The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-11-05
GAS TO BURN!
What the Indiana State Gas Inspector
Thinks of Our Field.
LARGEST WELLS IN THE UNITED STATES
Mr.. L. G. Beatty Gives Register Re-
porter Some Facts About Our
Gas Wells as Told by An
Indiana Expert

: Indiana Expert
\ reporter for the REGISTER calico
upon Mr.. l.. G. Beatty at his office il
lola yesterday and learned the fol
lowing facts about Mr.. Leach's Opin
ion of our gas field. Mr.. Leach is the
State Natural Gas Inspector of Indi
ana, whose duty it is to measure and
record the pressure and flow OF
every well sunk in the state Of Indi.
ana.
1t seems that Mr.. Leach came to
lola about two weeks ago and kept
his identity and business to himself,
not even approaching Mr.. Beatty
whom he came to see, until after he
had been here three days. He said
he wanted TO measure some of the
Palmer Oil Co.'s wells and stated his
title of Gas Inspector, but did not say
whom he represented. Mr.. Beatty
telegraphed to headquarters and upon
receiving favorable reply, drove Mr..
Leach over the lola field and assisted
him in measuring the wells. The ex-
act measurements will not be given
out at present, but they coincide prac-
tically with those made by Mr.. Beat
! ty when the wells were sunk. Mr..
Leach said that the Ohlfast and Tray
is wells were the strongest he had
ever measured and probably the
strongest in the United States.
Besides his work here, Mr. Leach
went over all the rest of the field.
He showed Mr.. Beatty his report of
the field except the portion about
lola, ..and, said Mr.. Beatty: ''if he
reports us correspondingly as we
compare to the rest of the field, it will
be something magnificent"
Now the question is, where did Mr..
Leach send the report. To the Stand
ard, to Cudahy or to a syndicate of
manufacturers. While very close
mouthed, Mr. Leach let fall several
statements that may mean much.
He limited at investments in this field
within the next six months. far be-
yond the widest dreams OF the wild
est enthusiast, and remarked to Mr..
Beatty that his (Leach's) work would
neither injure Beatty's interests nor
IOla's. The people at Independence
were positive he represented a syndi-
cate of manufacturers who contem-
plate investing in this field and were
anxious to entertain him for a week |
and show him the suburban manu-
featuring sites.
The only conclusion that seems to
follow Mr.. Leach's various statements
is that he was sent here by men de-
string a positive statement of the ca
pacity Of this field. Mr.. Beatty said
that his company were figuring on
combinations which would cause
large sums to be invested here, and
Mr.. Leach and his business are mys
teries to the Palmer Oil Company
1t would seem therefore that several |
groups of millionaires
are looking toward lola, the center of |
the great new field, and some of them
may be expected to show their hand
before many months have passed.
And when these men come" said
Mr.. Beatty, 81 wouldn't trade one
small gas well for dozen oil wells.
# the people will just keep their heads
or year or two, every acre between
ola and LaHarpe will go cheap at
)ne-Hundred DOllars.n
And so lola will be the topmOst
rest of that rising wave of prosperity !
which is surging up with resist less !
nergy from the stagnation of the
asst decade. 1t is prospect of such
certainty that we can
aste some of the satisfaction of the
fact.
Let US repeat, lola Is ALL RIGHT.