The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-02-21

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Whether it will be demonstrated that the |
whole Des Moines valley rests in oil. and
it requires only boring 10 bring streams
of the olesginous stuff 10 the surface
that is the question. That it may exist
is probable. If it does exist that it will
add immensely to the wealth of the valley
and the State is incontrovertible. More
attention has been paid to the search for
oil indications near Des Moines than at
any other place in the valley. In this
search the editors of the Register have
joined. The record of their proceedings
herein is given in Saturdays paper. We
quote:
Messrs. C. Fl. Rawscn, G. w. Give.
land, John Browne, Seward Smith, and
the Senior Editor of the Register. on
Tuesday last proceeded to Rising Sun,
AID thence proceeded 10 the farm Of Will
liam DePew, about halt mile distant on
the road leading 20 Adeiphi. Here the
party found well close by the road,
about twelve feet in depth. which was
dug last fall to supply tue cattle on the
farm with water. An oily scum was
plainly perceptlble upon the surface of the
water, and on careful examination, it pre-.
scented every APPEARANCE of good petro-
leum. BY standing over the mouth of the
we'll. the odor of the oil was manifest be.
yqnd cavil. Of course, the visitors as
sumed tina. all OF these appearances might
be the result simply of an ingenious sys
tenn of "salting," aud attached very lit,le
importance to the developments. From
this point the visitors proceeded to a
spring on the bank OF Spfing Greek, on
the ilne between Camp and Four Mile
townships, owned BY an honest farmer
named Strain. The spring was st the
base Of series 81 high and steep bluffs,
and was led by three distinct, strong veins
of water On the surface of tue spring
there was plainly visible considerable
deposit Of al olesglnous substance, which
when collected by placing The palm of the
hand ON the surface Of the water, proved
itself to be iudublably fne specimen Of
Rock Oil or Petroleum. This too, u
curse, might have been imported from
Pennsy ivania or some other oli-pfoducinq
State, for ali that the visitors knew, and
In order to satisfy thems alves and the
public, they drained the pripg as thor.
oughly as they could. and removed as
much OF the loose mud of the bottom az
J could be easily displaced, and watched
the appearance Of the water as the new
supply flowed in from the veins Oh
"sipes." From each vein the appearance
of oil was as palpable as could be desired
and when the basin of the sprng was en-.
tireiy hlied, the prismatic coIors indica.
tive OF oil and the odor Of the deposit
were as manifest as when the party ar
rived. These examinations were regard
ed by all OF the party as tol rably conclu
siye, ba. We were unwilling TO publish
the result without making further exam
nation. on Thursday last, another party
OF visitors IRON this city consisting O
Messrs. III. TuttIe, Sewa Smith, G.
\ W. Cleveland, H. Stephenson, JOIN
Browne, and the writer hereof visited the
4 we'll of Mr.. DE Pew and the spring OF Mr.
Strain, aud after the most careful tes
which they could devise, we're of the opin
ion unanimously that the petroleum foupc
on the surface of the water at each poin
were homes. ones, and samples wers
collected, and are nov on exhibition a
this office. Reliable farmers living in ths
neighborhood informed us that the sprins
and the well had previously manifested
The same pecullarities OF appearance which
we have described, bat that they had no
5 been aware of the cause, and that til.
oily scum which they had been accustomed
to see was Petroleum On the lands o.
J. Slater, the Messrs. Howard, and o.he
farmers in Four Mile township, here ar
springs which are said TO be productive 0
OIL nearly as extensively as the spring 0
Mr.. Strain, hut We did not visit them
Since our return we have been informed
OF the discovery of an oil-bearing sprin,
about twelve miles west of this city, nea
the Raccoon River, a sample of the OF
from which has been on exhibition at tn
store OF John Kinsey on Walnut street.