Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 September 1891 — BURMESE OIL MILLS. [ARTICLE]

BURM ESE OIL MILLS.

Primitive and Dangerous Method of Securlng4>etroleum. = Dr. Noetling, of the Ind&pQeological Survey, to whose repdft?on the petroleum deposits of Bur®S.h*reference has already been made, gives an in. foresting description of the nativ* method of digging the wells. As soon us a native has made up his mind where he is going to have a new well, the workmen, usually four in number, begin to dig a square shaft, th» sides ol which measure between 4 feet and 4 feet 6 inches. Over this pit a crossbeam, supported on stanchions at eithei side, is-placed, in the centre of which ‘is a small wooden drum or cylinder, which, with its axis, is made of a single piece of wood, the latter running on coarse fork-shaped supports. The leather rope used in hauling up the oil passes over the drum, and on it is fastened the workman who is going to bo lowered down, as well as the common earthenware pot in which the oil is drawn up. If possible the welt is so placed that the men or women drawing the rope walk down an inclined plane along the slope of a hill. The tools employed in digging are quite primitive and can only be used in soft strata. Timber is used to support the walls of the shaft, and the latter is lined with wood. This wooden wall has consideable strength, but is has to be carefully watched lest it should give way.

The workmen are lowered in an ingenious way. The man sits on two slings formed of strong rope running between his legs and knotted over his left shoulder. To prevent sliding, a thin rope runs down from the knot, across the breast, underneath the right shoulder to the back, where it is fastened to the rope forming the slings. A second rope for the same purpose is Listened around the hips. On account of the explosive gas filling the shaft no light can be taken down; the workman, therefore, ties up his eyes previously to descending so as to enable him to see during the short time he is in the well, otherwise it would take him longer to accustom his eyes to the darkness than he is able to stay do wn, on account of the gas, which renders breathing difficult. The data obtained by Dr, Noetling as to the time occupied in the ascent and descent, and the period during which tiie laborer can remain below, show that not 25 per cent of the total working time is really spent in extracting the oil. Two hundred and ninety seconds is the longest time any man, however strong, can remain below without becoming unconscious, while in some he can only remain sixty seconds. With increasing depths the difficulties in obtaining the oil after the Burmese methods become insuperable. Hence the limit is ol(J feet and the workers object to more than 250 feet. The drawing up of the oil is as primitive as everything else. The rope is fastened round the neck of the ball-shaped not and, being lowbred, is allowed to fill bv sinking in the oil below. The oil thu3 raised is poured into another pot of the same shape, but much larger, and twelve of these are packed on each country cart.

Women Who Fight the Tiger. ••• Gambling-among some of our fair women says a New York letter has become such a craze that in several instances they have had to sell their jewels in order to obtain money enough, to pay their debts. Poker ia their favorite game, and it has played Sad havoc with many a dainty, wellstocked jewel casket. Two well-known society women, one young and the other rather advanced, have been especially unfortunate- A considerable difference in their appearance at the opera and whatever places they have been wont to flash their gems 'in will he noticeable. Both husbands have refused point blank to settle their wives’ “debts of honor.” At a big hotel on the sound, which, perhaps, has a scarcely enviable reputation, every evening during the summer was spent by married women and .young girls in the rather dainty eard-roofne, making a business of card-playing. At first tiie limit was kept at a low figure, just enough to make it interesting; but as tbe season passed and the women became more infatuated it was gradua’ly allowed to become larger. Some of these devotees were mothers of large families, and needed rest after their winter’s social and household duties, but they gambled with a reckless nervousness that is always observable in a woman at a poker-table. They frequently played until morning, and "were a nervous, dragged-out set when the hotel closed its doors and they came back to town.

lilkri Horae Customs Best. At the Isles of Shoals they tell the tale that a lecturer went thither to lecture to the assemble! guests upon the character and characteristics of the Japanese, and in the course'Of his remarks he dwelt upon the two facts that the self-contained people do not use expletives, profanity being unknown in their land, and that equally are they ignorant of the goodly fashion of kissing. These st itcments had their due effect upon the audience, it being observed that the masculine portion of the bearers were the more impressed by the former statement andthe feminine portion by the latter. As the audience was dispersing, with all the clatter of comment, gossip and banter which belongs to such a gathering, one young woman was overheard confiding to another her sentiments in a phrase which was at once most human, expressive and picturesque. “As for me,she said, “give me*a country where they kiss nod cuss!” It was felt that on the whole she might be regarded as having pretty well sized up the situation. Do Voa Wat • Jokl There hre only five professional ion-tamers in this country, with over :JQ lions to be kept tame and in a >eagpful state of mind. The salary of i tamer is never less than SSO per week, and some of them get SIOO. It is a light and easy employment, no regilur hours, and always brings free okets with it