The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-19

," You are right in your recollection. The Parker We'll was sunk to . depth Of 109e feet. where salt water was found and strong smell of gas. The foreman who did the work spent most or his life sinking oil wells in Pennsyl- vania. and he told me the indications were that oil would be found by going deeper. This I wanted to do, know ing that if we found either oil or gas, 1t would save us at least $6.000 a year in operating expenses. But MT. Rice, who controlled the works and furnish ed the money. was after water, and so we plugged the bottom of the well without further investigation. It Is feasibly for the city to lease this well as 1t does not need it's water. For a few thousand dollars this we'll could be sunk 500 feet further which would probably prove if oil or gas existed. I have frequently talked on this line and believe that Mir. Rice made a great mistake in not risking few thousand to test the question thoroughly
 "In subsequent letter. MT. Crosby says:
 "'The Parker well is the only well ever sunk in Montgomery to a depth Of 1oso feet. The Southeast we'll will only take the $50 foot strata. You will find the Parker well just as I stated in my previous letter. I left the de- scription of 1t with other papers .n the Water Works office when left /
 ''You will observe that MT. Crosby Is of the opinion that the Parker well Is not at present being used.
 'The ordinance which I handed to Mir. Roman. with the request that he introduce 1t and which, after modifica- tion in some minor details, he did in- troduce. provided for the lease of the Parker well. but has been changed in such way as to designate the south east or Salt We'll
 "This change was rendered neces- sary from the fact that had in the meantime called upon Mir. West at the pumping station, and was informed that the Parker well had been filled up to the $50 foet stratum of water, and Is now being used daily by the city, and is regarded as one of its best water wells, which is contrary to Mir. Cros- by's recollection. The filling in was done with rods of iron and several hundred pounds of cement. thus rend- ering useless the 40 ofeet below the water bearing stratum at the $50 foot level. This statement was confirmed in conversation had with MT. Hartley by me yesterday. MT. West told me further that the Southeast well, as far as he was informed, was the gas, oil or Salt Welli' but I am inclined to think that he was not correctly in- formed. However this may be, the Southeast well is not now being used, and extends SS5e feet deep, mere Of less. As known to all members of the Coun- cil to whom I have spoken, my object is in asking the adoption of this or dinance is entirely for experimental purposes.
 "lt is 8 well known fact that the cost of boring artesian wells of any char acter, increases very, rapidly as they become deeper. My calculations were ebased upon commencing to bore at the bottom of an artesian we'll 1.09O feet below the surface. But if the boring should have to be begun at. depth of only 650 feet. the cost would be greatly enhanced..the risk Of striking oil increased; and altogether different contingencies provided against IS those undertaking the experiment. If the Council sees fit to lease me the $50 foot, or Southeast we'll under the terms provided by the ordinance, except that the per centage to be paid the city shall be one-sixteenth of the net profits instead of one-eighth, I believe I can yet secure the money to make the test for oil " .