El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-06

a pond or oil.
The work of closing the we'll Occu-
pied two days, the beginning having
been delayed several lays to secure
material.
After the well had been closed Mr..
Lucas built large iron casing around
the pipe above the earth and filled it
with sand to protect the we'll from IRE.
Last week the valve was uncovered
the pressure continues the same, and
they now have the oil confined in ma
lures reservoir, from which they can
draw gill or million gallons at will
Mr.. Anthony F. Lucas is a native of
Austria and is agraduate of the Poly
technic of GratZ. He has spent many
years in making geological investiga-
lions and has explored for minerals in
many parts of the United States and
in other countries Just before coming
to Beaumont he lad been engaged for
about three years n developing salt de-
poSits on islands off the coast of
Louisiana. The first of these mines
was developed on Jefferson Island, the
property of Joe Jefferson, the famous
actor. He expended between $4,000
and $4,000 or this property for Mr..
jefferson and the development en-
HANGED its value about a nalf million
dollars. Next he turned his attention
to Belle Isle, where he developed salt
and sulphur mines, and following this
he developed salt mines on Weekes Isle
The salt deposits of these three islands
are practically the samoa fine rock
salt so transparent that rrint can he
read through it How thick the deposit
is Mr.. Lucas does not know. He drill
ed one hole 2,100 feet deep. passing
through 1900 feet of rock salt without
reaching the bottcm. Belle Isle is To-
Gated thirty miles from Morgan City
and has fine facilities for water trans
DortatiOl. The mines on that island
are being worked by a Chicago corpora
ticn, those On Weekes Isle by q local
company, and the Jefferson mines are
not being worked.
Mr.. Lucas tells an amusing story in
connection with his alt explorations.
He says when he began to work on JEFF
| ferSOn Island people in that vicinity
warned him of failure. telling him that
others had bored and found nothing.
But he had confidence in the geological
| indications and persisted in drilling.
To carry on this work it was necessary
| for him to ship in several car loads of
| salt, and this fact being known. the
story was industriously circulated that
| he was Planting salt in the ground, in
/
ing a mine" as it were. But this salt
| was used in an entirely different way
The boring was done with a diamond
| drill. the diamonds being set in the end
of the pipe, AS the pipe rev d. ed the
drill cut circle N the salt, leaving
core of salt within the pipe. At the
! lower ind of the pipe and inside there
| were a number of clamps forced out
ward by springs. When the pipe was
raised these clamps would grip this
core and break it off, so that it might
be taken out of the well with the pipe.
In drilling, it was necessary to pump
cold water into the we'll to keep the
rapidly revolving pipe from citing. Had
pure water been used a certain amount
of the salt core would be dissolved SO
that the clamping device would not
| clutch it. Mr.. Lucas, therefore, USED
| brine-water saturated to the utmost
limit with salt. Being so saturated it
would not dissolve a particle of the
salt core and the Clamps worked all
right, And that is how the salt was
used which was supposed to be intend
ed for sailing a mine.
| ssa
About two years ago Mr. Lucas came
to Beaumont direct from the Louisiana
salt mines, and began prospecting for
oil. The story of his efforts, the diff
hculties and disbursements. he en-
countered is highly interesting and
would I'll book. Il was told said he
in speaking of his experiences, that I
could not succeed; that parties had
been boring for oil in that vicinity al
intervals for twelve years past and had
not succeeded. l was told that would
| be throwing my money away. L t
was spending my own money, and I
| claimed that privilege. l was satisfied
from the geological indications that
would strike oil, and I persisted. 1t is
true that 1 did not expect q gt.sher
| While was at work a party of geOlog-
lists came down from Washington. and
went over the field. They asked me
what had, and explained the gaOl,g
ical phenomena to them. Well said
| they, with shrug of the shoulders and
| a credulCus air, you may strike oil.
OF course that made me feel a bit I'M
| easy. They were capable. scientific
men. Nevertheless 1 persisted. The
| result is known"
One night shortly after the discovery
of the oil in the gusher Mr. Lucas was
| accosted on the street by man who
| asked:
aren't you the fellow who is boring
out here?"
Il am Mr.. Lucas replied
What YOU expect to get?'
COLL"
well, L own some land near your
well, and if you strike oil it will make
me rich-won't it?''
Yes, if 1 strike oil it will make you
rich," said Mr.. Lucas, and then think
ing to test the mans generosity and
gratitude ne preferred a request for
loan of 50.
What, loan you two dollars. Wen.
1 guess not, and the prospective mil
lionaire vanished.
Of =;