Herodotus mentions the oil pits of Babylon, and Pliny informs us
that this oil was actually used for lighting in certain parts of
Sicily. It had never become an object of universal use, simply
because no one had discovered how to obtain it in sufficient
quantities. No one had suspected, indeed, that petroleum existed
practically in the form of great subterranean rivers, lakes, or
even seas. For ages this great natural treasure had been seeking
to advertise its presence by occasionally seeping through the
rocks and appearing on the surface of watercourses. It had been
doing this all over the world--in China, in Russia, in Germany,
in England, in our own country. Yet our obtuse ancestors had for
centuries refused to take the hint. We can find much cause for
self-congratulation in that it was apparently the American mind
that first acted upon this obvious suggestion.

In Venango County, Pennsylvania, petroleum floated in such
quantities on the surface of a branch of the Allegheny River that
this small watercourse had for generations been known as Oil
Creek. The neighboring farmers used to collect the oil and use it
to grease their wagon axles; others, more enterprising, made a
business of gathering the floating substance, packing it in
bottles, and selling it broadcast as a medicine. The most famous
of these concoctions, "Seneca Oil," was widely advertised as a
sure cure for rheumatism, and had an extensive sale in this
country. "Kier's Rock Oil" afterwards had an even more extended
use. Samuel M. Kier, who exploited this comprehensive cure-all,
made no lasting contributions to medical science, but his method
of obtaining his medicament led indirectly to the establishment
of a great industry. In this western Pennsylvania region salt
manufacture had been a thriving business for many years; the salt