The St. Louis Republic., 1901-05-08
Spectators in Texas Stand Ready
to Pounce On Any Newly Dis
covered Oil Fields.
BEAUMONT May BE EQUALED.

hErt BL1C SPECIAL
Beaumont. Tex. NAY This has been n
day of rumored new strikes and g,ishers.
Reports have been circulated with persist
ence since early morning to the effect that
oil has been found In Hillibrants Bayou,
where a company had been boring for a
month.
According to the stoly as It is heard in
Beaumont, this company is a close corpora
ton. and is keeping the thing quiet for
business reasons
Little attention is paid to the flood of ru-
mors of strikes outside of the Spindle Top
hill field, where the big gushers have de-
veloped. but there are many persons IN
Beaumont tonight who would like to knew
the truth about Hiliibrant's Bayou
All eyes are watching the Kelly and
Smith wells. Both have been reported In
from day to day. but confirmation seems
lacking at this time The Kelly well is 5000
feet from the sushers toward Beaumont.
and the Smith well is 1900 feet north of
the gusheys. With oil in either Of these
lands. values will soar skyward.
Eastern OIL Men Represented.
Straight trading livered up to-day. and
several goot.-size.i deals, varying from sl0.-
10 SJ,VvD t.Sr. we've tits'h. iHt ptts-
euce in the Beaumont field of representa-
tives of many of the largest oil-producing
concerns in Pennsylvania has given added
strength to the situation.
These men are acquiring property and
quietly going to work In businesslike way
to find the oil. Their interest In the Texas
oil; region il considered one of the best ovt-
dences Of the Substantial character Oh the
Beaumont oil strikes.
(,uffey and (su;ley, composing the j. NJ.
Guffey Company. are old Pennsylvania OIL
men. The cwr four gushers ON Spindle
Top hill. having acquired the property i'm
mediateiy after tie first gusher came IN.
The produc. of their wells has taken the
piece of coal as fuel In manufactures.
power plants aud under individual boilers
throughout this section of the State, and
they are shipping oil to outside points
Foundations are laid at Port Arthur fer
four &C. OOO- barrel storage tanks for this COM
pany Port Arthur is the shipping point for
oil transported by ship.
Waiting for the st. LOuisnns.
Much interest is manifested here in the
cming of the business mems party from ST.
Louis which Is due to arrive at 2:45 Thurs
day morning, to remain until 10 the same
morning. A committee has been appointed
by Mayor Wheat to escort the st. Louisans
to the oil fields. 1t is expected that several
of the gushers will be released for the en-
tertainment of Missouri visitors.
Beaumonts taxpayers decided by almost
unanimous vote to-day to Issue si15.O00
bonds, the proceeds from the sale of the
same to be used in installing adequate
sewerage system and for the building Of
paved streets. The improvements are great
ly needed.
Proof of the volume of business being
transacted in Beaumont is found In the In
creased bank clearings. year ago the
clearings averaged 100000 day. now they
are nearer sl,a00,c00, and reach as high as
81, ,5o0.9 600. A new bank will be opened
Wednesday or Thursday on a principal
street. 1t will occupy building which was
a barber shop until last week, when the
proprietor sold his two years lease for
$4,000.
Opera by very fair company from New
Orleans is the newest metropolitan attrac-
tion in Beaumont. The scenery did not ar
rive Monday night. but Fra Diavolo'' was
given just the same. with kerosene lamps
as footlights and n white sheet as the stage
background. The audience had a good