The Green Forest tribune., 1902-05-03
THE BEAUMONT OIL FIELD.
AS Seen by The Tribune Scribe
 on His Visit to Spindle Top.

To enter into details, or even enumerate the many interesting Observations made by us on our recent visit to the gulf, would con- sume entirely too much space in THE TRIBUNE, and we shall not in this article, at least, attempt a mention of but one subject and that is the oil field at Beaumont, Tex, as boring for oil is a mat ter in which many Northwest Ar kansas people, and especially many about Green Forest, are interested.
 Beaumont is in Southeastern Texas, about twenty miles from Port Arthur, the nearest sea port. The general elevation ofthe country around Beaumont is about twenty feet above the sea level. To a person accustomed 10 the hills and mountains of Northwest Arkansas the country seems extremely level.
 The experts who surveyed the country around Beaumont four or five years ago, believing that oil abounded in that locality, based their conclusion upon the oily character of the water of Sour Lake, some 12 miles distant from the famous seat of oil wells now known as Spindle Top. While there is nothing about the place to Suggest the name given it, yet Sengineers say that it is the high est poin5 for miles surrounding, and it may be observed by pass ing around the grounds where the wells are in operation, that the Bitches of water and waste pil lead away from Spindle Top. Like all schemes of this kind the operations of the men who believed oil to abound in the vi- cinity of Beaumont attracted but little attention and two or three failures came as,no greatsupprise, andit was probably four years from the time prospecting began there until the first gusher was brought in, which now dates back more than year ago. The settlement incident to bringing in a gusher of the character of those at Beaumont was great, and thousands of men of money rush. ed in there and took hold of the enterprise and today there is per- haps not less than 200 gushers in operation and many more wells in orocfgs. The pressure of the oil gushing from one of these wells s something wonderful indeed. Some of the first wells brought in rave been known to throw the oil b a height of 200 feet.
 The ground upon which is To- .ated the Spindle Top gushers night be included in a tract of O acres. There are two groups if wells near the highest point nd the big derricks similar to he one near the depot in Green forest stand so thickly one can carcely see through them. We yere told that wells are located close to one another as ten get. Sometimes when we'll is ompleted the derrick is merely loved over a few feet and an-
 ther Started. Not every well at
 smpted upon Spindle Top, how
 yer, is made a success, while
 ome few good ones are located
 rcbably an eighth of a mile
 way. Usually but little or no
 ,ck is found, in putting down
 lese wells until the cap rock
 1er the oil is reached at a depth
 from HOO to 1900 feet, but as
 uch as 300 feet of solid rock in
 me Instances has been encoun-
 red. The two conditions may
 found in wells within a few
 atof each other. As long as
 It alone is found it is easy sail g for the drillers and it is said ] be possible to complete a we'll, which no rock is encountered til the cap rock is reached, thin the short space of twelve l ys. A process is used in dirt which the dirt is carried out . water pressure, the water be-