Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-08-26
ARrGslAN WELLS IN CHICAGO.
SouIm PANS, MAINE, Aug. I, ls,O.

Editor D,aocraf
IA many people from this county will
probably improve the opportunity ofier-
s-i by the COLUMBIA. celebration aud
cheap railroad fares consequent thereon
"a take a trip 10 the Great wc.t aud look
o.cr the wonderful city of Chicago, j
woild call their attention to one ~ the
minor wonders of that city, IT. numsr-
oa. arte.ln wells. The inc-ption of the
fir.t one of these ws. wholly due to the
brain work ~ native. ~ Oxford County.
Some twcnty-h,. wear. since the writer
of this, In connection With townsmtn,
was In that city on ba.lnes., and being
prompted by psychometrist, a lady
living there, Who VA. q native of sum.
ner, In thl. county. Ne started q wealthy
syndicate Ia bare this fr.t well. Our
purpos. WAS to test the prophecy that
oh az water anil probably both would be
folnd SON. JDD feet from the surface.
In the suburb. of the city tract,of land
wss .ecurNi, In the small rural town of
Cicero. Cook County, within few reds
~ the cl,y llml,s.
Ny purpose u "a write AZ thl. time
bat q short article. An eNpert was pro-
man, Mr.. swift,-to whom the precise
location va. left by the company, sri
the drills tn work on th. spot Indicated
Ia 70. by prophecy. w. commenced on
q lc'igr of imperfect granite. aud In the
flrs loo fect psss~i through gr-st
variety ~ sirstlhci rock. some days
We would 90 down some ten or morr
fc.t through .oft sandstone aud then Ne
would strike flnt anil not mo,co,er three
Inches. Thu. Ne went on for several
months. amid the hop.. AMI fear. of the
compsny and the lccr. ~ outsiders, Who
especially riilcule,i the iiea that water
.hould fox up frum tbos. extensive
praltl-- some luD feet.
our company WAS compo-ci ~ lntelli-
gent business men, amoug whom Was y.
4. Dor-, then prc.iien, ~ tb. boari ~
trade of that city. Several ~ the stock
holder. In thi. eni-rprls. were m.mtrrs
of the popular societies and churches,
but they convened .sml-weckly Ai the
humble tenement ofthe p.ycbometri.i az
prophc,..., formerly ~ our county,
where they ~.rr repeatedly told that all
~oald nnanci,lly gain by their Invest
mrnt.
Afier the we'll was down over sDo f-ct
the ROD came up dripping with oil. \
few gallon. of thick luhricaiing oil
werc secured. but not la paying quanti-
tl... when ". were told that b-s,y
flow 81 water would b. more valuable
than oil u wss great >trsin on the
faith of the company, but still u proS~i
true. wh.n some 3DD feet In depth wss
r.achcd water VA. struck, AMI the up
wari'pre.sur- wss such as to forcc the
drill aud h-aVy iron rod attached clear
~ the we'll. which was four Inches In dl-
amc,rr- II sas then tut-si ani plP"i lop
fcet a,-oyc the surface. ani the water
.illi o,crfiov-i ~ that height.
An oli-tim~ oscr.hot wheel wss .o
plsc,si q. io rryols. near the surface,
and for short time m. stream ws. u.-i
for some mechanical purpo.s, but when
winter approached u Was directed to the
Manufacture of ic-. \ small pond wss
,,c.yaic,l aud partially hllcd With ID.
water. After fr-rIing, about an Inch of
water could h. added Nightly. lee VA.
thu. obtaln~i ~ any desired thickness.
III. largs.t Ice hou.. In the country
was constructed near by, AMI an endle..
chain VA. arranged Ia run by steam
power io All the icr house from the top.
IN. property hnslly came Into the
hand. of Que man, but all the psrtic.
that sold go, q grrst advanc. on their
Investment.
Another we'll va. put down near the
nr.t. from which the water how-i, but
with rather l-.. forcc. The.e wells have
been devoted Ia th. Ice business even
.lnc-. III. hou.. !. packed full of Ice
each winter, and score. 10 team. are .ui-
ploy-d delivering II In all section. ~ the
ciiy aud suburb.. The water belng par.
and slightly medicinal !. very desirable.
The plant I. very valuable, much morr
so than the average oil we'll. Ny part
ner. Mf. swift, and I did not Invest any
money, hut the company gave u. an In
terc.t for our service. which wc sold for
q few hundred dollar. apl.,r, Will. the
oxford County psyehometrist was
brought Into notice and by thl. means
became wealthy. She IL nov subscriber
to the Democrat.
There ha,. been scores ~ artrslan
we'll. put down In Chicago since the one
I have dc.crib-i. They are u..i chiefly
10 carry passenger elevators. They
all have sufficient upward pressure for
that purpose, though no, a. strong a. the
first one.
This description may give hint 20
those In ,illsge. In this county Who
wish "a supply themsel,c. With water
or Ia manufacture Ice 10 sell. The writ
er 81 this would try Ia answer any ques.
tions relating to the facts about the
Chicago wells through the Democrat or
by writing inper.on.
r. j. wuIrriIEAD.