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One problem the company faced was how best to produce the -
______(1) from the land. The company directors knew that it was not
efficient to simply let the oil flow out of the _______(2) and scoop it
from the ground. Others who had collected oil in this manner obtained
merely a _______(3) (a few litres) or two a day. Seneca Oil's purpose
was to produce large amounts of oil and market it in the populous
northeastern U.S. Somebody in the company—no one knows who –
came up with the idea of drilling a well to ______(4) the oil.
_______(5)was not a new concept, for people had been drilling
________ (6) wells in the Titusville area for years. Interestingly, many
of these saltwater wells also produced oil, which the salt drillers
considered a nuisance because it contaminated the salt.

Another issue facing the fledgling oil company was the need to
hire someone to oversee the drilling project in ________ (7).
Eventually, board member Townsend met and hired ________ (8) to
represent Seneca's interests at the Oil Creek site. At the time, Drake
was an unemployed rail-road conductor, but he had two things going
for him. First, because he was out of work, he had plenty of time to
devote to the project. Second, Drake had a railroad pass, which
allowed him free travel to Pennsylvania. As a final touch, Townsend
gave Drake the rank of _________(9), which sounded considerably
more prestigious than just plain mister. With that, Colonel Drake went
to Titusville.

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