The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-29
DRILL FOR GAS
AT MULVANE
Elk City Company Secured
Leases Near There.
MAY DRILL AT WICHITA
Representative Here 10 Make
Arrangements for Leases.
MAY DRILL AT WICHITA

Mr. F. c. Ricketts,. Of Elk City KAN
was in Wichita yesterday taking with
the business men with regard to drilling
for gas at 5Iul7ane or near wichita. sir.
Ricketts, is member Of she company
that now own number Of gas and OIL
wells il the territory adjacent to Fix
City and have been drilling and pros
pecting in that neighborhood for the past
ten years.
M Ricketts, had heard of the gas well
at Mulvane and came here the aest Of
the week TO look over the fed and also
make some leases. He announced TO the
business men with whom he talked that
he had consummated some very valuable
leases near Nulvane.
AR. Ricketts, Went 10 Mulvane at the
solicitation Of some Of that towns bust
ness men and the latter nave taken a
great deal Of interest in the work ard
have induced AIr. Ricketts, and his com
pany 70 come here and 90 some drilling.
The Mulvane business men are interested
in the company a. Elk City.
Mr.. Ricketts, said nothing about wish
ing a contract with the city for drilling
and he asked nothing from the business
men, but intima-cd thai his company
would likely procure some leases on
property near Wichita with a view of
prospecting for gas and OF ard they had
already made arrangements Tor going to
work at AuIvane. He first called on J.
Giles Smith Of the city council. ana was
taken 20 the Chamber OF Commerce
rooms and there met "a number Of Wich-
ita's business men. He said that his
company was working all its machinery
full time at present and would not be
ready to do any work in this section until
the first Of the year, but az soon as they
could get some of their work out of the
way at least one drill outfit would he
moved to Mulvane and so to work. acd
If arrangements could be made another
outfit would be moved to Wichita and
drill for gas OF OIL
Mr.. Ricketts, thought that the gas wen
at Winfield was a good thing for this
section Of the country 1t is o. little com
mercial value at present. as the flow is
not large enough. but when the drill
goes deeper ana The thickness of the gas
producing strata was ascertained. it
would possibly produce ii good flow Of
gas. and it settled one thing. that there
Is gas in this section Of the state.
whether in paying quantities or not could
only be learned by more prospecting.
lie had visited the Winfield and Null
vane gas wells and was very saucuine
that gas would be found in paying guam
titles near enough TO Wichita to make
II pay for piping it to this city and he
stated that he believed tnar gas in large
quantities would be found close to yYich-
ita.
Whether the gas or oil was here or not
his company had made all Arrangements
for doing some work at Nulvane and
possibly at Wichita and would ind out
whether there was gas mere or not. His
company if they found gas mt 8iulvane
would of course look to Wichita as the
most available point at which TO market
their product
The MClvane Record last nlght said:
The matter of prospecting for gas has (
taken definite shape. and is now in the
hands of a company OF experienced gas +
men, who are financially able to develop
the gas resources of the Dog Creek dis 4
tTict. Mr.. Ricketts,, who is at the head
cf an Elk City company, has been here /
this week leasing land ia the neiehbor- /
hood of the HOLSTER farm and has now I
gone home after men and machinery with
which to begin the work Of prospecting. .
Leases have been secured on one thous- (
and acres, and agents Of the company (
are still soliciting. The leases run Tor a (
term of twenty years and the land owners 4
are to receive certain royalties in case
gas is discovered. The company also
agrees to begin operations within a Ger +
tain time. SO there is no danger OF get (
ting the matter tied up with no chance Of f
developments. Alr Ricketts, says his
company win spend Slo.00 in prospecting .
and are equipped with the latest improved
machinery for The purpose. lie said. fur
Their, that they did not come here because
OF the HOLSTER ind. bat had deter f
mined six months ago TO prospect In th.s .
vicinity. because Of certain physical cons .
ditions and from the fact that a gas dis
covery here would he exceedingly valuable .
on account of being SO close 10 Wichita