The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-03
SPINDLETOP IS No
LONGER GUSHER FIELD
Nearly All of the Companies Have
Installed Pumping Ma
chinery.
OIL HAS CEASED TO FLOW.
Sucker Rod. Steam-Hpad and Com.
~pressed-Air Systems Are
the Ones Most in
Vogue.
OIL HAS CEASED TO FLOW.
RETTBLIC SPFCTA

EETUBLIC SPECIAL.
Beaumont, Tex, Aug. 1.-THE passage of
July has witnessed the passage of Spindle
top - a "gusher proposition and It's
transformation into a well-equipped pump
ing field. The beginning of the month saw
oil company managers at their wits ends to
get from their wells the oil that was there,
but which refused to flow of its own ac-
cord: the close saw all of the wells Of the
big companies and many of those of the
smaller ones equipped with pumping ma
chinery. or. at least. with orders out and
equipment on the way.
August, also. will have its development
work. The question Of what pumping
equipment to use Is one that can be settled
only by experiments. Just now every kind
of oil pump that has been invented IS be-
ing tried. Compressed air, sucker rod,
steam head and all the other kinds are in
use to a greater or lesser degree. and each
of them has its advocates. Some degree of
experimentation has already been done. of
course, but the question is by no means
settled.
The Guffey Company proved its practical
management by having a sucker-rod pump
ing plant built at the time of the drilling
of each of its wells. These pumping plants
law long in idleness. while less wise COM
diIN "a AA' 800 - 49,
being necessary for at least Il year. But
the Guffey people have been s@renely pump
ing. storing and shipping oil from the Cay
that their wells showed inclination t. stop
gushing
The Higgins Company. the second larg-
est company on the hill, was not prepared
so far in advance Of the necessity as was
the Gutfey Company, but IT had a cons
pressed-air pumping plant ready for work
in ample time, and lost little through the
transition of its wells from Sushers to
bumpers.
wells with steam heads, and the claim il
made that they will get every bucket OF oil
that a well contains.
Compressed Air Effective.
The Palestine-BeaUnOnt Oil and Develop
ment Company has long had a cOmprcss"I-
air plant, supplying agItating ana pumping
power to other wells in addition to it, WE.
L. was pumping wells for other companies
long before most of the oil company mana
gers knew that the gas pressure was fail
ing, and at the time when to say that the
gusher was passing was to lay oneself liable
to ridicule. This company claims TO be
drawing 800 barrels of oil per day from
its we'll, which, it says. is from 400 to Loo
barrels more than any other company is
pumping by any other system.
The Detroit-BeaumOnt Company has in
stalled a sucker-rod plant. with which Gen
eral Manager Randall Silverman processes
the utmost satisfaction.
The Dividend OH Company has ordered
and expects to have fully installed by AIT
gust Is a 4S-inch-stroke steam-head pump.
which, General Manager Robert S. Waite
declares. will be the largest and best pump
on the hill.
The National OIL and Pipe Lire Company
has fitted its wells with sucker RODS; the
Caldwell Company uses steam heads; the
Brice companies have sucker rods.
The Spindle Top Power Company is in
stalling It's immense air compressor plant
on the hill. This company will handle MANY
Of the smaller walls, furnishing them with