The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-01-25
TEXAS
OIL WELL
Governor Shaw Owns
Land Near Well.
He Will Develop His Property
AS He Believes There is
Plenty Of Oil There.

FleIlly vi VII lIleIe.
Governor Shaw returned last even
ing from Beaumont Texas, the location
of the giant oil geyser which is ,spurt-
ing thousands of barrels of oil daily.
The governor spent but little of his
time in the Office today, but will be
back to attend to his official duties to-
morrow
Governor Shaw and other Des-
Moines parties are interested in large
tracts of rice lands only a few miles
from the geyser. and although they
have been offered several times the a
mount invested in the land. thus far
all offers have been refused.
A conference of the owners will be
held at once and in all probability it
will be decided to prospect for oil on
the rice lands. AS vet no prospecting
has been done on the surrounding land
because of the lack of the proper ma
chinery. Capitalists and oil men from
all parts of the country have gathered
at Beaumont and prospecting will be-
gin at once.
The values of all lands in the vicini-
ty of Beaumont have gone sky high,
and little is offered for sale at any
price. In caseo oil is discovered on the
surrounding land the boom will know
no end for the next few months.
1 The oil itself is thick and black and
resembles common lubricating oil very
much by sight. The difference is cas-
| ily discernible when the hand is put
into the slippery, greasy mass, the
i Beaumont oil having all the character
iatics of other refined oil. except that
i it is much thicker There is another
way by which the difference may be
discerned, said the governor in speak
ing of the we'll and the excitement at
Beaumont, and that is by the smell.
i You can smell the Beaumont we'll for
over two miles, peculiarly pungent
smell like nothing you ever smelled
before, a smell that you cannot get rid
OF even after you are hundreds of miles
away.
sit requires but little Imagination
on my part to bring back the peculiar
4 sensation occasioned by the first Whit
of that oil, !" went on the governor and
even as he leaned back in the chair his
nostrils dllated in a way which did not
indicate the keenest satisfaction.
The souvenir collectors are already
: on the scene. think athe derrick
!, would have been torn to pieces long
ago were it possible for the curiosity
hunters to get close enough to that
Shiny black torrent which shoots uI
into the air hundred. feet and falls
: back over circle nearlya as large in
t diameter.
"What about the story lthat the oil
r cannot be used for Illuminating pur
> poses?" was asked the governor.
"Well, I dor't know as to that, and
don't think any one knows-yet because
: none of the oil has beens refined. IT.:
f my impression that the's story is {
Standard Oil story, or perhaps orignat
from some unauthentic source. O
course the fact that the oil is so thicl
D and Shiny and looks so much like blacl
4 harvester oil gives one the idea. righ
4 away that it could not be used for il
D Illuminating purposes, but / am not pre-
4 pared to say as to whether there is an,
4 credence in the story or not.
D 1.-THE oil is being bottled up IN littl'
x sample bottles as a souvenir of tn,
4 we'll, for of course if the we'll is gottel
a under control and is pipediaway. as i
D will be if it proves valuable, much 40
, the charm will have vanished"
Fl i. Lang, who is interested in.sth
D Des Moines rice company swith th
4 governor, said:
= "We have had several hattering OF
. fers to sell our property. Every on
4 of them have been turned down. w
\ have also had several offers. to leas
o the property, but have also srefuse
. them. The chances are weswillrdeve
Y ope the property ourselves. I am {
3 the belief that there is oil in payin
. quantities in our property aud ther.
. fore have opposed the sale of the lant
= The governor shares in this belle
: The excitement at Beaumont is 8
Q great as ever"
= Abe Lang will remain at Beaumor
. for several days. -Des Moines Capito