The Iola register., 1902-01-17

Scientists in the new century should
be held in this center of industrial
activity.
Here may be seen one OF the most
complete cement plants west OF the
Mississippi, the largest number of
zinc smelling retorts in the United
States yielding one-half the total pro-
duction of spelter in this country, the
largest natural gas engines construct
ed, probably the only sulphuric acid
works in the world where natural gas
is used in reduction. and some of the
model brick plants Uf the State.
Here quiet village of 1900 has
changed in six years to city of 5000,
with a monthly pay roll of 100000,
the result of natural gas and the ener-
gy and hustle of competent and fore
sighted business men. Recently lola
has constructed an $50, ,000w&ter works
and electric light plant. An electric
railroad is now in operation with cars
running from the Neosho oriverthrough
lola to Gas City, Lanyonville and
LaHarpe, representing an investment
of $3.50, 600.
Outside of the mineral industries to
be described there are number of
important manufacturing plants at
lola, including the ice plant of the lola
Ice and Cold Storage Company, with
a daily capacity of fifty tons, an iron
foundry, planning mill, creamery
with capacity of l000lbs a day, flour
and feed mills and a saw mill. These
mills and factories alone would give
Lola high rank as u manufacturing
city, but they are overshadowed by
the larger mineral industrial work.
NATURAL GAS.
The motive power for these various
lines of manufacture is natural gas.
Thirty years ago the lola gas sand
was first pierced by thedrill in the old
well known to this day as the Acers'
mineral we'll, a sure cure for the ills
of man. It's real value, however was
not recognized until the Ohio and In
, diana gas fields were developed ir
1886: then the lola Gas and Coal Co
was organized and several wells were
: drilled with poor success. In lSSS
} Pryor and Pauline took charge OF the
J work and drilled six additional wells
with about the same success, but neal
: the end of 1893 great 0owiof gas wal
= struck yielding 5000, 900 cubic feet pei
! day. In 1896 the company was changed
and became the Allen County Ga
Co., and later, consolidated with tn
Cooperative Company, formed tn
lola Gas Co., which now supplies ga
l to different parts of the city.
In 1894 the Palmer Oil and Gas Co
of Fostoria, Ohio, entered the field AM
0 leased about As, 600 acres. Their frs
well was drilled in August, 1894, an
i in the next three years they drilled fiji
!. teen wells of which nine were produc
i tive, with daily capacity Ivaryin
q from two to twelve million cubic feet
or q total OF about So million cubi
= feet, equivalent to nearly 5000 tons c
coal. The holdings of this compan
= in March, 1899, were transferred to tn
l. Lanyon Zinc Company, the gas tiel
n still remaining under the able super
a intendence of L. G. Beatty, who cam
!, TO lola with the Palmer Company. Th
g company now has forty producin
e wells yielding not far from, l25, 600, OC
e cubic feet of gas pertwenty-four hours
l. equal to 5000 tons of coal.
y The lola gas field covers an are
d twelve by six miles with over. sevent
le producing wells. The first wells wei
u drilled to depth of 500 feet, while II
ID later ones were sunk from 8l5 to 8:
l. feet. The reservoir in the field is
is porous sand found in the Cherok'
le shales of the lower coal measures,
"a to $50 feet in thickness. The roc
" pressure of the gas as measured by
W guage is 3l5 pounds to the square inc
IL or equivalent to twenty-one atmo
III pheres, and this is the motive pow
w which sends the gas out OF the we
e. and through the pipes. The open fo
d. pressure is about thirty-five poun'
and represents the volume. The 10
d gas and the gas of the other distric
IL in Kansas is remarkably pure, co
10 tanning no sulphur or phosphorus al
'0 can be used for any manufacture
purpose. The gas is supplied to t
D. citizens at costof onedollar a mon
n for each stove, and ten cents each I
ne the first two lights and five cents I
'e' every additional light.
'r- 1t would be difficult to give the e
rt- act amount OF gas ased in twenty-fo
hours from the lola field, but it CO
as tainly is not far from l2,000,O 600 cut
n feet or equivalent to 600 tons