THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY OF CANADA 



doubly valuable, but dry wells frequently became pro- 

 ducers. Another unlooked for result of the use of nitro- 

 glycerine was the reviving of the Oil Springs' field, result- 

 ing in the making of another crop of rich men. In the 

 previous rush to get away from Oil Spring, oil farms were 

 abandoned or sold for next to nothing. Those who secured 

 them were exceedingly fortunate. The wells were shot 

 and at once became large producers, and the field took its 

 place as a steady source of supply. 



The nitro-glycerine trade is probably one of the most 

 dangerous in the world, and big wages have always had to 

 be paid the "shooters" who also made the chemical. 

 Considering the carelessness of the men and the enormous 

 quantities of the explosive used, very few accidents 

 occurred. It is generally understood that with nitro- 

 glycerine a man only makes one mistake. From time to 

 time the factories blew up, generally with loss in life and 

 nothing left to mark the place but a huge hole and few 

 scattered remains of men and boards in the distance. 



The petroleum industr}^ seems to have been a very 

 fortunate one. Some new discovery was always coming to 

 light just at the right time. Again we have a discovery 

 coming to its aid ; this time not a method connected with 

 the production of the crude oil, but a method that made the 

 petroleum of itself more valuable. The tarry residue, after 

 the first distillation of the oil, was generally considered 

 useless except as a fuel. An old oil man, by the name of 

 John MacMillan, invented a process for the extraction of 

 paraffine wax and lubricating oils from the residue. This 

 immediately added to the value of the petroleum, as here- 

 tofore the tar had been wasted. This discovery made the 

 tar almost as valuable as the illuminating oil, thus doubling 

 the value of the crude oil. 



With these various discoveries the oil business grew, 

 and gradually a feeling of confidence in its permanency 

 took possession of those interested in it. The fields were 



