The Minneapolis journal., 1901-10-11
THE OIL FLOW In TEXAS
w. I. McAIIister Discusses the Re-
port From Austin and Picks
Holes in 1t.

The pioneer Of the Texas oil propoSt-
tion, as presented to the investing public
Of Minneapolis and the northwest, is w.
l. 'McAllister, a successful independent
telephone builder Of Mason City, Iowa,
and brother Of ex-Alderman p w. Nc
Allister of the Tenth ward. Mr.. MoAllis-
ter was asked about the telegraphic report
in The Journal that the Texas oil
flow was diminishing. The report is of
great Importance, if true, and has occa-
stoned some comment. Said Mr.. McAllis-
ter:
"It Is singular circumstance that
about every so often the report is pub
lished that the Texas oil flow is about to
play out Sometimes it is put one way,
sometimes another. All the while new
'gushers' are being drilled and every one
brought in is as great and powerful as the
original gusher-the famous Lucas we'll.
To a man who has studied the oil ques-
tion even a little bit these reports have
only one signifcance-a disposition of
some one to sell newspaper story or
sour grapes. This latest story seems to
have come from Austin under rate OF Oct.
8. Now three days before the Houston
Post had an article going over the whole
question. The article will interest peo-
pie who hold Texas oil stock or contem-
plate investing in it. In the heading 1t
says Force is not diminishing ockers
of the Beaumont Oil Field are a Bit Pre-
mature And in the same column it goes
on to describe the terrific gas blow out
Of new well in block 21. Now if the oil
is diminishing why these startling gas
blow-outs? Don't you remember only a
few days ago when the Palestine well
came in, the oil poured out with so much
force that three men were killed before
1t could be shut off," Then Mr.. McAllister
read the following from the Houston Post:
Beaumont, Texas, Oct. Again the story
has been started that the gushers on Spindle
Top are playing out" and this latest story
infers that the pump will have to be resorted
to in a short time. The Post correspondent
has had occasion before to look Into the
merits Of such stories, and this one may be
classed with the others.
Perhaps it is not entirely true to say that
the gushers are not losing their force, but
they are not losing it near rapidly as to
warrant any fear that pumps will have to be
used within a few weeks. If the Spindle Top
gushers are losing their power, the loss is
| yet imperceptible. The Haywood No. 2 is a
well with which the public is more or less
! familiar, and it is generally known that when
this we'll was brought in it spouted 217 feet by
actual measurement. The Post correspondent
asked Mr.. Alba Haywood this afternoon if
the Haywood No. had lost any of its power.
| He replied: "If 1t has, the loss is impercep-
! tible. AS well as the eye can judge 1t spouts
| oil just as high now it did the day 1t
came in"
What Mr.. Haywood says Of the well may be
noted by the public every time the gusher is
permitted to spout.
II cannot say what the animus Of these
unfounded reports may be. 1t is claimed
that the Standard Oil company is secretly
sowing the feeling Of distrust. However,
this is mere conjecture and I do not care
to father the suggestion.
$50 far as the company whose stock /
am selling is concerned, these reports
have no significance. We have sold about
all the stock we care to sell and as the
facts Will soon prove the utter untruthful
ness of these claims, it will make no diff
ference with us. But there are other
companies here who will be injured by
such reports and it Is but fair that the
true facts shall be known.
'As a matter Of fact the last gusher
came in with as much force as the first
and all the wells that have been permitted
to gush oil have as much pressure to-day
as when the Lucas we'll first spouted The
Lucas we'll has ben blocked with some
coarse gravel and rock which is being re-
moved now, but the oil pressure is as
great now as the first day.
NO QOuDJ the time Will come .Wlen the
oil will not gush as it does to-day but
that will probably be years hence Our
field manager takes no chances that can be
avoided and the only fear l have about our
we'll at all is that there may be so much
force that it cannot be controlled without
damage. The other day a we'll Of the Cuff
fey people blew out and shattered the der
reck and threw the pipe into the air, land
ing it over 1,5OO feet from the we'll
Those people no doubt would have been
glad to have had the force diminished :"