The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-11-28
STRUCK A FORTUNE
THIS Is A DECLARATION OF A VS.
ITOR AT THE WE'LL.

Oliver Godery of East Liverpool, Ohio, Pro
priesor of a Large Pottery. Declares thu
Clay Found at the Prospect Well Il
EQUAL to the Product in Eastern Ohio
He Takes a Portion Home with Him fol
the Purpose of Chemical Examination
He Believes a Pottery at Wichita would
Prove Paying Investment.
Work was resumed again yesterday
afternoon at 5 o'clock, the recent break
age having been fully repaired, and
again the great auger began its descent
into the blue clay.
Among the visitors at the well yester-
day was Oliver Godfrey Of East Liver
pool, o. Mr.. Godfrey is the chemist Of
the large pottery firm of Godfrey Bros,
Of that city. The gentleman was not
Interested in asphalt, diamonds, mica,
pebbles. -four gold or even silve7', as
were many others VINO were separating
the clay I'M search for valuables or Curl
ostties. He was far more interested in
thu blue clay than he was in minerals.
With a paddle he would spread out the
clay and with a large magnifying glass
closely examine the grain of the clay.
He declared that the clay already dis
covered was a fortune in itself If prop
erly utilized, and he secured basket or
the earth declaring that he would never
be satisfied until he had made thor
ough chemical examination of the clay,
and also tried it in one Of his kiln.
Upon being introduced to the Eagle
reporter by his old time friend, A. H.
Jackman, and being asked to give
reason for his prediction that the clay
already discovered was of sufficient val
ne to repay the money expended in
sinking the well, he said:
''Dt is natural for a man to look at
an article with which he has been en-
gagged more than at anything else. Mr..
.Jackman will tell you that our pottery
is one of the largest in the United
States, and Of course my attention was
attracted to the clay. I was shown a
specimen brick made from the clay at
the office in the city building and was
attracted by the fine grain.
''It was the grain Of the clay at East
liverpool that first attracted the at
rention Of a company of Englishmen
who were travelling through the coun-
try and the first factory was opened
there in 1853. Today the ware from our
city is known throughout the civilized
world
81 cannot say that the clay found
here could be utilized for anything fur
tl'er than Rockingham and Yellow ware
without first giving it a thorough chem
1cal examination, but ] am satisfied that
it can be used for this purpose even at a
less expense than We use the same class
1fo- IN
grain of the clay is concerned the Wich-
ita product has the advantage.
Suppose that THE clay here could be
used only for thing and crockery it
would prove Of more value than even
coal to the city. At the present time
the entire west and southwestern por-
ton Of THE United States is supplied |
with ware from the east On SHIPMENT /
IF this class of goods the highest freight /
-ariff is charged and with a factory here |
his would save a heavy tax upon the |
'eopre. The demand for thing is grow !
ng each year. and a thing and crocker-y /
4ctory at Wichita should be a paving |
Investment.
There is another advantage a fac |
DRY in Wichita would have which I |
iont believe is considered by persons |
outside Of the business. In Ohio we are /
compelled TO first dig the clay and haul /
o a. vacant lot. There is has TO be
handled for one year before il is ready
or use. After this it is ground and
repaired for the pottery, Here 1 be-
leve with the penetrating winds that |
he humps Of clay would be thoroughly
lacked in thirty days instead Of wait
ng year as we are forced to do"
But you have the advantage of
heap fuel at East Liverpool which we
ont have at Wichita. and do YOU not
hink that the difference IN fuel would
'revent factory here from becoming
'rof1table?" asked the newspaper man.
Il have been thinking about that very
question myself. Now that is not such
. difference in fuel as you might think.
While we have plenty of coal near our
pottery, vet IL is not the proper kind
nd we are forced to buy and ship in.
lass OF coal similar to the Cannon City
oal You have here and it costs us over
. per ton 4 am informed that Cannon
lily coal can be secured here in car
pad lots at 81 per ton. This would he
: per ton more than we pay, but the
ess expense Of handling the clay more
han makes the difference. You have
ait here much cheaper than we have
nd L cannot see but what every adyan-
age We possess is more than met by an
dvantas'e peculiar to this country.
1 viii take a portion of the CLAW home
nth me and after il Is analized I viii
ave ii formed into various articles and
end them to my friend Mr.. Jackman
or distribution as momento of the
'ottery which furnishes over so ner
emit of the earthenware used in WITCH
IA
How would I proceed to get at the
lay2 Well, that is easy. You only
ave TO go to a depth Of forty feet 10
each the clay and that is a very shall
wv shaft. / would dig. however. ten
set further in the clay and then tun-
el out of the sides In this vav Won
-ould have a sufficient roof 10 shut ont
ne water or the subteranean river and
ne work could be ACCOMPLISHED az a |
mail expense. Think of a country nav
1g nigh freight rates for earthenwara
nth a strata of over 100 feet of the
nest grained clay in the world Ivinr-
nst beneath IL 1t is simply immense
mo- l would not be surprised fla not !
cry would be started here within the
ext year
L affirm that If nothing more is found
nan the strata of clay the anger Is
.orklng in now, that is alone will prove
equal advantage 70 coal If only mil
sed. think 1 will send YOU an Eagle
7Nh copperhead snake in its claws" !
KANSAS MEN CALL ON REED
ut "a IL IN Emphatic they Saw Notbtp,