The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-31
ACTIVITY AT BEAUMONT.
Substantial Men of Business Are Ar.
irving on Every Train.
ANOTHER "OFF THE HILL WELL" RUMOR
Nothing Positive Can Be Learned Re-
sardns the Success Of the Expert
ment; Boring Done at Night.

Beaumont, Texas, December SOFT Is evil
uent that the first few days OF the ne
year are to witness another awakening VI
interest In the oil field, but instead of a
speculative spnsm Ike that Of last spring,
the movement that is now setting in Is of
a more permanent nature.
Even before the beginning OF the new year
the town is full of strangers. People from
other States arc arriving on every train and
IT seems that the hotels viii again have
TO hang out standing room only signs.
l he majority of those who are coming in
Tow are capitalists or substantial men of
business, and their presence Is taken to in
dictate that some big deals and unusual de-
Velopment work is under consideration.
Most of the members of the following
party arrived in the city this morning, but
u Few OF the party stopped over today in
New Orleans and will not arrive until TO.
borrow morning: Judge A. j. Halter of
New York City, $. b. Foot, manufacturer,
~. raul, Mimi and president Of the Texas
STANDARD Oil company OF Beaumont; VIII
han Il. Bramhaal. a ST. Paul attorney and
secretary Of the same company; +. II. War
rem, grain broker, Chicago; William II.
Brlce and W. l. McAllister, Macon City.
Iowa; {. w. Ransom, Albert Lea. Mimi;
II f. Pierce Council Bluffs, Iowa; y. H.
I Stanley district manager for the Standard
Oil company at Cincinnati; c. w, Tayler,
also A. Standard Oil company man of Gin
Many other men of means have written
friends or representatives here that they
wonid visit Beaumont during the first week
Of the new wear. and the crowd will doubt
less continue to 81 ell for some time.
~
Another 81 sher-ofl the-hill story is causing
quite a ripple of excitement among those
who have heard it and while no informl-
ton Of a positive rature could be obtained
this afternoon OF tonight, it is possible that
the Hardy Oil company has found oil in us
well, which Is being drilled about a mile
and a half from the hill In a northwesJe.-
ly direction, the derrick being about 100
yards west Of the SGbine and East Texas
railway.
going on for several weeks and recently
the work has been done at night exclusive
ly. While the place has been kept closely
guarded for more than a week, 1t is known
that the well has reached depth of about
2UN0 feet
The Post CORE soondent heard of some of
the circumstances connected with the drill
ing Of this well this afternoon and started
out TO make an investigation Until two or
three days ago one could drive TO within
a few yards of the well in buggy. but
during that time the way has been fenced
up and Ii was necessary for the corresponds
ent to leave his vehicle and walk for half
a mile, and at the end Of the journey he
found Mr. Hardy himself who is looking
after the work, waiting for him. The cor
respondent and gentleman with him were
informed that they could approach no near
er than a fence which stood about seventy
five yards from the well, and no amount of
entreaty could induce Mr. Hardy 10 remove
! the ban The correspondent conversed with
! him for half an hour, but he showed no
| sign of relentiug: neither would he answer
! any one Of the many questions asked him
/ about the well. In fact he showed
willingness to talk about almost anything
! else.
| The men around the well were doing
nothing at the tine, but persons living IN
| the neghhorhood said the rig. would be
started with the coming of dirk.
| Failing to get any information from Mr..
! Hardy or to get look at the well, the
| correspondent called on n young man living
| about a half mile away who was said to
/ know something Of the well. This young
1 man was willing that his name he used In
( connection with the interview, but he in
tended securing Information OF very posi-
| tive kind during the next fortv-eight hours
/ and the use of his name might handicap him
/ in this. He said that he had been. watch
! ing the well for several days, being at
! tracted hy the way In which II was guard
/ ed He heard the noise when the men com
! menced haiinc the well before daylight
! this morning and approached as near as he
I could without going on the property OF the
company that IS sinking the well. While
/ there he positively asserts he saw the
/ hailer come out Of the we'll and saw 1t
emptied. Tho sun had risen while he was
watching the men. and that which came
/ from the bGiler was oil.
A number OF ouestions failed to shake his
heIief that he saw oil hailed from the VOL
/ and this. with the close guarding Of the
! we'll has created desire III on the part Of
! outsiders 10 know more ~ 'hc '"n'l 4.
/ The Post correspondent was unable to get
! any more definite Information tho" 'No e. g.
! going Init % course, II Mr.. Hardy has
/ found oil II will be generally known within
| a short time.
~
The Kansas City oil and Rice Land com
pany brought in slx.inch gusher at .
| o'clock this afternoon. The well Is repo t.
ed to have spouted in a satisfactory man
ner.
Beaumont Quotations.
| y, ..... u,.xas naccinhnr 10 Hollow