In those early days all the arrangements were of the crudest character.

When the oil was obtained it was run into flat-bottomed boats which leaked badly.

Water ran into the boats and the oil overflowed into the river.
The creek was dammed at various places, and upon a stipulated day and hour the dams were opened and upon the flood the oil boats floated to the Allegheny River, and thence to Pittsburgh.
In this way not only the creek, but the Allegheny River, became literally covered with oil.

The loss involved in transportation to Pittsburgh was estimated at fully a third of the total quantity, and before the oil boats started it is safe to say that another third was lost by leakage.

The oil gathered by the Indians in the early days was bottled in Pittsburgh and sold at high prices as medicine--a dollar for a small vial.