SOMETHING ABOUT OIL. 277 



of making a superficial and deceptive display of her 

 wealth. 



But there is no illusion that has levied a heavier tax 

 upon the folly and credulity of oil-seekers than the bitu 

 minous smell emitted by certain rocks, accompanied gen 

 erally by the visible presence of more or less of the bitu 

 minous matter. The Corniferous limestone must take the 

 praise of being the most successful fool-detective of any 

 touchstone ever applied to the herd of oil-seekers. This 

 limestone is very remarkable for the general abundance of 

 oily and bituminous matters disseminated through it. Not 

 unfrequently fragments of the rock present a black color 

 and unmistakable pitchy smell, which are quite seductive. 

 I have often seen it dripping with a tarry exudation which 

 could be gathered up. Nay, I have seen clear petroleum 

 flowing from small cavities in the formation, and published 

 statements of the phenomenon as early as 1859 and 1860. 

 Nevertheless, the conditions of oil - accumulation are not 

 fulfilled in this formation, and, as a historical fact, no 

 productive well is known to be supplied from the forma 

 tion. 



These observations were made by certain geologists 

 while yet the oil excitement continued at its height. 

 They were published to the world as warnings against 

 the deceptive solicitations to investment which this for 

 mation presented. And yet men daily suffered themselves 

 to be deceived. A thousand dollars spent in drilling a 

 hole in this limestone was cheerfully paid by men who 

 could not be persuaded to offer five cents for the endow 

 ment of a chair of geology in some reputable college or 

 university. Hundreds of such holes were bored. The 

 business had the mysterious fascinations of a lottery. The 

 failure of a company at Toledo did not deter from an iden 

 tical venture in Sandusky. A dozen failures in the neigh- 



