The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-29
OIL AND GAS In JAY COUNTY
A Region Which Is Rich in Both These
Great Sources Of Material Prosperity.
Development Retarded by lack Of Transports
ton. but This difficulty Is in Line Of So
luton and Likely to Be Overcome.

stan correspondence Of the Indianapolis Journal
CAMDEN, Ind, Dec. 2S-Aithough Jay
county. as q whole. 10 pretty we'll provided
with railway facilities. there 10 o large ex-
tent of country lying to the north and
west of Portland, the capital town, that 10
inaccessible by any other m cans than stage
or private convey nee. This section of the
county. containing as it does some Of the
most prolific gas wells of the belt. as well
as new and extensive oil fields of extraor.
binary promise, is suffering the greatest
Inconvenience from its lack of transports
ton facilities. Developments is seriously
retarded solely because of the difficulty
and tedious ness of transporting across the
country the heavy machinery necessary
for prosecuting the work. Freighting from
the stations at Portland. Dunkirko or Red
key has become an established business.
and heavy teams are daily seen Pulling in
and out of Camden with loads OF ma
chinery, merchandise. etc. that would be no
discredit TO the celebrated m~ule-skInners OF
the Black hills trail. The people are alive TO
the needs of this part of the county, and
have once voted bonds to the extent OF
$1,000 0 which have never yet been applied
TO the purposes for which they were Inc
tended. Tn limit has not yet expired
upon these securities, and a specialeffort 10
at present being made TO negotiate them
in New York. A late telegram from that
CITY AuuOuuCco tuht VIC JULIUS Will uoco
probably be placed before the 1st Of the
year. and the railway prospects have
frightened accordingly.
Want of transportation IL all that has
kept Camden from her legitimate place
among the smaller manufacturing cities OF
the belt. 1t has q wide extent of gas terri.
ritory and o large number of developed
wells. The location is excellent. and,
beyond question, the adjacent agricultural
lands are among the most valuable
and productive In the State. From this
field 10 piped the gas for light and fuel pur-
poses used by Bluffton. Decatur, Portland.
Geneva and Byron. The Button Lignt
and Fuel Company. whose wells are all
located here, will begin laying in the spring
q six-inch main from its source of supply.
and at present has twelve miles of pipe
distributed about the country preparatory
to piping fifty farm-houses-
OIL PROSPECTS
While Montpelier. in Blackford county.
contains the main Offices of the vsriouG
oil companies operating here. Camden 10
the center of development. Here are to 10
found the projectors, the representatives
of syndIcates, the skilled experts and tie
practical oil men from every oil region in
the United StateG The hotels are over
flowing with them, and wherever q well 10
being sunk IL 10 being done under the
guidance of an experience gathered upon
tho fields Of Ohio, Pennsylvania or New
Okh ~ III \ - all btOA0
and more defined. As ex periences guides
the steel. its accuracy in locating the vein
10 marked by fewer dry holes and less
protitless and ~discouagiug work. The oil belt
10 only about one mile in width. and many
dry wells were necessarily drilled in reduce
ing this knowledge TO q certainty. Within
the mile imit q dry hole 10 encountered
more frequently than could be desired. bus
the percentage is very small. and growing
smaller daily. On the whole. the Jay
county field may be ranked among the best
producers of the country. The amount of
production 10 between five and six thousand
barrels daily, and this amount seems to
hold steadily. If not TO regularly increase
In quantity.
Most of the wells, from the excessive gas
pressure, flow without the pumping ape
flow could be materially increased. in come
wells. It 10 said. by the use OF the sucker.
rod and other pumping specialtieA
The Standard Oil Company. with fte
usual alacrity, Is on re ground, and Its
presence would appear to argue it's faith IN
the new belt. To some extent THE Is true,
but IL 10 known that the Standard 10 not
an active experimental developer. Its
leases, and then wait until others develop
near Its holdings before going actively into
developments itself. These facts. however.
do not hold universally true IN this region.
This company has purchased much oil
property outright, land IL drilling and de.
velopinR without intermission in various
parts of the belt. At Montpelier its manaR
are actively enga ged In private enterprisesoi
greater or lees magnitude. holding stock IN
banks, erecting elegant hotels, purchasing
town property and encouraging manufact-
uring industries. These facts are looked
upon by the people as in some degree exc
pressing the standards faith in the future
of the oil-fields.
Ii has long been thought that the west
ern limit of the oil belt was &c Montpelier,
but recent development has extended the
field twelve miles west Of this point. and 10
is now thought probable that the pool exc
tends entirely across Blackboard county.
The Standard company has recently erected
at Montpelier two Tanks, each OF thirty
thousand barrels capacity, and instead OF
shipping the oil by rail. as was done only
recently. it 10 now piped into the Chicago
line directly from these tanks.
Altogether the oil Is doing for Camden
what gas has already accomplished for
other cities of the gas belt. It has relieved
the financial strin sency by putting into
circulation large amounts Of money. This
IL going into buildings. mercantile enter.
prises and public improvements. and tho
town is growing steadily. When Camden
once secures ITS desired railroad privileges
the combined gas and oil-fields will quickly
make il q point of interest In the CONNER.
cial world. L. p. A.