The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-11-19

short time only. Compared with
eight years ago the returns for last
year show total output amounting
to Is million dollars, against nearly
% millions, a falling off not far from
a million dollars month in the an
nual product. Pennsylvania, ten
years ago the leading gas state,
shows falling off from 10 millions in
'SS to 81 millions in '96, which plainly
indicates the speedy exhaustion of
the fields of that State. In discuss
ing this diminuitiOn of supply the
Philadelphia Press remarks that "at
this rate in another ten years natural
gas will have ceased to be of any
appreciable industrial value in Penn
syIvania." In Ohio similar condi-
lions are found, the product having
steadily diminished since '89 and now
being insignificant. AS a less ex-
plotted field, Indiana will hold out
after these states have retired from
the field, but its product is yearly
diminishing and is not expected to
last longer than ten or twelve years
in commercial quantities.
The certain prospect of the exhaus-
ton of these eastern fields compels
the capitalists who have been engag-
ed there to cast about for new places
for the investment of their money.
Having found greater profit in the
operation of industrial enterprises by
the use of natural gas than in any
thing else, they naturally seek for
another territory where they may
continue these operations. And so
IH6y COHo W hdheoo' AhN '"e''
means to lola.
The Allen county gas field, of
which lola is the center, is now con-
coded, by the scores of experts who
have visited it and tested our wells,
to be the strongest and best in the
world. Indeed it is the opinion of
many that it is stronger than either
the Indiana, Ohio or Pennsylvania
fields were when in their prime. 1t
is certainly superior to them in the
purity of the gas and in the density
of the rock in which it is stored, thus
assuring a longer life to the field.
With these facts assured, and with
the economic use of the gas which we
have learned from the experience of
others. it is absolutely safe to predict
that the lola field will. have longer
life than any other yet developed.
We have already seen that even with
the reckless waste, by carelessness
and by unskillfuI methods of use, the
eastern fields have lasted for ten
years, and are likely to last in some
favored localities, ten years longer.
In the light of this experience we
may confidently expect the lola field
to furnish an undiminished supply
for at least generation to come.
And that will be long enough to
build great city here.
The development and:expansion, al
ready planned, of the industries we
now have, even ifnothing more comes,
will double the population of lola in
two years. But others are coming.
The field is too inviting to remain I'M
occupied. The certainty of large
profits is too alluring to be resisted.
Already the advance agents are in
the field, looking the ground over.
Alredy reports come to US of the or
ganizatiOn of syndicates commanding
large capital which are to operate
here. Nothing in the future can be
more certain than that next summer
will witness such an influx of eager
investors here-not spectators deal