The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1893-12-29
new sPOuTERs.
More Big Artesian Wells For Ford
County.

Last Wednesday NJ. w. Brown. of
wilbur, was in the city, and fromehim
we learned some very interesting facts
concerning the newly discovered arte-
sian water in Ford county. Mr.. Brown.
in company with others, was absent on
a sixteen days hunt in the vicinity of the
CimarrOn river when the artesian water
excitement broke out. They returned
| in the midst of the new boom. laden
with deer, turkey prairie chicken and
quail. But the unusual sight of clear.
sparkling water gushing out of holes in
the ground. where before had been
smooth prairie, drove all thoughts Of
the chase from the mind of Mr.. Brown.
who at once set well drill to work on
his place, which extends into the town
of Wilburn. Mr.. Padgett, who adjOins
Mr.. Brown on the south, had already
three wells in operation, one of them
only sixty eight feet deep, one lis feet,
and the other PIP feet. The drilling
outfit commenced operations at
Mr. Browns place in
the morning. At twenty feet
the drill passed through sheet water and
sand, and by II O'Clock a. m. wafer be-
gan to flow from the well, which was
then ninety feet deep. Sand came up
with the flowing water, and here the
strata of sand was only one foot in
thickness. The drill then entered clay
strata, and for ninety feet deeper the
drill passed through alternate stratas of
sand and clay, water flowing from the
top of the well all the time. At a total
depth of $50 feet from the surface,
about two O'Clock p. NJ. the drill was
stopped in a strata of sand. The thick
ness of this sand is not known. but the
drill had passed through three feet of it
when stopped. Here they pnlled up the
drill and cased down below the sheet
water to keep the ground from caving.
After casing, there was no perceptible
increase, showing that the force of arte-
sian water was such as to pass through
the first strata of water without no.
ticeabie waste. But to prevent caving
near the surface casing was put down.
Mr.. Brown had contracted with the
drill men at five dollars per day, and the
casing cost about three dollars, making
the total expense for we'll only eight
dollars. The well adds ut least $500 to
the value or his farm. The water is as
clear as crystal and somewhat warmer
than the water from the wells which on
ly extend to the sheet water at a depth
of twenty feet, heretofore in common
use in that locality. Traces of sulphur
are perceptible in the water. This we'll
was put down on Tuesday of last week,
and on Monday of the present week it
had shown a gradual increase in force.
Though the water is perfectly clear,
a little light yellow sand accompanies
it, which demonstrates that the flow Is
still increasing.
When one of these wells reaches its
maximum flow no more sand aud gray
ell come up. The warmth of the water
makes it desirable for stock and irriga-
ton purposes. The water will never
freeze in any tank or trough kept for
watering stock so long as the flow is
kept running through such receptacle.
By last Monday it had already filled
good sized pond two feet deep. The
volume of water is still increasing and
gushes out faster every day.
Mr.. Brown has splendid eight-foot
steel wind mill and tower for sale very
cheap now. He never expects to have
use for it again, as his entire farm is ev-
identity underflowed with great bodies
of artesian water, one under the other,
as neighbors both north and south of
him have struck the same kind of water.
The drill machine with which the well
was put down is a very simple affair.
Its cost did not exceed seventy-ffve dol
lars, and Mr.. Brown will join with few
of his neighbors and purchase one to use
among themselves in putting down more
wells. They intend to fill their farms
full of holes enough to soak the surface
with all the moisture they need and
make the entire country one great field
of luxuriant crops every summer. AL
falfa will be favorite crop with them.
Further south last season one farmer
had five wells on his farm. and had a
wonderful yield of small fruit, vegeta-
bles aud field crops. 1t was only recent
ly discovered, however, that artesian
water could be had in Ford county.
About two years ago we published an
Item concerning an interview with Mr..
Brown in which he remarked that he
would have artesian water flowing in
Wilburn some day, but we regarded this
as visionary dreaming. However, It
has become a veritable reality, and Mr..
Brown feels jubilant over the great good