The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-12-27
ACTIVITY IN OIL FIELD
More Than Fifty Boilers Being KeptIIO
Now Against Ten Last Years.
PRODucERSARE NOT MAKING CONTRACTS
Sa'd that They Believe the Oil viii Com
nsnd Even Higher Prices Within a
Short Time and They Want Il.


Short Time and They Want Il.
beaumont, Toxss, December 2s.-Notwtth-
9.anuing this lie the first day following
Christmas Spindle Top is showing a re-
'"ni that is pleasing to the owners OF
property there. yea; ago 1t was ncces-
sary to take week of at Christmas to &c.
over the strain that had been gone through
Just prior to that time in the mad rush
10 get gusher," but Il is different now.
me drillers started up promptly this morn
ing and there are some ffty or more hot
boilers on the hill today as against ten
year ago. Late yesterday afternoon Deputy
Sheriff Holder sent word in TO sheriff Ian
dry that the crowds were enjoying Christ
mas With more than ordinary hnarlty aud
'nat ne ought to have some help. The
sheriH responded promptly, but his pres
ehce and the passing away Of the day made
II unnecessary 10 arrest any Of them, aul
touay they are all back at work as usual.
vi course, great many went back to their
homes hut those who are still here are
working and the others will get back here
by the first OF the year and will at once
take up the work where they left on oil
mas now become SO valuable that they can
not AFFORD to let their wells lie Idle any
longer than can be helped Taking all these
things In consideration, It has not been sur
prising to ind Spindle Top very Lively
place today.
The impression has been created both
here and elsewhere in the State that there
are mere deaths at Spindle Top than arc
! being reported TO the officials This is oy,-
IDENTIFY an error, as close Inquiry at all the
undertaking establishments Of the city aud
! all the contractors offices fails to elicit any
information that would lead to such a con
! cluSon. The facts are that the hill has
| lecpme both law abiding and cautious under
! the administration of Sheriff Iandrys Wig
| orous action, and this has tended to make
! accidents, as well as crime, less numerous
~
! The appearance in Beaumont recently or
railroad officials OF high rank has led to "a
1 great deal Of speculation though It. is gen
/ orally understood that their visits have
been rather to study the oil situation than
for anything else. Some Of them arc com
ing here to try to force the carrying out Of
contracts that they made when prices were
| lower and oil more plentiful while others
I hlc mere Iol lne purpose OF making INl0
/ contracts at as low a figure as possible.
/ They are ALL in the end looking for 5he
/ same goal Cheap fuel is the incentive, and
I MS long as oil goes no higher than 80 cents
1 II is thought that the Texas and Louisiana
/ railways ut least will continue the use OF
/ fuel oil. If the price of fuel oil goes above
/ that 1t will bring the territory Of consump-
/ tlon nearer home. At present railroads
| use the oil at big saving. As the price
! Increases the extent OF the radius decreases.
! This is really all there is to the matter.
! But as to the making Of new contracts, L
must be admitted that the oil producers
} are not as anxious as perhaps they might
/ be. They see early In 1903 the beginning OF
consumption on large scale Of the oil by
the rehuericS constructed and under con.
! struction, This alone will bring about the
! greatest incentive for a further increase Ia
! the price of oil at the we'll, loaded on cars
! or In tanks IL matters not which basis is
! used the basis will be higher. For that
( reason 1t is thought that the railroads will
not get their oil SO easily as they had hoped
to some six months since.
1t has been intimatcd that the deep
water committee which was organized more
than year ago will cease to operate aud
will lIquldate In 4 quiet and unassumiug
manner. The reason for this has been the
fact that the people have hardly given the
proposed measure the enthusiastic support
the committee thought It deserved. They
think that with the publication Of the
pamphlet and the forwarding Of It to
Washington is about as far as they can
CO. The people here, however, are very
anxious to see n deep water canal CON
! structed from the Nechcs river to Taylors
! bayou and there have a connection with
/ the Port Arthur canal. This would give
I heaumOlt and Orange n depth of twenty
| i've feet at n very low cost. Engineers have
estimated that as low sum rs SJ00,OOO
will secure the desired end, but the deep
water committee has so far been unable
| 10 devise a way whereby n lobbyist can
/ be kept at Washington to bring out these
/ by such movement together with the saw
! ing, and the result is that Congressman
Cooper is alone in his efforts there. He
remained at Washington during the holi-
missionary work on the measure, and II Is
understood that he is likely to meet with
partial success at any rate.
! ~
| The shipments OF oil by water have so
far been unaffected by the fact that the
holidays are now on. though the rail- ship.
meuts have fallen Of about 90 per cent
for the week. This is said to be due more
! to the fact that the railroads have been
blocked with tho Christmas rush than to
| the fact that the oil men themselves are
| aklng week OF. me December shipments
will run 10 about 6lOO cars or something
over 100000 barrels. The average price
received Will run beyond that OF any pre-.
vlous month and the net earnings Of the
active oil companies will undoubtedly ex-
/ coed those Of any previous month in the
history of the business.
~
II IS expected that with the beginning OF
the now year the Southern Pacific VIII an
uouuce it's policy with Saratoga, which
rumor makes nom positive her assertions
has been passed into the hands OF the big
! trunk line. IL is limited that the develop
! ment there will receive quite an impetus
during the latter part Of January or tho
! early part ~ February by the Independent
operators also.