this district. I regret his retirement from the Bench. Since he was elevated to the position of Presiding Judge, he has introduced many new and useful rules, both as to the practice and discipline which has tended to elevate and give more dignity to our profession. I wish him success in the future. Be pleased to ac cept my thanks for your kind invitation, and I re main your Honorable Servant, WM. H. PECK. TROY, Pa., March 10, 1865. 11. B. Me Ken n and tj. J r Montanye, Ksos: —Your note ot yesterday, informing me, aiid through me, the members of the Bar in this place, " that Hon. Ulysses Mercur has accepted the invitation to a Supper, tendered to him by the members of the TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., MARCH 2.5, 1865. Bur of our County, on the occasion of his retiring I from the Bench" was received this morning. I do not feel like rejoicing oyer the event which j the "Supper" is intended to jubilate. I regret that I we are to lose the services of our distinguished j brother as President Judge of this judicial district, j those services have given general, I may say, uni- i versal satisfaction to the Bar, to justice, and' to the i people. Still I regret that my health together with j the extremely bad state of the roads, will prevent ! my attendance on Saturday evening. I could find something to be jubilant over. It would be over I tlie return of the Hon. Ulysses Mercur to the Bar, once more to instruct us by his high legal attain ments, to encourage us by his example of industry, and to link us still closer together as brothers, by his kind and affable manners. Yours, F.'SMITH. Judge Mercur then,being called upon, said : Mr. Chairman and members of the Bar: —lt would be affectation for me to deny that I highly appreci ate this inanifestetion of your kindness. W hen I came upon the Bench, four years ago, I felt distrust | fnl of my ability to properly discharge my duties. | I recollected that Chief Justice Gibson had first | presided in this district, and from that time down, j Judges of great learning, legal acumen, and anal | ytical powers of mind, had occupied the Bench.— ! I feared the comparison that would be made be tween me and my immediate predecessor. Making | as I do, due allowance for the remarks of partial ! friends, I am gratified to know that I have so ad ministered justice as to satisfy the Bar and the people. It affords me pleasure to say that, during the whole time I have occupied the Bench, I have re ceived the most kind and respectful treatment from every member of the Bar. Nothing has ever oe cured to mar those kind relations which should al ways exist between the Bench and Bar. While presiding in this district, I have had oc casion to hold special Courts in several other dis tricts, and truth requires me to say, that in none j of them, did I find a more kind and fraternal feel ing existing between the members of the Bar, than in this district. This feeling existed at the Bar i ! when I left it. It has so continued while I was on j the Bench, and I have 110 doubt that I shall so find 1 it upon my return among you. My term upon the Bench lias been to me very ; pleasant. Many reasons exist why I should have ' , wished to remain there ; but it has been detenu in- j ed otherwise. From ail early age I had a fondness for the trial of causes. Often, while upon the Bench, j during the trial of an important cause before me, ; I wished that I was at the Bar engaged in its trial. The position of a member of the Bar is a worthy : | and responsible one. The judicial branch of our i : government is that which gives security and pro- j j tection to persons and property. The Judges j i alone, constitute a small part of that great judic- | ial system which is interwoven with our daily trans- ; actions. It lies, in a great measure, in the whole j body of the legal profession. Each member of the Bar should therefore feel that he can do much to elevate its character or bring it into disrepute. So intimately, in the public estimation, are the repu tations of the members of the Bar blended,taut one dishonorable member can bring discredit upon the < whole Bar to which Ire belongs. I am entirely satisfied to return, and to take my place among you. to engage once more in the intel lectual yet friendly conflicts incident to tlie profes sion. In whatever public or private position I may ; be placed, I trust and believe that the same frater- ( nal feelings, which have existed between us in the past, will continue in the future. The toasts and speeches were all received with i marked applause. ] In compliance with the general request of the ; company, Gen. Patton sang his favorite song, ; "John Anderson, mv Joe," which elicited general I applause. After indulging in some colloquial wit- i ticisms and jocularities natural to the profession, J the company then adjourned with mutual good ' feeling and without anything having occurred to mar the pleasure and harmony of the occasion. 1 t 1 LKT I S MAKK THE BEST OF IT. Life is but a fleeting dream, Care destroys the zest of it; Swift it glideth like a stream— Mind you make the best of it! ' Talk not of the weary woes, Troubles, or the rest of it ; \ If we have but brief repose, t Let us make tlie best of it! ( If vour friend has got a heart, 1 There is something tine in him : j Cast away his darker part, 1 Cling to what's divine in him. C Friendship is our liest relief— S Make no heartless jest of it : r It will brighten every grief, If we make the best of it. t ( Happiness despises state ; Tis no sage experiment, - Simply that the wise and great May have joy and merriment : G Itunk is not its spell refined— • Money's not the test of it, ~ But a calm contented mind, j. That will make the best of it. Trusting in the Power above, Which sustaining all of us Tn one common bond of love. Bilideth great and small of us. Whatsoever may liefal— . Sorrows or tlie rest of it- We shall overcome them all. If we make the best of it. PETROLEUM. Tu compress the whole subject of. Petro leum into a newspaper article would be a teat more difficult of accomplishing than any yet performed by literary prestigators. However, I will give you, in as concise a form as possible, the more interesting fea tures of the petroleum subject. The rapid dcvelopements of the oil-pro ducing territory, and the immense quantity of petroleum that is now consumed in the Tinted States, has made it so familiar to the public that an elaborate analysis of its properties is unnecessary. It is a natural oil, deposited in the earth usually at the depth ot from one hundred to six hundred feet, has a rancid, disagreeable odor, and is valuable for burning, lubricating and medical purposes. Although its properties and a knowledge of the. extent of its de posits, have but recentlv been known in this country, petroleum has in reality been known and used to some extent in every age, running back almost to the diluvian period. In Egypt pretroleuin was used for med icinal purposes nearly four thousand years ago, and oil springs are still in existence in that country. In the latter part of the last century, two ship cargoes of the crude oil were transported to England to be sold, but the process of refining not being under stood, the traffic was abandoned. Under the name of Sicilian oil, the people of Ag rigentum used what is known as pretroleuin for the purpose of illumination, and in Par ma there is a spring of naptha which the people apply to a like use at the present day. In Asia Minor the oil has been known to exist, and has been used to a limited ex tent for ages : and in Persia a large quan- REGARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FKOM ANY y CARTER. I tity has been annually consumed, during several hundred years. Even in this coun try petroleum is by no means a new dis covery. It was well known to the Indians i before America was discovered, and was used for medicinal purposes. The early settlers of Western Pennsylvania, and other districts where oil springs now exist, used rock oil, as they called it, for various, purposes, collecting it by skimming the oil deposit on the top of the water as it accum ulated from the springs. In the memoranda of his visit to Port du Qucsne, (now Pitts burg, )during the French and Indian war with the Colonies, General Washington mentions the existence of oil springs in lo calities where well sare now in operation. But neither the Indians nor the early white settlers knew anything of the vast deposits in tlie bed of the earth. The region in which the oil is now found in Western Pennsylvania has almost for a century been known as a great salt district, and salt wells have been in operation there ever since the early settlement of the coun try. In boring salt wells the greatest dif ficulty was found in selecting localities where the water was not impregnated with a substance which the salt men character ized as " a nasty, greasy substance," and which we of the present day call petroleum. Nearly forty years ago, a Mr. Packer, while boring for salt water on Deer creek, in Clarion county, Pa., struck oil at the depth of 400 feet. The "greasy water," as he termed it, spurted up with great force, over flowing the land thereabouts, ruined his salt machinery, saturated the land with grease ; and Mr. Packer profoundly disgus ted with the result of his efforts to obtain salt, left the country in a miff, little dream ing tiiat lie was running away from an El Diirado richer than the gold mines of Cali fornia—more remunerative, too, than the diamond mines of Brazil. i As a natural consequence of the increase | of the quantity of oil that found its way to i the surlace from abandoned salt wells, the | people living in localities where it appeared, I gradually discovered that it contained some i valuable properties. The reader will per haps remember that only a few years ago a substance of horrid odor and taste was sold throughout the country as a sovereign remedy for nearly all the ills of the flesh, and bearing the names successively of .Sen eca Oil, Genneseo Oil, and Rock Oil. It was warranted to cure everything from toothache to hereditary consumption, and was a perfect anuihilator to such simple ailments ay rheumatism and asthma—being equally efficacious to external and internal applications. This miraculous stuff was simply crude petroleum, and that it was calculated to either kill or cure, w-hen ta kcu intejnally, nobody will now deny. The apparently inexhaustible supply of the oil at length attracted the attention of scien tific men, and in 1858 its properties and uses became more generally understood. A few barrels cf crude oil were exported to to England, where it \* as partially refined, and its commercial importance began to be understood. Yankee enterprise having been attracted to the subject, the natural result followed. A method of refining was invented, the illuminating and lubricating uses of petroleum were discovered, and the reign of petroleum commenced. The existence of oil beds having been de termined, and Yankee enterpr.se having been attracted thereto, the next question that naturally arose was, how to determine how to sink a well; for it was soon discov ered that there was something of a lottery in striking oil. Geologists and other scien tific men, who embarked in the oil trade, carried out their theories in this respect, but were not always successful. The lar ger class who flocked to the Oil Dorado, however, had no faith in geology, and ac cordingly bored at random. The super stitious class who are generally the majority relied, and still rely upon the miraculous " witch hazel" men. These men profess to tell precisely where deposits of water, salt or oil may be found, by means of a little i stick The more sensible manner of ehoos-' ing localities for oil wells is to bore where ' the geological formation is like that where good wells have been found. At best, sinl<- j ing oil wells is a lottery—if a man stands j one chance in twenty of drawing a prize, he ! is lucky. The process of boring the oil well is very simple. A derrick, consisting of four up right timbers placed 10 or 12 feet apart and fastened by cross pieces, is erected di rectly over the spot selected for boring. This derrick is usually from 40 to 60 feet high, and is made very stable in order to support the boring machinery. A steam engine of six or eight horse power is now used for the work of drilling, although many wells of not very great depth have been bored by hand. An iron pipe, about six inches in diameter, is first driven down to the first stratum of rock. Where this is found at a considerable distance from the surface, the pipe is inserted in sections ; that is, a piece is first driven down, then another section is fastened firmly to it at the top ; this is in turn driven down, and so on till the rock is reached. The drill is then introduced into this tube, reaching down to the rock —the iron rod suspending it being lengthened by the fastening of ad ditional pieces as the top of the drill works its way through the rock. The drill is about two and a half inches in diameter, and is worked up and down by means of the engine above. The process of drilling is of course slow, and depends upon the hard ness of the stratum. An average day's work of drilling is from 6 to 8 feet, but sometimes 10 or 12 feet is accomplished. The first stratum through which the drill passes is slate or soap stone, then comes a stratum of sand stone, which is usually not more than ten or twelve feet in thickness ; next is another layer of slate of a bluish appearance, about twenty feet in thickness, after which the second stratum of sand stone is reached. When this is accom plished—the depth ranging from two to six hundred and in some instances a thousand feet—the oil is struck provided the borer is lucky. A new process of drilling has lately been invented, however, which bids fair to greatly faeiliute the sinking of oil wells. It is this : The drill is a slender tube, the end of which is set with a species of diamond. This drill is connected with machinery at the surface, by means of which it revolves with great velocity, cut ting out the rock in a core, which is re moved in pieces, by clamps let down in the hole. By this method u well of five hun dred feet in depth may be bored in two weeks, which, by the <>hl process would re* quire two months. As soon us the drill i passes through the last stratum, and reaches j the reservoir below, there comes rushing ! up to the surface a combustible gas, fol lowed by a mixture of salt water and pe | troloum—the oil is invariably accompanied |by salt water, and they are separated as will be hereafter explained. This is the re alisation of " great expectations," the find ing of the El Dorado, the acme of petroleum ambition, for every spurt from the well is a greenback. If the borer is lucky enough to strike a flowing well, he has nothing now to do but to. stand still and see himself grow fabulously rich ; that is, he has only to secure the oil and send it to market. But flowieg wells are a great rarity, and the most sanguine disciple of Petrolia does not expect such boundless good fortune. The flow of salt water and petroleum to the sur face, therefore is, except in flowing wells,of very short duration, and the next work to be done is the preparation lbr pnmpimg. The bore of the well is next enlarged by I what is termed a " trimmer," and an iron ! tube, fastened together in sections of 10 or jl2 feet, is run down to the oil deposit. A 1 flax seed bag, which expands when wet, is | fixed at a certain distance from the surface | within the tube, in order to prevent the sur- J face water from running down. A plunger | or valved piston is next inserted in the tube, i and this being attached to the engine, the j work of pumping commences. The old method of pumping oil is on the same general principle of ordinary water ' pumping, and requires no explanation ; but 1 Yankee ingenuity has lately invented a new i process, which will probably soon be geu ' orally adopted. 'Two tubes are inserted in the well, and by a powerful force-pump the | air is forced down one of them, and the oil, 1 in consequence of the pressure of the air, is ] forced up the other tube in a steady stream, j The flow, by this method, is much more ■ steady and of greater volume than by the ' pumping process, and it has been success ! fully applied to many wells that had failed :to yield oil in the old manner. The petro j lcum, as before remarked, is invariably ac j companied by salt water. As it reaches | the surface, this mixture is carried by con ' duits into large wooden tanks, in which the I oil rises to the surface of the water and is drawn off into barrels, when we have crude i petroleum —the oil before undergoing the j refilling process. As before mentioned, there is one chance in a half dozen that the borer Will strike ! oil, and that the proportion of wells that I give a permanent flow, even when success ful for a while, may safely be estimated in a like manner. There are hundreds of wells along Oil Creek that at first gave an abun dant supply of petroleum, yet to-day they are as dry as a powder horn. And in the Mecca oil region of Ohio, which three or four years ago was the centre of attraction, there is not at the present time a single well that is much more than paying expen ses, and not one in a hundred of those that at any time gave great promise, is now pumping. • Within the last year, however, a number of " played out " wells—to use the expressive term in use hereabouts — have been recuperated by ingenious pro cesses and patient labor, are now abund antly repaying the work expended upon them. As an instance of what may be ac complished in this way, as well as to show the persistency and determination of oil seekers, the following circumstance may be mentioned : Mitchel A Allen, a Philadelphia oil com pany, obtained the leases known as the Ce ment wells, on the Buchanan farm. This well lias already been tried and abandoned by several practical oil-searchers, and was pronounced worthless. The Philadelphians, however, thought differently, and went to work with a will to demonstrate their the ory. As an Other instance of the pertinacity which is given to a man by the hope of gaining a good well, the following is rela ted : Mr. P. Haines was boring a well also on ! the Buchanan farm, and had every prospect l of a lucky strike. I'nfortunately, when going through the last stratum of rock, his drill became detached, stuck in the rock several hundred feet from the surface, and man was never more completely in a " fix " than he —and so was the drill. But he was plentifully endowed with pure Yankee per severance and industry, and went to work to remove the drill—a seemingly hopeless task. For fifteen months Mr. llains labored assidiously with this object, and his pa tience and industry were at last rewarded by success—his troubles were healed by the gentle soothing of " a hundred barrels a day." Since the great commercial importance of petroleum became known, the discoveries of oil have been wonderful. Western Penn sylvania was the first, and still is the great est oil producing region, but the oleaginous compound has since been found to exist in nearly half the States and Territories now within the Union, and probably will also be found in those now under the dominion, when Jeff. Davis and his clan are made to see the folly of chasing the iyiwv fatuus of independence, and go to boring for tangible petroleum. The (Til Creek region is the favorite with practical oil men, for the rea son that the chance of success in boring here are better than in any other locality yet discovered. But throughout all Wes tern Pennsylvania the Petroleum has reached fever heat. Wells are being bored, land bought up at fabulous prices, and the people, who for years have been content to plod as frugal and industrious performers are dazzled by the prospect of fabulous wealth. In Clarion and Fayette counties rich wells have been obtained, and in Washington, Lawrence, Beaver, Butler, Crawford, Erie, Green, Indiana, Clearfield and Elk counties, oil has already been ob tained, or the sinking of wells is in pro gress. In these counties the farmers have all put extravagant prices on their lands ; and even then are careful to stipulate that a certain percentage of the prospective oil is to go into their pockets. Doubtless niue tentlis of them will be able to literally put all they get in their pocket. Western Vir ginia, next to Western Pennsylvania, is the admiration of oil men. The war and the oil fever broke out simultaneously in this region; but notwithstanding the greasy appearance of the rebels generally, there seems to be but little affinity between re bellion and Petroleum, and the rebels have a disagreeable way of making periodical raids into the Western Virginia oil regions, thereby suddenly suspending oleaginous re rj pei* Annum, in Advance. ! search. It is thought, however, that when I this " cruel war is over," to use a strictly | original expression—the oil regions of Wes tern Virginia will be found to be at least I equal in richness to those ol Pennsylvania. In Ohio, the oil seems to "lay around loose," jas it is said, with undoubted truthfulness, that farmers almost fear to go to sleep at night least before morning the petroleum beds which they know to exist under their farms shall burst their earthly bounds and inundate the surface with an oleaginous flood. The Mecca excitement, as previously stated, proved a decided humbug, but more stable wells have been struck in other parts of the State. In Southeastern Ohio there is every indication of boundless Pe troleum deposits. In Washington county, also, the borings have proven highly suc cessful, and in the vicinity of Zanesvillc, Marietta, New Lisbon and Waynesbury, oil lias already been found. Columbia, Preble, Muskingum and many other counties have also reached the height of the oil fever,and the bowels of the earth are being effectual ly stirred up. The contagion of the oil excitement has also broken out in Indiana and the "Iloosiers" are industriously trying to bore themselves rich, with apparently good success. But to particularize the oil localities would take too much space.— .Suffice it to say that Petroleum has already been discovered, in addition to the above mentioned localities, in Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Kansas, California, Col orado, New York and elsewhere in the country, and yet the discoveries are appar ently only in their infancy. In foreign countries, too, the old oil wells which have existed for ages have been hunted up, and in many instances by Yankees, and petro leum (tlie word, not the substances) is in the mouth of the whole world. As a case in point, one of the Boston papers states that Col. Cowan, of that city (the Yankee who took the contract to raise the sunken vessels in harbor of .Sebastapol, if 1 mis take not) was lately en route from St. Pe tersburg-, Russia, through Georgia and Cir cassia. In the neighborhood of the sea of Azof, he stumbled upon some old oil wells, boyght them for a song, and now delights the gaping natives by drawing grease out of the earth with steam. The question is solely theoretical, and can be demonstrated only by time. The best opinions are, however, that Petroleum is inexhaustible, that the transformation which the earth is constantly undergoing causes a perpetual deposit of vegetation beneath the surface of the earth, and the distillation of this vegetable matter form ing constituents of Petroleum, the geolo gists argue that the supply is boundless. Oil men are quite willing to leave the sub ject to the savans. It is quite enough for the disciples of petrolia to know that the oil now exists in vast quantities, and they are determined that while geogolists theo rize, they will pump. The Petroleum interest is, of course, only in its infancy, but the product of last year shows the commercial interest which the oil is rapidly attaining. There are no means of estimating, even approximately, the quantity of oii consumed in this country during and the only way in which an idea of the gross production can be formed is by referring to the exportation. TRUE TEST OF A CHRISTIAN. —The test of of the Eternal Spirit is, that a man regards his life as a pilgrimage to worlds unseen, and estimates events and appliances ac cording to their bearings on the success of his journey toward that Invisible Home. Those who have not the Spirit of God, and who consequently believe in no home in God beyond, necessarily look upon the present as the only real world,and do their uttermost to settle themselves 011 the earth's foundations. They are constantly dream ing of a rest at the end of earthly labor. But rest there is none for sinful men AH here is quicksand, uncertainty, and rapid decay. 1 litre is no rest for the soul in the world of sense. lie only who has "made the Most High his habitation" is superior to the chances of time. He only who thinks of his dwelling as a "tent," mat lock forward to a -building of GOD eternal in the heavens." He only who has been cured of leprosy and blindness and mortal ity. by washing in the "fountain of living waters, can set foot within the shades of death with firmness, or "know in himself that he has in heaven abetter and enduring substance." And when lie has achieved this independence of the visible creation, lie sees around him a world "walking in a vain show," "disquieted in vain," and ceas es to desire any longer to form part of the gay phantom procession to the grave. If poor, he knows that he yet "possesses all things and if rich in this world he "rejoices as though he rejoiced not," he cause the fashion of it passed away.— Christian Sj ted at or. EAKTII NOT OIR ABIDING PLACE.—Bulwer eloquently says :—"I can not believe that earth is man's abiding place. It can't be that our life is cast up by the ocean of eternity to tioat a moment upon its waves and then sink into nothingness ! Else why is it that the glorious aspirations, which leap like angels from the temple of our heart, are forever wandering about unsatis fied ! Wby is it that the rainbow and clouds come ever with a beauty that is not of earth, and then pass off and leave us to muse upon their favored lovliness ? Why is it that the stars, who hold their festival around the midnight throne, are set above the grasp of our limited faculties, forever mocking us with their unapproachable glo ry ! And, finally, why is it that bright forms of human beauty are presenten to our view, and then taken from us, leaving the thousand streams of our affection to flow back in Alpine torrents upon our heart ? We are born for a higher destiny than that of earth ; there is a realm where the rainbow never fades—where the stars will be spread before us like islands that slumber oil the ocean—and where the be ings that passed before us like shadows will stay in our presence forever." A WOMAN is either worth a good deal or nothing. If good for nothing, she is not worth getting jealous for ; if she be a true woman, she will give no cause for jealousy, A man is a brute to be jealous of a good woman—a fool to be jealous of a worthless one : but he is double fool to cnt his throat for either of them HINTS TO YOUNG GENTLEMEN. Don't give up your scat in the cars when you are tired with your days work, to a pert young miss who has been amusing herself with a little shopping. will not even thank you for it ; and if a man is go ing to sacrifice his comfort, he has a reas onable light, at least, to expect a little gratitude. No use being polite to some ladies—there is an old proverb about cast ing pearl before—what's her name? Don't submit to be crowded off' the pavement into a muddy gutter by two advancing balloons of silk and whalebones. Haven't your newly-blacked boots as good a claim to respect as their skirts? Look straight be fore you, and stand up for your rights like | a man—the ladies can contract a little, if ! they see there is no help for it. Don't talk literature and the fine arts to the pretty girls of your acquaintance until you are sure they know the difference be tween Thompson's Seasons and Thompson's Arithmetic. And if they look particularly sentimental, then you may know that they do not understand what you are talking about. Don't ask a nice little girl about her dolls, unless you are very certaiu she has not "come out," and been engaged in two or three flirtations already. Don't say complimentary tilings to a young lady at a party without first making sure that her intended" is not standing behind you the whole time. Don't accept a young lady's invitation to go shopping with Jier unless you have previously measured the length of your purse. • Don't stay later than eleven o'clock when you spend tiie evening with a pretty friend —the wisest and wittiest man in Christen dom becomes a bore after that hour Don't believe any woman an angel. If you feel and symptoms of that disease, take a dose of sage tea and go to bed—it is as much a malady as the small pox, and it is your business to get over it us soon as possible. An angel, indeed! It you d<> not find out pretty soon that she lacks con siderably more than the wings, we are sad ly mistaken. Don't make up your mind about any creature in a belt ribbon and velvet rosettes without first asking your sister's advice.— Depend upon it, one woman can read an other better in five minutes than you can in five years. And, above all, do not imagine that you must keep your lady talk and gentleman talk in separate budgets, labeled and sort ed, unless you want the girls to laugh in their sleeves at your wishy-washy senti mentalism. Talk to them in a frank, manly style, us you would to an intelligent gen tleman. Don't suppose, because they are women, they don't know anything. Remember all this advice, sir, and you may make rather less of a foul of yourself than you would otherwise. NUMBER 43. j MOUNT ARARAT. —Mount Ararat is GOOO j feet higher than Etna, and 1528 feet higher i than Mount Blanc—the latter the poiut of greatest elevation in Europe. It isdetach |ed from the other mountains of Asia, and l is divided into two conical peaks. Sir j Robert Porter paints in vivid colors the ) magnificence of the spectacle when he first > came in sight of Ararat, majestically rising ! from a widely extended green plain, fertili j zed by the clear waters of the Aras, (the [ ancient Araxes,) and covered with Arireni jan villages. In various points of view,the j summit has a striking resemblance to a . ship—a fact which lias been recorded by j all travellers to the spot, and the whole J country round is full of traditionary sto | ries relative to Noah's ark and the flood. It is a common belief among the Armeui -1 ans and Persians, that the remains of the ark still exist on the summit. Several at ! tempts have been made to reach the top : mountain,but rarely have any such attempts succeeded. Moving sands which threaten ;to overwhelm the traveler, flinty roads I which cut his shoes to shreads, terrible i precipices, with overhanging rocks, and | above all, nests of snakes have constautly j struck terror into the stoutest hearts, and | nearly in all cases induced the abandon ; ment of the enterprise. At Ervin, the Ar menians show the spot where Noah fiist planted the vine, and the town of Nakhdjo van (place of descent) is believed to mark ; the spot where the patriarch first settled on | quitting the ark. J WE JOY IN GOD. —This is every beliver's j privilege ; God is reconciled to him in the i person and through the work of Jesus : all j charges against him are blotted out ; all ; his sins are freely and fully forgiven ; he | is justified from all things, and stands be fore God in Christ, accepted, beloved, and ; blessed. To him God is love : with him God is peace ; and he is now a son of God. If this is believed on the testimony of God, and realized in the effect of faith, then God becomes our exceeding joy, and we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. If we joy in frames, they change ; if we joy in friends, they die ; if we joy in posses sions, they are vanity ; but if we joy in God, though the exercise of joy may be in terrupted, yet the object remains eternally the same, and we shall joy for evermore. Beloved, look at Jehovah in Jesus : there * you see him as the Father of mercies and God of all comfort ;.joy and rejoice in him as your God, your portion, your everlast ing all. Throughout this day, joy in God as your father, your Friend, and your Sa viour. •Joy to find, in every station, Something still to do or bear ; Think, what Spirit dwells within thee : Think, what Father's smiles are thine ; Think, what Jesns did to win thee ; Child of heaven! canst thou repine? THE ELECTRICAL EEL. —AII other fishes fly the vicinity of these formidable eels. Even the fisherman, angling from the high bank, fears lest the damp line should convey the shock to him from a distance. To catch them mules and horses are driven into a marsh, which is closely surrounded by In dians, until the unwonted noise and distur bance induce the pugnacious fish to begin the attack. They arc then seen swimming about and trying to glide cunningly under the bellies of the horses. Many of these are stunned by the force of the invisible blows ; others, with manes standing on end foaming with wild terror sparkling in their eyes, try to fly front the raging tempest. But the Indians armed, with long poles >f bamboo, drive them back into the middle of the pool. Gradually the fury of the un equal strife slackens. Like clouds which have discharged their electricity the wear ied fish begin to disperse ; long repose and abundant food are necessary to replace the galvanic force which they have expended. Their shock becomes weaker. Terrified by the noise of the trampling horses, they timidly approach the bank, where they are wounded by harpoons,and cautiously drawn on shore by non-conducting pieces of dry wood. _ A DOCTOR up town recently gave the following precription for a sick lady, "A new bonnet, a Cashmere shawl and a new pair of gaiter boots. The lady, it is ned less to say has entirely recovered.