History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, Part 17

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Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1288

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Previous to the year 1820, little use was made of stone coal. Judge Obediah Gore, a blacksmith, used it upon his forge as early as 1769, and found the heat stronger and more enduring than that produced by charcoal. In 1791, Phillip Ginter, of Carbon County, a hunter by profession, having on one occasion been out all day without discovering any gaine, was returning at night discouraged and worn out, across the Mauch Chunk Mountain, when, in

DIAGRAM SHOWING PROPORTIONATE ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF ANTHRACITE COAL IN PENNSYLVANIA SINCE 1820.

CASI

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119

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

TABLE SHOWING AMOUNT OF ANTHRACITE COAL PRODUCED IN EACH REGION SINCE 1820.

YEAR.

Lehigh, Tons.

Schuylkill. Tons.

Wyoming, Tons.

Lyken's Valley, Shamokin, etc., Tons.

Total Tons.

1820.

365

1,073

1822.

2,240

1,480

3,720

1823.

5,823

1,128

6,951

1824.

9,541

1,567

11,108

1825.

28,393

6,500

34,893.

1826.

31,280

16,767

48,047

1827.

32,074

31,360

63,434

1828.

30,232

47,284

77,516

1829.

25,110

79,973

7,000

112,083

1830.

41,750

89,934

43,000

174,734

1831.

40,966

81,854

54,000

176,820

1832.

70,000

209,271

84,000

363,871

1833.

123,001

252,971

111,777

487,748

1834.

106,244

226,692

43,700

376,636

1835.

131,250

339,508

90,000

560,758

1836.

148,211

432,045

103,861

684,117

1837.

223,902

530,152

115,387

879,441

1838.

213,615

446,875

78,207

738,697

1839.

221,025

463,147

122,300

11,930

818,402

1840.

225,313

475,091

148,470

15,505

864,384

1841.

143,037

603,003

192,270

21,463

959,973

1842.

272,540

573,273

252,599

10,000

1,108,418

1843.

267,793

700,200

285,605

10,000

1,263,598

1844

377,002

874,850

365,911

13,087

1,630,850

1845

429,453

1,121,724

451,836

10,000

2,013,013

1846.

517,116

1,295,928

518,389

12,572

2,344,005

1847

633,507

1,650,831

583,067

14,904

2,882,309

1848.

670,321

1,714,365

685,196

19,356

3,089,238

1849.

781,656

1,683,425

732,910

45,075

3,242,966,

1850.

690,456

1.782,936

827,823

57,684

3,358,899)

964,224

2,229,426

1,156,167

99,099

4,448,916:

1,072,136

2,517,493

1,284,500

119,342

4,993,471

1853

1,054,309

2,551,603

1,475,732

113,507

5,195,151

1854.

1,207,186

2,957,670

1,603,473

234,090

6,002,334

1855.

1,284,113

3,318,555

1,771,511

234,388

6.608,517

1856.

1,351,970

3,289,585

1,972,581

313,444

6,927,580

1857

1,318,541

2,985,541

1,952,603

388,256

6,664,941

1858

1,380,030

2,902,821

2,186,094

370,424

6,759,369

1859.

1,628,311

3,004,953

2,731,236

443,755

7,808,255

1860.

1,821,674

3,270,516

2,941,817

479,116

8,513,123

1861.

1,738,377

2,697,439

3,055,140

463,308

7,954,314

1862

1,351,054

2,890,593

3,145,770

481,990

7,875,412

1863.

1,894,713

3,433,265

3,759,610

478,418

9,566,006

1864.

2,054,669

3,642,218

3,960,836

519,752

10,177,475

1865

2,040,913

3,755,802

3,254,519

621,157

9,652,391

1866.

2,179,364

4,957,180

4,736,616

830,723

12,703,882

1867.

2,502,054

4,334,820

5,325,000

826,851

12,991,725.

1868.

2,507,582

4,414,356

5,990,813

921,381

13,834,132

1869.

1,929,523

4,821,253

6,068,369

903,885

13,723,030-

1870.

3,172,916

3,853,016

7,825,128

998,839

15,849,899

1871

2,235,707

6,552,772

6,911,242

15,699,721

1872.

3,873,339

6,694,890

9,101,549

19,669,778

1873.

3,705,596

7,212,601

10,309,755

21,227,952

1874.

3,773,836

6,866,877

9,504,408

20,145,121

1875.

2,834.605

6,281,712

10,596,155

19,712,472

1876.

3,854,919

6. 221,934

8,424,158

18,501,011

1877

4,332,760

8,195,042

8,300,377

20,828.179

1878

3,237,449

6,282,226

8,085,587

17,605,262

1879

4,595,567

8,960,329

12,586,298

26,142,689

1880

4,463,221

7,554.743

11,419,279

23,437,242

1881.

5,294,676

9,253,958

13,951,383

28,500,016

1882.

5,689,437

9,459,288

13,971,371

39,120,096

1883.

6,113,809

10,074,726

15,604,492

31,793.029

365

1821.

1851.

1852

1,073

120

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

the gathering shades he stumbled upon something which seemed to have a glistening appearance, that he was induced to pick up and carry home. This specimen was taken to Philadelphia, where an analysis showed it to be a good quality of anthracite coal. But, though coal was known to exist, no one knew how to use it. In 1812, Col. George Shoemaker, of Schuylkill County, took nine wagon loads to Philadelphia. But he was looked upon as an imposter for attempting to sell worthless stone for coal. He finally sold two loads for the cost of transportation, the remaining seven proving a complete loss. In 1812, White & Hazard, manufacturers of wire at the Falls of Schuylkill, in- duced an application to be made to the Legislature to incorporate a com. pany for the improvement of the Schuylkill, urging as an inducement the im- portance it would have for transporting coal; whereupon, the Senator from that district, in his place, with an air of knowledge, asserted "that there was no coal there, that there was a kind of black stone which was called coal, but that it would not burn."

White & Hazard procured a cart load of Lehigh coal that cost them $1 a bushel, which was all wasted in a vain attempt to make it ignite. Another cart load was obtained, and a whole night spent in endeavoring to make a fire in the furnace, when the hands shut the furnace door and left the mill in de- spair. "Fortunately one of them left his jacket in the mill, and returning for it in about half an hour, noticed that the door was red hot, and upon opening it, was surprised at finding the whole furnace at a glowing white heat. The other hands were summoned, and four separate parcels of iron were heated and rolled by the same fire before it required renewing. The furnace was replenished, and as letting it alone had succeeded so well, it was concluded to try it again, and the experiment was repeated with the same result. The Lehigh Navigation Company and the Lehigh Coal Company were incorporated in 1818, which companies became the basis of the Lehigh Coal and Naviga- tion Company, incorporated in 1822. In 1820, coal was sent to Philadelphia by artificial navigation, but 365 tons glutted the market." In 1825, there were brought by the Schuylkill 5,378 tons. In 1826, by the Schuylkill, 16,265 tons, and by the Lehigh 31,280 tons. The stage of water being in- sufficient, dams and sluices were constructed near Mauch Chunk, in 1819, by which the navigation was improved. The coal boats used were great square arks, 16 to 18 feet wide, and 20 to 25 feet long. At first, two of these were joined together by hinges, to allow them to yield up and down in passing over the dams. Finally, as the boatmen became skilled in the navigation, several were joined, attaining a length of 180 feet. Machinery was used for jointing the planks, and so expert had the men become that five would build an ark and launch it in forty-five minutes. After reaching Philadelphia, these boats were taken to pieces, the plank sold, and the hinges sent back for constructing others. Such were the crude methods adopted in the early days for bringing coal to a market. In 1827, a railroad was commenced, which was completed in three months, nine miles in length. This, with the exception of one at Quincy, Mass., of four miles, built in 1826, was the first constructed in the United States. The descent was 100 feet per mile, and the coal descended by gravity in a half hour, and the cars were drawn back by mules, which rode down with the coal. "The mules cut a most grotesque figure, standing three or four together, in their cars, with their feeding troughs before them, appar- ently surveying with delight the scenery of the mountain; and though they preserve the most profound gravity, it is utterly impossible for the spectator to maintain his. It is said that the mules, having once experienced the com- fort of riding down, regard it as a right, and neither mild nor severe measures

121

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

will induce them to descend in any other way." Bituminous coal was discov- ered and its qualities utilized not much earlier than the anthracite. A tract of coal land was taken up in Clearfield County in 1785, by Mr. S. Boyd, and in 1804 he sent an ark down the Susquehanna to Columbia, which caused much surprise to the inhabitants that "an article with which they were wholly unacquainted should be brought to their own doors."

During the administrations of George Wolf, elected in 1829, and Joseph Ritner, elected in 1835, a measure of great beneficence to the State was passed and brought into a good degree of successful operation-nothing less than a broad system of public education. Schools had been early established in Philadelphia, and parochial schools in the more populous portions of the State from the time of early settlement. In 1749, through the influence of Dr. Franklin, a charter was obtained for a "college, academy, and charity school of Pennsylvania," and from this time to the beginning of the present century, the friends of education were earnest in establishing colleges, the Colonial Government, and afterward the Legislature, making liberal grants from the revenues accruing from the sale of lands for their support, the uni- versity of Pennsylvania being chartered in 1752, Dickinson College in 1783, Franklin and Marshall College in 1787, and Jefferson College in 1802. Com- mencing near the beginning of this century, and continuing for over a period of thirty years, vigorous exertions were put forth to establish county acad- emies. Charters were granted for these institutions at the county seats of forty-one counties, and appropriations were made of money, varying from $2,000 to $6,000, and in several instances of quite extensive land grants. In 1809, an act was passed for the education of the "poor, gratis." The Asses- sors in their annual rounds were to make a record of all such as were indi- gent, and pay for their education in the most convenient schools. But few were found among the spirited inhabitants of the commonwealth willing to admit that they were so poor as to be objects of charity.

By the act of April 1, 1834, a general system of education by common schools was established. Unfortunately it was complex and unwieldy. At the next session an attempt was made to repeal it, and substitute the old law of 1809 for educating the "poor, gratis," the repeal having been carried in the Senate. But through the appeals of Thaddeus Stevens, a man always in the van in every movement for the elevation of mankind, this was defeated. At the next session, 1836, an entirely new bill, discarding the objectionable feat- ures of the old one, was prepared by Dr. George Smith, of Delaware County, and adopted, and from this time forward has been in efficient operation. It may seem strange that so long a time should have elapsed before a general system of education should have been secured. But the diversity of origin and lan- guage, the antagonism of religious seats, the very great sparseness of popula- tion in many parts, made it impossible at an earlier day to establish schools. In 1854, the system was improved by engrafting upon it the feature of the County Superintendency, and in 1859 by providing for the establishment of twelve Normal Schools, in as many districts into which the State was divided, for the professional training of teachers.

122

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CHAPTER XIV.

DAVID R. PORTER, 1839-45-FRANCIS R. SHUNK, 1845-48-WILLIAM F. JOHNSTONE 1848-52-WILLIAM BIGLER, 1852-55-JAMES POLLOCK, 1855-58-WILLIAM F. PACKER, 1858-61-ANDREW G. CURTIN, 1861-67-JOHN W. GEARY, 1867-73- JOHN F. HARTRANFT, 1873-78-HENRY F. HOYT, 1878-82-ROBERT E. PAT- ' TISON, 1882.

TN 1837, a convention assembled in Harrisburg, and subsequently in Philadel- phia, for revising the constitution, which revision was adopted by a vote of the people. One of the chief objects of the change was the breaking up of what was known as "omnibus legislation," each bill being required to have but one distinct subject, to be definitely stated in the title. Much of the pat- ronage of the Governor was taken from him, and he was allowed but two terms of three years in any nine years. The Senator's term was fixed at three years. The terms of Supreme 'Court Judges were limited to fifteen years, Common Pleas Judges to ten, and Associate Judges to five. A step backward was takeu in limiting suffrage to white male citizens twenty-one years old, it having pre- viously been extended to citizens irrespective of color. Amendments could be proposed once in five years, and if adopted by two successive Legislatures, and approved by a vote of the people, they became a part of the organic law.

At the opening of the gubernatorial term of David R. Porter, who was chosen in October, 1838, a civil commotion occurred known as the Buckshot War, which at one time threatened a sanguinary result. By the returns, Porter had some 5,000 majority over Ritner, but the latter, who was the in- cumbent, alleged frauds, and proposed an investigation and revision of the returns. Thomas H. Burrows was Secretary of State, and Chairman of the State Committee of the Anti-Masonic party, and in an elaborate address to the people setting forth the grievance, he closed with the expression " let us treat the election as if we had not been defeated." This expression gave great offense to the opposing party, the Democratic, and public feeling ran high before the meeting of the Legislature. Whether an investigation could be had would depend upon the political complexion of that body. The Senate was clearly Anti-Masonic, and the House would depend upon the Representatives of a certain district in Philadelphia, which embraced the Northern Liberties. The returning board of this district had a majority of Democrats, who pro- ceeded to throw out the entire vote of Northern Liberties, for some alleged irregularities, and gave the certificate to Democrats. Whereupon, the minor- ity of the board assembled, and counted the votes of the Northern Liberties, which gave the election to the Anti-Masonic candidates, and sent certificates accordingly. By right and justice, there is no doubt that the Anti-Masons were fairly elected. But the majority of a returning board alone have authority to make returns, and the Democrats had the certificates which bore prima facie evidence of being correct, and should have been received and transmitted to the House, where alone rested the authority to go behind the returns and investigate their correctness. But upon the meeting of the House the Secretary of the Commonwealth sent in the certificates of the minority of the returning board of the Northern Liberties district, which gave the major- ity to the Anti-Masons. But the Democrats were not disposed to submit, and

123

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

the consequence was that two delegations from the disputed district appeared, demanding seats, and upon the organization, two Speakers were elected and took the platform-Thomas S. Cunningham for the Anti-Masons, and Will- iam Hopkins for the Democrats. At this stage of the game, an infuriated lobby, collected from Philadelphia and surrounding cities, broke into the two Houses, and, interrupting all business, threatened the lives of members, and compelled them to seek safety in flight, when they took uncontrolled pos- session of the chambers and indulged in noisy and impassioned harangues. From the capitol, the mob proceeded to the court house, where a "committee of safety " was appointed. For several days the members dared not enter either House, and when one of the parties of the House attempted to assemble, the person who had been appointed to act as Speaker was forcibly ejected. All business was at an end, and the Executive and State Departments were closed. At this juncture, Gov. Ritner ordered out the militia, and at the same time called on the United States authorities for help. The militia, under Gens. Pattison and Alexander, came promptly to the rescue, but the Presidentrefused to furnish the National troops, though the United States storekeeper at the Frankford Arsenal turned over a liberal supply of ball and buckshot cartridges. The arrival of the militia only served to fire the spirit of the lobby, and they immediately commenced drilling and organizing, supplying themselves with arms and fixed ammunition. The militia authorities were, however, able to clear the capitol, when the two Houses assembled, and the Senate signified the willingness to recognize that branch of the House presided over by Mr. Hop- kins. This ended the difficulty, and Gov. Porter was duly inaugurated.

Francis R. Shunk was chosen Governor in 1845, and during his term of office the war with Mexico occurred. Two volunteer regiments, one under command of Col. Wynkoop, and the other under Col. Roberts, subsequently Col. John W. Geary, were sent to the field, while the services of a much larger number were offered, but could not be received. Toward the close of his first term, having been reduced by sickness, and feeling his end approach- ing, Gov. Shunk resigned, and was succeeded by the Speaker of the Senate, William F. Johnston, who was duly chosen at the next annual election. Dur- ing the administrations of William Bigler, elected in 1851, James Pollock in 1854, and William F. Packer in 1857, little beyond the ordinary course of events marked the history of the State. The lines of public works undertaken at the expense of the State were completed. Their cost had been enormous, and a debt was piled up against it of over $40,000,000. These works, vastly expensive, were still to operate and keep in repair, and the revenues therefrom failing to meet expectations, it was determined in the administration of Gov. Pollock to sell them to the highest bidder, the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany purchasing them for the sum of $7,500,000.

In the administration of Gov. Packer, petroleum was first discovered in quantities in this country by boring into the bowels of the earth. From the earliest settlement of the country it was known to exist. As early as July 18, 1627, a French missionary, Joseph Delaroche Daillon, of the order of Recol- lets, described it in a letter published in 1632, in Segard's L'Histoire du Canada, and this description is confirmed by the journal of Charlevois, 1721. Fathers Dollier and Galinee, missionaries of the order of St. Sulpice, made a map of this section of country, which they sent to Jean Talon, Intendent of Canada, on the 10th of November, 1670, on which was marked at about the point where is now the town of Cuba, N. Y., "Fontaine de Bitume." The Earl of Belmont, Governor of New York, instructed his chief engineer, Wolfgang W. Romer, on September 3, 1700, in his visit to the Six Nations,

124

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

" To go and view a well or spring which is eight miles beyond the Seneks' farthest castle, which they have told me blazes up in a flame, when a lighted coale or firebrand is put into it; you will do well to taste the said water, and give me your opinion thereof, and bring with you some of it." Thomas Cha- bert de Joncaire, who died in September, 1740, is mentioned in the journal of Charlevoix of 1721 as authority for the existence of oil at the place mentioned above, and at points further south, probably on Oil Creek. The following account of an event occurring during the occupancy of this part of the State by the French is given as an example of the religious uses made of oil by the Indians, as these fire dances are understood to have been annually celebrated: "While descending the Allegheny, fifteen leagues below the mouth of the Connewango (Warren) and three above Fort Venango (Oil City), we were invited by the chief of the Senecas to attend a religious ceremony of his tribe. We landed and drew up our canoes on a point where a small stream entered the river. The tribe appeared unusually solemn. We marched up the stream about a half a league, where the company, a large band it appeared, had arrived some days before us. Gigantic hills begirt us on every side. The scene was really sublime. The great chief then recited the conquests and heroisms of their ancestors. The surface of the stream was covered with a thick scum, which burst into a complete conflagration. The oil had been gathered and lighted with a torch. At sight of the flames, the Indians gave forth a triumphant shout, and made the hills and valley re-echo again."

In nearly all geographies and notes of travel published during the early period of settlement, this oil is referred to, and on several maps the word petro- leum appears opposite the mouth of Oil Creek. Gen. Washington, in his will, in speaking of his lands on the Great Kanawha, says: "The tract of which the 125 acres is a moiety, was taken up by Gen. Andrew Lewis and myself, for and on account of a bituminous spring which it contains of so inflammable a nat- ure as to burn as freely as spirits, and is as nearly difficult to extinguish." Mr. Jefferson, in his Notes on Virginia, also gives an account of a burning spring on the lower grounds of the Great Kanawha. This oil not only seems to have been known, but to have been systematically gathered in very early times. Upon the flats a mile or so below the city of Titusville are many acres of cradle holes dug out and lined with split logs, evidently constructed for the purpose of gathering it. The fact that the earliest inhabitants could never discover any stumps from which tliese logs were cut. and the further fact that trees are growing of giant size in the midst of these cradles, are evidences that they must have been operated long ago. It could not have been the work of any of the nomadic Indian tribes found here at the coming of the white man, for they were never known to undertake any enterprise involving so much labor, and what could they do with the oil when obtained.

The French could hardly have done the work, for we have no account of the oil having been obtained in quantities, or of its being transported to France. May this not have been the work of the Mound-Builders, or of colo. nies from Central America? When the writer first visited these pits, in 1855, he found a spring some distance below Titusville, on Oil Creek, where the water was conducted into a trough, from which, daily, the oil, floating on its surface, was taken off by throwing a woolen blanket upon it, and then wring- ing it into a tub, the clean wool absorbing the oil and rejecting the water, and in this way a considerable quantity was obtained.

In 1859, Mr. E. L. Drake, at first representing a company in New York, commenced drilling near the spot where this tub was located, and when the company would give him no more money, straining his own resources, and his

125

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

credit with his friends almost to the breaking point, and when about to give up in despair, finally struck a powerful current of pure oil. From this time forward, the territory down the valley of Oil Creek and up all its tributaries was rapidly acquired and developed for oil land. In some places, the oil was sent up with immense force, at the rate of thousands of barrels each day, and great trouble was experienced in bringing it under control and storing it. In some cases, the force of the gas was so powerful on being accidentally fired, as to defy all approach for many days, and lighted up the forests at night with billows of light.

The oil has been found in paying quantities in Mckean, Warren, Forest, Crawford, Venango, Clarion, Butler and Armstrong Counties, chiefly along the upper waters of the Allegheny River and its tributary, the Oil Creek. It was first transported in barrels, and teams were kept busy from the first dawn until far into the night. As soon as practicable, lines of railway were con- structed from nearly all the trunk lines. Finally barrels gave place to im- mense iron tanks riveted upon cars, provided for the escape of the gases, and later great pipe lines were extended from the wells to the seaboard, and to the Great Lakes, through which the fluid is forced by steam to its distant destina- tions Its principal uses are for illumination and lubricating, though many of its products are employed in the mechanic arts, notably for dyeing, mixing of paints, and in the practice of medicine. Its production has grown to be enormous, and seems as yet to show no sign of diminution. We give an ex- hibit of the annual production since its discovery, compiled for this work by William H. Siviter, editor of the Oil City Derrick, which is the acknowledged authority on oil matters:

Production of the Pennsylvania Oil Fields, compiled from the Derrick's Hand-book, December, 1883:

Barrels.

1859

82,000

1873

9,849,508

1860

500,000

1874

11,102,114

1861

2,113,000

1875

8,948,749

1862

3,056,606

1876

9,142,940

1863

2,611,399

1877

.13,052,713

I864

2,116,182

1878

.15,011,425

1865

3,497,712

1879

.20,085,716

1866

3,597,512

1880

.24,788,950

1867

3,347,306

1881

.29,674,458

1868

3,715,741

1882

.31,789,190

1870

5,308,046

1871

5,278,076

A grand total of.

243,749,558

1872

6,505,774

1883

.24,385,966

1869

4,186,475

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History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, Part 17

Author: Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk Number of Pages: 1288

Author:
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1288