Career Of E. L. Drake, The Discoverer Of Petroleum In America

Colonel E. L. Drake, the man who first diseovered oil in Pennsylvania, diel on Tuesday last at South Bethlehem, Pa. His lile was a very romantic one, the details of which we gatber iroin the Titusville flerald : It was the old story of patienee under difficulties, persevcrance under many discouragemcnts, personal faith in the midst of unbelievers and gainsayers. Others may have helped with money or with couu.,el, others may have "told you so,"' tlFl the faotretnaiusiu living toBtiuaony that "Drake first struck oil." So that as rnucb as Fulton's name is associated with steuiu navigation, and Stephenson's with eteam locomotion, so Drake' s will go down iu the same category of immortals, wherever this petroleum light travels or burns, and awakeos scientifio or historica! inquiry as to by whom, when, and where it was brought into the world of civilization. Colonel Drake did cot possess any monevniiik HL' propensity or capacity. He got no stock trom the company, as lie was led to believe he should, after successful dcvelopment. It is true tbat he opoe owned a tract of twenty-five acres in this city, not in the haart, but in the thickly settled portion of it, boundud by Main and iMartin, by Drako and the Spring Creek road. It cost biui but $4,lK)0, and ho ouly paid $5(K) down, to Jonathan Watson, and Mr. Watson repurchased it and paid Drake $12,000, lesa the ürst purehase uiom'y. HIS OWN WORST ENE.MY. Uut money he couldn't keep. lie was a generous liver; he rude iu his uaniago; he took uo thought of the uaorrow, for with child like fiimplicity, which was part of his character, he said to-morrow shall be as this dy, aiid much more abundant. Colonel Drake was a natural aristocrat, and proud of hil dinnnBt frmn Drake of revolutionary faine, vbow sword lie inherited as a faniily n:lie. But he had done enough. Inspired lor the purpose by a resllcss bnpnlM he could not control as by a divine instinct, he pursued his research into Nature's Becret8 with a singleuess of aim and intrti.-ity of zeal which often passes for iii;inity, but which charactcrized thone rare men who secm born to accomplish something in this life and with üttle time or poor help to da t in. STORY OK H1S LIFE. Edwin L. Drake was bom at Greenvüle, Oreen oounty, N. Y., Mareh 29, 1819, and ¦was tberefore in his 63d year at the time of his death. His parents were farmers in very moderate circumstances. The fainily consisted of two sons, of whom Edwin was the eldest. The brother, on reaching iiianhood, emigrated to the far we-rt, where he dicd about tlie time Colonel Drake was boring the first oil wcll on Watson's Flats. When Edwin was about 8 years of' ago the lamily moved to Oastleton, Vt., and the two boys receivod an ordinary oommon flninl eduoation. The childhood of the Drake boys was that of the average farmer' s sons, and possesses but a single incident worthy of record. That was a boyish dream, producing little iinpression at the time, but assuming prophetic importance whon recalled by the events of' later years. He had fallen asleep one afternoon and drcamed that, Msbteu by his brother, he had gathered a huge pile of t-traw in the wheat field for a bon 6re. A light was applied, auil tor a time the flanies wero watchod witli boyiah de light. Bat the flanies began to spread along tin1 ground. SETTING THE WORLD ON FIRE. Their frantic efforts to quench them were of no avail. The fire spread on, rising higher and liiirhcr, and burning fiercer and liereer. It folio wed their terrified footsteps as thcy fled in dismay to their mother. lieaching the house, the conscience-sl rieken Edwin buried his face in her lap and confoMCd the deed. She led hiiugently tothe door, and, watchiog the flatnei for a moment, fcaid gently and without reproach : " My son, yuu have set the world on fire." Thiriy years later, when the tanks of his first well burst and ihe burning oil spread over tlie surface of theeret'k, were ealled his mother's words, with a momentary suspicion, perhaps, that they were to be lul - tilled. And, in a certain sense, if' not licerally, they have been fulfilled - he did set the world on fire. At the age of 19 Mr. Drake I.E1T HOME TO SEEK HIS FORTUNE, turning his face toward that Mecca of young uieu's ambition, the west. At Buffalo hü enguged as a night clerk on the steamer Wiscousin, plying between Buffalo and Detroit. At the close of the season he went to his uncle's near Ann Arbor, Mich., and worked on his farm for about a year. He was next, for two years, clerk in a hotel at Tecumseh. Returning Kast, he passel three years in New 1 laven, Conn., as a clerk in a dry goods store. While there he ruarried, and his wife falling into a lingering illnes8, it became necessaxy toseek country air, and they removed to her home at Spriugfield, Mass. There Mr. Drake aceepteu the position of expresa agent on the Boston and Albany railroad at a salary of $50 per nionth. Ile held this position uutil 1849, resigning it to accept tVe offico of conductor on the New York and Ne Haven railroad. This position he held for aearly ten years, only resigning it to embark in .lie enterprise whioh has made hia name t'amous. THE CHECKERED CAREER BEGINS. In 1854 his wife died, leaving him one ehild. His home was broken up, and he boarded until '57, when he was again rnarried to Laura Dow, of New Haven, who has been to him during his checkered oareer a loving companion and counselor in the brighter hours, and a devoted supporter and comforter in the dark patLs of adversity. During the suturner of' 1857 Mr. Drake wus compelled to give up work for awhile, on account of ill health. Some time beforc he had invested $200 in stock of ihe Petroleum Koek Oil company, and lus interest in that concern led him to devote this period ofenforced idleness to a general ovestigation of the subject and prospect of petro leunt. With the history of the stock companies formed for THE DEVELOPMENT OP OIL, their various legal complications, and the steps which finally led to Mr. Drake'sbeiDg sent to 'f itusville, there is neither time nor space to deal in this artiele, and they are points familiar to everyone at all acquainted with the developmept of the petroleum iudus-try. It is suffioient to say that in the spring of' 1858, baving made a brief preliminary visit the preceding fall, Mr. Drake found himself in Titusville with his family. as the representative of the "Séneca üil company," with a salary of $1,000 a year. The company had provided him with a fund of $1,000 with which tocommence operations. He first tarted up theabandoned surface works of the Pennsylvania Rock Oil company, and then cast about for an experienced diiller to put down an artesian well. Uut a SUCCESSION OF DISCOURAQINO DELAY8 occurred, and it was not until June, 1859, that " Únele Billy Smitb" and his two sons arrived in Titusville ready to commence operations. The work progressed slowly, and with iuany delays, until Saturday afternoon, Aug. 28th, 1859, as Mr. Smith and his sons were about to quit work for the day, the drill dropped into a creviee of about six inches, making the total depth of the well stxtynine and one half feet. The {ools were withdrawn, and luid away for ''over Sunday." Sunday afternoon, howevur, Unclc Billy went to the well to reconnoitbr, and, looking down the tubs, saw fluid about ten feet from the surface. He plugged one end of the tin rain-water ppout and let it down with a string. He drew it up tilled with petroleum. The next day the pump was adjustcl, and the well com menced producing at the rate of about twenty-five barrels per day. The news flew like lightninfi, and the yillage was wild with excitement. The history of ihe resulting development is too familiar to need repetition. Col. Drake did not fully realize tho MINE OF WEALTII which had been opened, and complaccntly pumped his well while others seized the golden opportunity and securcd ihe lands along the creek, which could then bc obtained for a song. In 1860 Colonel Drake was elected justioe of the peace for Titusville, an office then worth about $3,000 a year, from the mullitudo of loases to be drawn or acknowledged. He also bought oil for Thieffin Bros., of' New York. In 1863 he sold his property and went to New York, where the $15,000 or $20,000 he had accumulated in the oil regióos were speedily absorbed in Wall street's maelstrooi. His health gave way, and upon bis noble wife devolved the ]roviion for the future. She removed the family to Verinont, with the little she had been able to save from the wreek. But bis bealth continued to fail, and his physician advised the Beaair. The use of a cottage was offered them on the highlands of Neversink, near Ling Branch, N. J., and thither they removed. THEIR TROÜBLE8 KEPENED ; their fundí wercexhausted, and his discase developed intoan agonizing ncuralgicaflection of the spine, which constantly threatened piralysis. Mrs. Drake made superhuman exertions to find bread for the poor helpless ohildren with her needie, but it was imponible. With the utmost difficulty she raised the eighty cents necessary to take her husband to New York, where he was to ïnake an effort to obtain a situation for his eldest son among his old ancos. Tbera he was niet by Z. Marlin, OÍ this city, who drew fioui him his welcned story. Providing hiiu with money f'or hi.s present neces-sitiew, Ir. Martin, on return to the oil retkm, tnade known his dútreas. With characteristio ({enerosity a f'und of $1,200 was rai-od among the prominent oil men, whieh was wisely cotuuiitted to the management of Mra. Drako. lu 1870 tli f'amily removed to Betbleheni, in this t:ite, where they have sineiresided. In 1873 the legislature grantcd Colonel Drake a pension oí' $1,501) a year during lifo or tlie lif'e of his wiie.