The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-28

vitatton Of the citdzens' COMMITTEES. The
second commtttee has taken a more
cheerful vdeY Of bic situation than the
grsts Aesyipg put Of question the re-
1qing of the oil. II Recognizes that 1t
fn p2 become yhlJhb1s for fuel purposes.
The only trouble y that the hesd for fuel
oil Is limited; and the cost Of transporta-
ton would be Immense. To provide the
needed pipe lines, tank steamers, ETC.,
would, cost from $50, 900 to $3.50, OOo, 900.
AS for the Standard OIL company it
could not, it was reported, do business in
Texas under the antitrust laws of that
state. The Standard has had enough
trouble in Texas, through the Waters
Pierce company, its name in that state:
and it wants no more. It was announced,
therefore, that it would not invest in the
Texas oil country to any great extent
unless the laws in regard to trusts were
modified. 1t is reported, however, to
have purchased the great Lucas gusher.
the first tapped in the Beaumont terri
tory, and to own the pipe line to Port
Arthur, the only one yet constructed,
which will enable 1t to control the first
output of oil, or rather its shipment to
market
1t is doubtful If the Texas opposition to
trusts will be overcome. Indeed there is
some murmuring against the Beaumont
committee which invited the Standard
VII W SSllu uSleSdI6S TO look over the
field. While many of the companies are
willing to sell out, there is g strong SEN
tfment among other stockholders that
Texas is in a position to fight the
Standard Oil company, and that it ought
to do So
Appeals have been made to capitalists
to enter the field. New Orleans has in
particular been appealed to and it's cap
1talists invited to secure control of the
oil output of the Beaumont district, that
will make it a great manufacturing cen,
ter. The indications are that New Or
leans capital will makeb the venture.
Some of the largest capitalists have gone
heavily into Texas oils.
Among the enterprises under way is a
pipe line from Beaumont ito New Orleans
With capital Of 10000, 000 1t will SUD-
ply the sugar houses with oil for fuel in
stead of coal. The Oxford and Sprague
plantation at Adeline has led off by
abandoning coal and deciding to use
beaumont oil for fuel in the future: and
it will be followed by the other planta>
tons. This will require no change in
their furnaces. The oil is sprayed on
the begasse or dry cones, and burned
Two barrels of oil worth from so cents
to Sc cents furnish the same combustion
and heat as ton of coal worth from
$3.50 to 81. There is no reason to doubt
that the Louisiana sugar houses will
adopt the new fuel
These are some of the dreams that
New Orleans, Southern louisiana and
Southeastern Texas are indulging in-that
the discovery of oil in this region is go
Ing to revolutionize it industrially. So
far it is mainly dream and speculation:
but the gushers are there and are pour,
ing out the oil by millions Of barrels
daily. The chief danger seems to be in
the sinking of SO many wells, the de-
Velopment of so much country and the
production Of so much Gil that there
viii be no market for it. Even if all that
is hoped for from the development of
this field and the utilization of this oil
for fuel is accomplished, it will be years
before the full result can be realized.