found. Oil in quantities having recently been procured north of Titusville, the entire line of Oil Creek above that place, as far as Oil Lake, is now occupied, and numerous wells are in process of drilling, causing great excitement in that region. new ones going down every day. The Alle- believed that when wells are sunk to the depth ghany River, and its great northern tributaries, of 1200 feet the largest flowing wells will be are no more crowded with long rafts of lumber floating with the current to the Western cities. Saw-mills have given place to oil refineries and producing wells. Tow-boats, filled with barrels of petroleum, take the place of lumber-rafts. Villages have suddenly grown into cities. The iron horse rushes with lightning speed around the base of the mountain and down the valley of oil. Rich farms are laid waste. The plow turns no more furrows. The scythe cuts no more bending grain. The farmer's barns are no more loaded down with the fruitful harvest. The farmer himself, with his homespun clothes, is seen no more in the fields. All is changed! The farm is sold! The old man and his grown-up sons are worth millions, and the old homestead is deserted forever. We propose to describe the Oil Region as it appeared at the opening of the present year: Titusville, situated in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, at the head of Oil Creek, had only 150 inhabitants in 1857. In one year it increased to 350. Lumber was worth from five to ten dollars per thousand feet for the best qualities. The number of buildings were about thirty-five of all kinds. The importation of merchandise about one hundred tons per annum. The trade was local, and every thing was done upon the long credit system, and nothing exported but lumber. In 1865 the population is estimated at from 5000 to 6000. Lumber is worth from $25 to $50 per thousand, and the supply inadequate to the demand. The number of buildings are now over one thousand. The importation of merchandise, etc., during the year 1863, over the Oil Creek Railroad, was 70,000 tons, and the exports of oil alone equal to 750,000 barrels. It is estimated that the exports from Titusville will amount this year to over $18,000,000, and the imports will largely exceed those of last year; at least the local trade has kept even pace with the improvements in the way of building. There are now in progress several fine stone and brick buildings, which give the place a substantial appearance. In 1858 town lots could have been purchased from $30 to $40 each. In 1864 lots were selling from $1200 to $1800 each, and sought after. The Watson Flat is a tract of flat land, situated in the bend and on both sides of Oil Creek, adjoining and below Titusville. This flat land was at one time greatly in favor; but after the larger flowing wells were discovered below the Shaeffer Farm less attention was given to lands above. Recently, however, the Watson Flat has been brought into notice again, and several flowing wells have been opened, and now hundreds of derricks spot its surface. This extensive tract of rich bottom-land, being in close proximity to Titusville and the dépôt of the Oil Creek Railroad, will no doubt be found, more attractive than the territory farther down the creek. It is said that the quality of oil found here is very superior; and it is generally The Oil Creek Railroad commences at Correy, on the Great Western and Atlantic Railroad, and passes through Titusville and as far down Oil Creek as the Shaeffer Farm, which is about seven miles below Titusville, and nearly half the distance to Oil City. Shaeffer Farm is a fast-growing place, and contains about ten commission houses and several hotels. The bottom-land at this place not occupied by wells is covered with pyramids of empty oil casks, sometimes reaching fifty feet in height. It is proposed to continue the Oil Creek Railroad down to Oil City, there to connect with a new road from Franklin on the Alleghany River, running up the west shore of the river, and tapping the Philadelphia and Erie Road at Irvine. Funkville and Petroleum Centre, on Oil Creek, are thriving towns. M'Clintockville, on the H. M'Clintock Farm, is growing rapidly. The wells at this place are principally owned by the M‘Clintockville Petroleum Company of Philadelphia. Oil City, at the mouth of Oil Creek, is situated at the base of a mountain under a bluff, and for want of room can never become a very large city. The town consists of only one street, winding down the west side of Oil Creek and the Alleghany River. It contains five or six hotels, all of which are crowded nightly with anxious oil seekers. All the business being done on one street the town has a very busy look. The town of Franklin, the county seat of Venango County, situated at the confluence of French Creek, with the Alleghany River, about seven miles below Oil City, is a place of considerable note. It is the terminus of a branch of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. A very extensive trade is carried on here. Large dépôt buildings have been erected, and thousands of barrels of petroleum are annually shipped from this point. French Creek is quite a large stream, rising in the southern part of New York, and, flowing almost parallel with Oil Creek, empties into the Alleghany River. The banks of French Creek, on either side, are dotted here and there with derricks, giving evidence of the existence of many oil wells. The town of Tideoute, in Warren County, is situated on the west bank of the Alleghany River, about twenty miles above Oil City, and fourteen miles below Irvine. The wells of importance at this place are the celebrated Economite Wells, and some ten or twelve others situated in Tideoute Island and on Tideoute Flats. The oil territory, on both sides of the Alleghany River, commencing at Irvine and extending down below Franklin, is considered excellent, Farm, situated four miles above the mouth of and is now being fast developed, having recently changed hands at greatly advanced prices. Large flowing wells have been found at many points on the river, and the Alleghany is now ranked next of importance to Oil Creek. the Creek, and about three miles due east from The view on the Alleghany at the mouth of Gordon Creek, below the town of Tideoute, is very fine. As the stranger approaches the river by a winding road over the mountain and turns the point of a high bluff, he beholds far beneath his feet the clear rippling stream of Gordon Creek. In the distance, to the left, winds the Alleghany, with its steep mountainshores, covered with tall old pines. The derricks of the Economite Wells line the eastern shore. A tow-boat, loaded with barrels of oil, is struggling against the stream. The next turn of the road brings to view the long row of white painted houses forming the town of Tideoute, reaching for over two miles in length along the shore. On the right, running due south, is the river, dotted here and there with beautiful thick-in the refineries of oil since the first were erectly wooded islands, with clouds of black smoke rolling up from among the tall trees. And as the sombre hue of evening shade is cast over the valley, the mind is filled with wonder that beneath the surface of that beautiful landscape is hidden untold treasures, the possession of which leads so many far from home and friends. The oil from the wells on the Alleghany River is taken to Irvine in tow-boats drawn by horses. These boats are built very stanch, and are made to carry from one hundred and fifty to two hundred barrels of oil. The horses often cross and recross, and sometimes pull and tug up through the centre of the river. The driver has regular fords to cross, and it requires as much judgment to drive tow-horses up the Alleghany as to pilot a steamboat down the Mississippi. The oil regions are dotted here and there with refineries, where the crude oil is distilled and prepared for burning purposes. Many changes have taken place, and vast improvements made, ed. The most extensive establishment for this purpose, now in operation in the immediate vicinity of the oil regions, is at the town of Correy, in Crawford County, Pennsylvania-a new and thriving place, situated at the crossing of the Atlantic and Great Western and Philadelphia and Erie Railroads. The building is entirely of brick, and was erected by Samuel Downer, one of the pioneers in the business, at a cost of $150,000, including machinery. Upward of 200 workmen are here daily employed, and when the works are operated to their greatest capacity 300 barrels of crude oil are daily required. Campbell's, Rawson's, Nettle, and Riffle Runs. The town of Parkersburg, on the Ohio, at the mouth of the Little Kanawha, is the grand head The Virginia oil regions are located in the counties of Pleasants, Richie, Wood, and Wirt. The best territory is found on the Ohio, Little Kanawha, and Hughes Rivers; on Goose, French, Cow, Calf, Bull, Horseneck, WorthIn passing through the oil regions of Pennsyl-ington, and Stillwell Creeks; on M‘Elroy, Bull, vania one is struck with the primitive mode used in obtaining oil. Inferior machinery and exceedingly small engines are used in most cases, with hardly sufficient power to raise the sucker-quarters of all oil speculators who visit that rerod out of a deep well. Yet wells are worked in this manner, only producing from one to three, or perhaps five, barrels of oil. Often they entirely fail to get a drop of oil. In such cases the wells are abandoned as worthless. At the Very little has been accomplished in the desame time, if the proper machinery had been ap-velopment of these Virginia lands compared with plied with more powerful engines, twice or thrice the operations in Pennsylvania. Since their the yield might have been obtained. The air-discovery some wells have been sunk, and great pump is a great improvement, and its application will no doubt add at least thirty per cent. to the yield of all wells to which it is applied. Next in importance to the Alleghany River is Cherry Run, on which stream is located the great Reed Well, now flowing 280 barrels of oil daily. The lands on this run and Pit-Hole Creek and Cherry-Tree Run, have been purchased at very high prices, and hundreds of wells are now going down on both sides of these streams. In January of this year the first large flowing well was struck on Pit-Hole Creek, on the Holmden gion. The entire territory embraced in the above-named counties has already changed hands, and most of it is held by speculators, who are offering it in Eastern markets. quantities of oil have been taken from them; but the great developments are yet to be made. The principal wells now in operation in West Virginia are on "Horseneck," a small creek tributary to Bull Creek. The latter stream flows into the Ohio a few miles above the mouth of the Little Muskingum River. The "Jackson and Pedo" Well, on "Cowneck," was sunk to the depth of 587 feet, and flowed, when first opened, 1000 barrels daily of fine quality illuminating oil. The "Jackson" Well, on the "Mansion House Ford," at 100 feet, flowed 200 bar |