The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1894-05-25
OIL IN KANSAS.
Some Very Rich Strikes Recently
Made.
A New Industry That Promises Remunera-
tive Returns-We,l> That Equal the
Richest Found in Pennsylvania
shooting" Wells.
Correspondence Kansas CITY start

quarts of nitro-glyeerine. weighing 200
pounds, exploded $50 feet under ground
in the oil well johnson" three miles
east OF this place at IL o'clock last Fri
day. The earth trembled a moment.
seemed to wabble from side to side as
If undecided whether to go on or quit.
and then got back into its beaten path
and resented the shock to its interior
by chewing up and splitting out the
fragments of the capsule that had dis
guised the dose. along with tons and
tons of water. small stones and sand
and finally the black petroleum that
seems to be as vast Subterranean lake
under that part of the earth's anatomy
marked on the map. Wilson County.
Kansas
After twenty minutes of furious dem
onstration it quoted down and
breathed forth gas. splitting out little
oil now and then as if to remove the
taste. This continued all day and in
the evening the earth quit the fight.
like a ferOciouS animal subdued. and
gave up the black petroleum calmly
and harmlessly enough. and it will
!
more barrels day for how long no
man can tell.
Nine or ten times the interior of the
earth has been shocked this way around
Neodesha. and each time with the same
result. Nearly forty of these rude
holes have been drilled there. deep into
its interior. and into each one sooner
or later will be inserted the same pow
erful emetic that caused such internal
commotion yesterday.
George NJ. Perry. of the Greenwood
Powder Co.. Webb City. Mo-. is the
physician who prepares and gives this
terrific dose. A teaspoOnful of this
medicine would blow man to king
dom come. yet he practices his profess
sion without fear. There is no dan
GER he said. If you don't jar it. and
if you do you'll have no funeral ex-
penSes."
A few years ago. in November. 1892.
to be exact. W. VI. Mills. a prospector
who had been for many wears prodding
the face of the earth to make it give up
something. went from Osawatomie to
NeOdesha. leased three acres of land OF
j. L. Norman almost within the city
limits and began to drill for gas. At
depth of $40 feet he struck oil. He
plugged up the well and leased 5000
acres of land. moved his machinery q
half mile. and started again Then he
drilled the De Moss well. which runs
oil so freely now that it has to be
pumped night and day to keep it from
wasting. Mr.. Mills plugged the wells
and taking barrel of oil went to Pitts
burgh. Pa. where the firm of Guffev.
Galley Il Mills. was organized soon
afterward to develop the new Kansas
oil fields. Mr.. Guffey and Mr. Galley
We're experienced oil men. They came
to Neodesha in April. 1898. and started
the Haag well. and about June l. 1898.
they struck gas in such quantities that
it almost blew their derrick away. The
pressure was 40 pounds to the square
inch and now the gas from this well is
piped over five miles and supplies fuel
for all the furnaces in the vicinity.
Mr.. Mills soon dropped out of the |
firm and Guffey Il Galley began to
lease land-all of it they could until
now they have some 10000 acres |
leased. Their superintendent in Kan
sas. Mr.. w. 5. McGhee said recently |
that they are now drilling one well in |
Chautauqua county: two in Neodesha: |
will begin in Fredonia next week: have |
just finished two in Thayer. and are
drilling three more there: are drilling
two in carlton. NeoshO county: one in
IL.
ty. and are building a rig prepara-
tory to drilling in Moran. Allen county.
One well in Thayer has proved a
great success. Guffey Il Galley have
already some forty wells in Neo-
desha from s01 to loo feet deep
and have spent 100000 in and
around this city. The full capacity of
there have been no tanks in which to
store the oil and the owners have not
been disposed to pump il out into the
Eerdigris and Fall rivers hich run to-
gether here. The Mann well. which
has not been shot" but runs oil spon-
is one of the best III the lot
at NeOdesha. for with all the condi-
tons against it. many barrels flow
from it daily. The Reddington Kim
ball and DeMOss wells are all being
pumped to prevent waste. the oil being
stored in temporary tanks. A mile
north of the city 10000 barrel tank
~ feet in diameter and ~ feet high is
now being built on ten-acre tract and
when finished. in thirty days or more.
pipes will be built to it and the pumps
will be set in motion to their full ca
oacity.
The kimball wells. No. and No. ,.
he Calender and De Moss wells. are
low being pumped to prevent waste
~ steam piped from two twenty-five
horsepower boilers located in d power
house near the De Moss well. Mr.. Fred
v. Smith. formerly with the Hazel ,
wood Oil Co.. of Bradford. Mexican
ounty. Pa. is in charge of this pump ,
ng station and lives in tent near By.
lie has wires strung through the woods ;
rom the power plant to the wells un-
Ter his charge. 50 that any irregularity