The age-herald., 1901-05-21
FROM CONDUCTOR
 ID MILLIONAIRE
Story of Capt. A. F. Lucas of
 Beaumont Oil Fields
ALABAMIAN WHO IS FAMOUS
For a Number of Years He Was Con- ductor on Central of Georgia Rail- road Between Columbus and
 Birmingham.

Many Alabamians have grown great politically, but few men have suddenly risen from the position of railway con ductor to the dizzy heights of financial fame. Such Is the case of Capt. A. F. Lucas, who discovered the great oil fields at Beaumont, Texas, and whose wealth can safely be estimated at $5,OOO,- 0OO
 Captain Lucas for number of years was conductor on a Central of Georgia passenger train running between Bir- mingham and Columbus, Ga From this position he acquired the title of captain, which has stuck to him during all his famous exploits in the great oil fields of the West
 The story of the life of Captain Lucas reads like romance, and few travellers who have often handed a ticket to the handsome railway conductor know that he can now command enough money to purchase controlling interest in the railroad for which he labored many years at a salary not exceeding s150 per month.
 @0~-Ss years old, has been unfortunate as well as extremely lucky. He has had great troubles as well as joy.
 While in the employ of the Central of Georgia Railway Captain Lucas was married to young lady of Dadeville, Ala. With his bride he moved to Coium- bus, Ga, which at that time was one of the terminals of his run. Everything was bright and cheerful for the Lucases for long time until few years ago, when the husband for same reason lost his position. Things then went from bad to worse and the captain was without funds For a long time he worked in different capacities around Columbus, making a failure at nearly every ven ture. Finally he told Mrs. Lucas that he was going West and see if he couldn't do better.
 His Wonderful Discovery.
 While searching the west for success he went to Beaumont and he was told by citizen by the name of Higgins that oil existed in that territory After a thor ough examination as best he knew how, Captain Lucas secured the assistance of an oil company, and with the necessary machinery began boring for the crude petroleum. After few days hard work and many misgivings the cry went up that oil was struck and an immense column of the greasy, shiny liquid shot up in the air to height of seventy feet. The great volume was unexpected and 1t was many days before the oil could be controlled.
 Thousands fiocked to the scene of the great discovery and property was held at enormous prices. Within a week more wells were bored and within a month Captain Lucas was famous throughout the world. He soon formed a partnership with Colonel Guffy, a noted politician of Pennsylvania, and together they organ ized a stock company with a capital of $50, ,OO0, 900.
 As an estimate of the wealth of Captain Lucas. man, Perry Higgins, who claims to have given the information which caused the wells to be bored, has sued Lucas and his associates for $4, 100000. He estimates the discovery as being worth 1000. together with 10 per cent of the income of the company. He states that the wells are earning $35.0OO day.
 
 Impurities in the blood produced hv di.