Glossary

Loading Oil, Petrolea

bitumen: Any of various flammable mixtures of hydrocarbons and other substances, occurring naturally or obtained by distillation from coal or petroleum, that are a component of asphalt and tar and are used for surfacing road and for waterproofing. Also called gum beds.
Canadian rig: A portable drilling rig that could easily be constructed and taken down. It was used all over the world, wherever Canadian drillers travelled. It consisted of a cutting tool that was attached to a vertical pole and suspended from a cross pole on a post. Canadian drillers used a treadle to punch their way through the earth by lifting and dropping a heavy bit.
crude : a form of oil that is extracted directly from the ground that has not been refined; it is in its natural state.
derrick : A tall framework over a drilled hole, especially an oil well, used to support boring equipment or to hoist and lower lengths of pipe.
Enniskillen Township : a small township located in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It includes such towns as Sarnia, Wyoming, Petrolia and Oil Springs. It is famous for its history in the oil industry.
gumbeds: see bitumen
jerker lines: 2in x 2in(5.08cm X 5.08cm) fir poles cut to 30ft(9.14m) lengths which are hooked together lengthwise and run from the field wheel to all the wells needing power. They are hung from wooden poles set into the ground. The jerker lines (rods) are hung from these poles with wire hangers which hold them up and allow them to swing back and forth. Also called jerker rods.
spring pole rig: A long sturdy pole, usually ash, was placed parallel to the ground, and fastened to the ground at one end. The pole was set into a Y-shaped fulcrum and a heavy drilling bit was suspended from the other end by a chain. It was lowered down a hole that had previously been hand-dug or drilled down to the rock. A treadle was constructed at the top of the hole, and attached to the spring pole. When the treadle was stepped on, the spring action of the bowed tree would lift and lower the iron bit. Each step would sink the bit further into the rock, and after a certain depth was reached, another link would be added to the chain.
three pole derrick: A tall framework consisting of three poles over a drilled hole, especially an oil well, used to support boring equipment or to hoist and lower lengths of pipe. They were used mainly in the 19th century, until they were replaced by sturdier derricks.
treadle: A lever that is operated with the foot
walking beam: A large beam that has one end attached to the jerker line and the other end attached to the pump deep underground. When the jerker line pulls away from the well, one end of the walking beam is pulled down, and the other end is raised up, pulling the pump at the top. In this way, the wells help pump one another with their weight.