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 <lo well to
In r< sin.nug his profession he also enters upon
"■ tin- md a wider fieldof influence. He is soon
• enter tin Halls of our National Legislature. —
ri--a thi- Rebellion shall be put down, and when
Li*-.y. t r sha ll Ire ended, which I trust will soon be.
eg questions — questions of vital importance
future will-being of the country will come
! ty Congress, and when they arise he will, I
u,t. uuhliuded bv partizan prejudices and pre
•• s *'*sious, consider and weigh well all import -
Hit questions, and when he has satisfied himself
e t" the right, 1 am satisfied from an intimate ac
j liiit.ine, with him of more than twenty years,
>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.