“Cornplanter,” the genial and racy correspondent of the Rochester Union, writes from Titusville under date of Jan. 21st, as follows:

It is generally the case that the finding of new territory necessitates the founding of a new “city.” As the McCray farm lies so handy to Petroleum Centre, with all the improvements, society and other advantages. It was quite superfluous to attempt to carry to posterity the name of the fortunate owner thereof in any such way. But the good people who flocked to the old-time haste to Hickory were not so fortunate. With characteristic enterprise they staked out their corner lots, and with a name quite unlike that of any other town every mentioned — Fagundas City — started on their brief career. Already its best days have passed. Now the freely translated name of “Fag-end-us” will be known ere long only in song.

Back of Rouseville, on top of the hills between it and the river, lies still another. The latest born, “Stand-off City,” reminding one of the names once so current in California history.

The section where the most “wild-catting” is going on is at East Sandy, about twelve miles south of Oil City. Although but little oil has been found, yet immense quantities of gas indicate the near presence of petroleum. So powerful is the flow of gas there that it is used to drive engines in place of steam — something before unheard of.

The number of wells now drilling (less than 150) is less than for any time during the last two years. But the advancing prices will soon set the business of prospecting going quite as lively as ever. When prices range between four- and five-dollars, business is good and grows better as the figures increase. At less than four dollars the production of oil is followed at a loss.

Although there are many wells producing fifty barrels, a few crowding a hundred, yet the majority of wells are so small that the average is only six barrels. You will thus see that twenty-five hundred wells are in operation. During the last two years, the practice of using large boilers having a capacity sufficient to run from four to ten wells each, has very extensively prevailed. As this is at once followed by a large reduction in expenses, it has come into very general favor, and scores of wells are now in operation, which, under the old style, would have succumbed to the times. I think Messrs. Woodbury, Booth & Co., of your city, made the first boiler used in this way. The experiment having proved a success, a large number of their boilers have been sent here, giving that abundant satisfaction to the operators which good, square work always affords.

The business of refining oil has largely increased during the year. If the present rate of increase continues, before the year closes, we shall refine more oil in this city than in any other one place in the world. Permanency is the rule now, and all the latest improvements in the business can here be found. Messrs. Porter, Moreland & Co. have in successful operation one of the most perfect establishments to be found. With the additions [they’re] now making, they will have, before the month closes, the second largest refinery in the country.

In addition to the refineries owned by our citizens, preparations are being made for the removal to this place of one of the largest refineries in Cleveland.

These refineries, let me say, are not the “one-horse affairs” with which New York and other states are dotted, but establishments capable of putting through from five hundred to one thousand barrels per day.

Refining business, on the Creek, has always labored under heavy loads. One of these has been the necessity of freighting all of the acid (which is very largely used) hither, and another the outrageous freight charges of the Oil Creek Railway, our only outlet. These are to be speedily removed. A large manufactory is in course of erection, where all the acid used in this section will be made, thus making a great saving in this article alone.

Then in a week or two, we shall have the new Union & Titusville Railway in operation. This road runs hence to Union, a station eleven miles west of Corry, where it forms a connection with the Atlantic and Great Western Railway branch of the Erie. I do not suppose there was ever a case where such an unanimous feeling existed in any place as is felt here in regard to this railroad question. So persistent have the managers of the Oil Creek road been in their schemes for putting outrageous burdens upon this community which were so dependent upon them, and they are a hissing and a byword. The only thing which made their action at all endurable has been the fact that they had the foresight to secure for their underofficers [sic], men of courtesy and tact who sugar-coated the nauseous doses they were compelled to administer.

Since I last wrote you, the growth of this city has been very great. The number of large buildings, elegant dwellings erected, and permanent improvements generally made, were largely in excess of any other period. Every indication points to a still greater degree of activity for the next season. With five-dollar oil, there will (seemingly) be no limit to it.

Rochester has its “Powers’ Block,” justly the pride of its citizens — and Titusville has its Parshall Hotel and Opera House, which last Miss Kellogg certified as being as fine a “House” as she had seen. It bears the palm from all the cities of Western Pennsylvania, leaving Pittsburgh quite in the shade.

Next season we are to have any amount of improvements. Nicholson pavements, sewers, and, let us hope, waterworks. We are going to have our charter fixed up, as well as your people, and if we can’t get enough oil to pay for these little matters — why we’ll issue bonds and have our property liened [sic] on — we will.

After several very slim attempts, the Democrats have succeeded in establishing a first-class daily and weekly paper, the Courier, which is a very creditable paper, and will be an efficient laborer in the next great campaign. It is edited by Mr. J. T. Henry, formerly of your state, and owned by a stock company.

Its publication has proved that this section can support two first-class papers.

Our old friend, the Herald, as you have daily evidence, presents its clearly printed pages, with the news of the day, and paying advertisements. You need no introduction to the general staff, but one of its editors, from whose pen you have quoted many articles (you may remember the article published by you last summer, giving an analysis of our different “springs”), it will do you good to know. I refer to its oil editor, Mr. Leonard, one of the most painstaking of the brethren, in compiling the valuable statistics which form so essential a portion of a petroleum journal.

As this is the first infliction after more than a year’s peace, I think, my friend, you’ll appreciate a pause.

As ever,

Cornplanter