THE TIM BUNKER PAPERS. 265 



more than I saw. There is no kind of doubt that the 

 bowels of the earth is full of ile.&quot; 



&quot; And do you suppose, Timothy, it is prepared for the 

 great conflagration of which the Bible speaks ? &quot; inter 

 rupted Mrs. Bunker. 



&quot; I couldn t say as to that. I guess it will light up a 

 good many parlors and kitchens before it will help burn 

 up the world. You d be astonished to see the quantity 

 that comes into the city from the West, and the quantity 

 that goes out of it to the East. Why, what a change it 

 has made in all our houses ! Just think of the different 

 sorts of lights we have had since we went to housekeep 

 ing ! Tallow candles, with tow wicks that you used to 

 spin from the tow from my hatchel, dipped in tallow about 

 Christmas ; then candles with cotton wicks, and run in 

 moulds, six in a bunch ; then whale oil lamps ; then cam- 

 phene and burning fluid, and lastly, kerosene, the best of 

 all.&quot; 



&quot; Du tell if kerosene is the same thing that comes out 

 of the ile wells ! I thought they called it ketrolum, or 

 some sich name.&quot; 



&quot; That is it, neighbor Frink, only kerosene is Petroleum, 

 after it is purified at the factories.&quot; 



&quot; Wall, neow, du ye think there is any chance for me to 

 make money easy in these ile companies ? &quot; 



&quot; I shall have to say yes and no according to circum 

 stances ; just as I would say about gold mining. There 

 is, no doubt, plenty of gold in California, Idaho, and the 

 Rocky Mountains in general. But it is my private opinion, 

 that if all the money and labor expended in those regions 

 had been applied to the soil in regular farming, or othei 

 common industrial pursuits, they would have produced 

 more property and more happiness than can be found in 

 those countries now. A fe\v lucky adventurers have made 

 fortunes, but the most who have gone thither have either 

 failed, or got a bare support. Thousands upon thousands 



