hv_coatesi_account_1798_019

for four dollars per gallon. A year or two laterwhen Isaac Coates again passed through thissection of the country, he speaks of there being a greatimprovement at this place. A young man by thename of Titus, had purchased 400 acres of land, the most of it rich bottom, He had then about 36acres of excellent corn in the ground, and a consider-able quantity of wheat in stock, A large spring of excellent water near the door, large enough to turn abreast mill, That upon the whole I think hisfarm likely in time to be of most inestimable value. He says the oil which was collected from thesurface of the waters, was principally valued formedicinal purposes, and had long been used inthat way by the Indians. He then had no ideaof the wonderful changes which would be effectedin it by the sinking of oil wells, and the consequentenormous developement of the production andtrade in petroleum. Now let us return to "Our Travellers" who left this desirable place the nextmorning which was white with frost tho' it wasthe 15th of 5th month. Set off for Broken Straw, a largestream of water. After riding two miles weentered a white pine forest, where the HollandCompany has a saw mill, and is erecting agrist mill, tho' there are but few houses within twenty miles.* * but people came there 20, 25, or more miles with bags of grain on a horse, to be ground, therebeing no road that any carriage can pass; Indeed to those who have not seen these mountainous new countries it would appear impracticable to pass with a single horse. This is the first pine woods worthnoticing since we crossed the mountains, To this