in the extreme north-west of Washington Territory, furnishes coal of compensating quality and quantity. The quality of that taken from Coos Bay is above the average on the coast. Considerable quantities have also been brought into the San-Francisco market from Monte Diabolo. The growth and promise of the coal-trade on the Pacific coast may be indicated by the following estimate of imports into San Francisco since 1860:

These figures show a very large relative increase of coals in use from the Pacific coal-fields; a tendency which is likely to increase.

But the great coal-regions of the United States are in the East, and chiefly in Pennsylvania.

Anthracite "coal was first employed at a forge in Wyoming Valley, close to the scene of its production, by a blacksmith, in 1775. In 1778, a nailer in the same place is known to have employed it in his factory; and, twenty years after (that is, in 1808), he contrived a grate for burning it as fuel in his house. It was not, however, until 1829, that any extensive mining operations were commenced at that most appropriately named village, Carbondale; which, about 1832, began to send regular supplies of coals to Philadelphia. The construction of railroads, the increase of population, and the consequent increase in the price of other articles of fuel, soon, however, stimulated the supply of coal." *

Sir Morton Peto, 173-175.

Bituminous coal first appeared in Philadelphia in 1845; and, in 1860, the quantity "raised" in the United States was 6,218,080 tons. The sources of this supply were as follows:

Now, add to this the amount of anthracite coal from Pennsylvania, 8,115,842 tons, and you have the aggregate of "coals raised in the United States in 1860, 14,333,992 tons." For the sake of comparison, we give the following coal produce of the world during the same year, or from the returns nearest that year:

Of this large amount, 14,333,922 tons from the United States must be regarded as a small proportion, especially in view of the fact that our territory includes "nearly threefourths of the coal-areas of the principal coal-producing countries of the world."

It must be considered, however, that our country yet in

cludes immense forests of excellent fuel. Wood is more or less available everywhere, and abundant in many portions of our States: as this diminishes, and as railways and steam navigation increase, facilitating and cheapening the passage of freight, our immense and inexhaustible coal-fields will be proportionally developed, and this source of wealth largely increased.

Petroleum, or rock-oil, has been known to exist for a long period. In Sicily, the Island of Zante, and on the shores of the Caspian, on the banks of the Irrawaddy, and in the colony of Trinidad, this article has been found and used, but not in such quantities as to attract general attention.

In America, the most remarkable discoveries have been recently made; and, by American enterprise, it has become an article of great commercial importance: while the phenomena connected with its production are objects of great interest, and astonishing even to men of science.

The Indians are said to have known of rock-oil in Oilcreek Valley, and used it for medicinal purposes. An article in "The Massachusetts Magazine," as early as 1791, described the locality, and stated that soldiers collected oil at the springs, and found it to be good for rheumatism and a gentle purgative.

But Mr. Patterson of Pennsylvania first converted this production to a practical use for lubricating the machinery of a cotton-factory in Pittsburg. This was in 1845. Some ten years later, the Pennsylvania Rock-oil Company was formed in New York, with Professor Silliman at its head. The company collected surface-oil only, until 1858, when Col. Drake commenced sinking a well. After one failure, he "struck oil" at a depth of seventy-one feet. "On the tools being withdrawn, oil rose to within five inches of the surface. This well yielded at once four hundred, and afterwards a thousand, gallons a day."

Another excitement now came on, equalling, if not exceeding, the rage for gold and silver and copper in Califor

nia. Lands in the neighborhood of the Drake Well rose to fabulous prices. Wells were sunk in great numbers. Some "prospectors" sunk fortunes in sinking wells; but others rose suddenly from extreme poverty to affluence in a day. The first "flowing well" was on the farm of a poor man by the name of Funk. Oil was struck in June, 1861; and the well immediately began to pour out two hundred and fifty barrels a day. It flowed on for fifteen months, and then ceased. Another, on the Tarr Farm, " yielded two thousand barrels daily; and the Empire Well yielded three thousand barrels daily."

It was now difficult to obtain vessels for the oil, and vast quantities flowed away in "Oil Creek." A glut in the market resulted; but this was temporary. Prospecting went on; new discoveries followed. Towns and cities sprang up as if by magic. Flat-boats and various craft went down. the Alleghany freighted with oil; and the Atlantic and Great Western Railway was driven forward with great energy to reach the "oil regions," and claim its share in the enormous "carrying" profits of this new and wonderful dis

covery.

66

Corey," a poor farm, became a central city. In four years, it reached some 10,000 inhabitants; had "nearly twenty banks, and two newspapers." "The quotations made in the oil exchange at Corey, whether of oil, gold, or breadstuffs, influenced Wall Street," and its business rose to some $15,000,000 annually. All this in four years. Oil City, and especially Pithole, rose to the rank of rivals in excitement and business.

Of course, great fluctuation would occur in this novel business. Many would expend thousands, and even millions, and fail to find the flowing oil. Some of the most productive wells would become "sullen," irregular, and then cease to flow. Thousands would bitterly rue the day when they invested their all in oil; while the sudden affluence of others would throw upon the Fifth Avenue and into Saratoga a new race of aristocrats.

The statistics of this trade are yet quite imperfect. Some idea of its growing importance may be obtained, however, from the exports of a few years. They were as follow:

The yield of the entire oil-district of Pennsylvania was estimated from 80,600 to 90,000 barrels a week; say 400,000 barrels per annum. "The quantity forwarded from the stations of the Atlantic and Great Western Railway was 533 barrels in 1863, and 675,028 barrels in 1864." "The aver

age prices show a heavy rise, despite the largely-increased production : "

The supply must be considered inexhaustible; while the demand will inevitably increase, adding another source of enormous wealth to the people of the United States.

Iron is an indispensable agent of civilization. To have left the territory of the United States destitute of this valuable metal would not agree with the theory of this book, that God had predetermined to constitute here a large, free, and independent nation. No such strange omission or contradiction can occur in the divine puposes and action. Whoever from the beginning entertained the true idea of the plans of Providence must have expected to find here abundant supplies of a material without which independence would have been quite impossible.

Iron-ore, fit for all the ordinary uses of industry, and capable of being wrought into the finest of steel, is abundant