Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-15
\ GAS FIELD


Covering Three Thousand Square Miles,
Embracing the whole of Delaware and Tip
ton nearly all of Grant and Madison, and
parts of Howard. Blackford, Jay, Randolph,
Henry and Hamilton counties, known as the
great gas belt of the State of Indiana. The
field is elliptical in form, its major axis run
ping east and west, and has an average
pressure of about 800 pounds. The gas is
found IN the Trenton lime stone, near sea
level and about ], 100 feet below the surface
of the country, an ordinary well yielding
about 5000 000 cubic feet per day. By ex-
amining the maps you will see no large
towns IN easy piping distance of the field on
its outer rim, and no town larger than
Muncie within it. This condition existing,
many factories do and will continue to seek
this ideal fuel that can be had anywhere in
the belt as nearly free as possible. Too far
from large central points to be piped
away, it must be used where
tapped until the last two years, when such
shrewd flnanciers as Colonel A. L. Conger,
A. M. Barber, Frank Atterholt and their
friends, realizing the enormous advantages
presented by this isolated and free field,
boldly took possession of large part OF the
field and erected the Diamond Plate Glass
and other factories and gave thereby pow
erful impetus to the building up of that Sec
ton at Kokomo, Elwood and Gas City.
Where rich prairie farming land groaning un-
der abundant crops of wheat and corn made
glad the hearts OF the Hoosier farmer, town
lots gladdened the heart OF the town builder,
and q golden harvest of profits quickly
found the way into his pockets. Here the
conservative investor, no less than the willy
speculator in town lots, added to their
stores by buying low and selling high. Old
towns put on a new Nancy Hanks gait, and
new towns spranS into existence, rivaling
the growth of those wonderful towns
of Jeanette and Charleroi, Pa. How long
this fuel will last in this field remains
for future solution. You might as well ask
how long the great fields OF Murraysville
and Grapevilie, Pa. would have re-
manned abundant producers but for their
proximity to Pittsburg. With Its enormous
fuel consumption it has lasted there seven
years in PittSburg. VIII it not last three
times seven where there cannot be one
hundredth part of the drain upon it?
Just in the center OF Delaware county,
Indiana, and in the southeastern quarter OF
this great gas belt lies the city of Muncie,
with its Is 0G0 population, proud of its nat
ural position and its real fuel, soliciting
factories from without its borders to locate
near them. With a full appreciation of the
situation the citizens organized "The En-
terprise Company" ana raised by popular
bonus to secure factories. the fund is man
aged faithfully and iHtelligently, and is
being expended in way to do enormous
good. The town is situated on O high |
plateau, and on the north boundary, White |
river sweeps around it in horseshoe bend |
and on to Indianapolis, some go miles to the |
southwest.
The river has been an obstacle to the |
growth of the town extending either east, |
north or west, and it has as if by force |
rended to the south. The Conger syndicate |
quickly appreciated the situation and ac- |
luired many broad acres along the southern
OF the city, and mapped out an |
nipple town site and placed on and around |
{ thirteen large mills, working iron, steel, |
lass, ETC., that will be all com pleted and in |
peration within the year '92, and give en-
,loyment to not less than 5000 persons On |
he 9th, 18th, 29th and SOth OF September
heir first public sale will be held. Jean