The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-11-25
SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
OIL AND GAS ABOUND

is located what is famed in this territory
as the Blowing WELL" one of the deep
est wells ever put down in the territory
until the recent boring Of the st. Ste
phens Oil Company. This well was bored
just after the war. When depth OF
about 400 feet was reached there was a
very strong pressure of gas developed.
Some employee about the well stuck
lighted brand to the we'll to see II the
gas would burn, with the result that a
great explosion occurred. blowing the
drill out of the well, wrecking and burn
ing the derrick and machinery, and it
was noticed that fire ran down a small
stream near by. The latter fact estab-
lished the existence of oil. The wreck Of
the machinery proved the wreck of the
fortunes of the drniers and the work was
abandoned.
Mr.. Thompson organized the St. Ste
phens Oil Company with capital of SIS, 900.
This company was composed of Birming-
ham capitalists. Mr.. B. F. Roden was
elected President, ]. B. Ccbbs, President
of the Alabama National Bank, was
elected Secretary and Treasurer. Among
the stockholders we're Gov. Joseph F.
Johnston. Col. Rufus N. Rhodes, Mr.
H. H. Mayberry of Birmingham. and
Capt. T. S. Plowman of Talladega.
The company attempted to put down
a well with a cable zig and reached a
depth Of 369 feet, at which point strong
flow of gas was developed and a consid-
cradle showing of oil was made. For
some reason the drill got stuck in this
hole and the well was abandoned.
Then the company contracted with Mr..
James Keoughan, of Mobile. a man with
considerable experience in the Texas and
Louisiana fields, and he drilled a well
2,ooO feet deep in search of oil. In this
well gas was plentiful from 800 to 1000
feet. At about 700 feet very high gas
pressure was EN- countered and fears were
entertained of a blow out At the same
time much oil was noticed on the water
coming from the we'll. But the gusher
never came in. This we'll is still flowing
large quantities of salt water and gas
which burns on top of the well to
height Of four or five feet. and Is the
prettiest sight ever witnessed All over
this section along the banks of the Tom
bigbee River and for some distance into
the interior natural gas bubbles up in all
tho streams and pools of water. All of
the old salt wells, varying in depth from
a few feet to $50 feet, are still flowing
gas with all the original force, though
some of them have been running for
istence of natural gas in paying and
in sxhaustible quantity.
Here are to be found limestone and
clays for making Portland cement of the
highest gra6e. With gas for fuel, salt
AMI cement can be m lnufactured here
cheaper than most any place in the
world. while the proXi nifty of the Tom
b:g5ee River, navigable at all seasons OF
the year, insures the cheapest transporta-
ton to the markets of the world.
Since Mr.. Thompson came into the
territory it has attracted wide attention.
CAPTAIN Lucas. of Beaumont lame. Wis
tied part of this field, near BIadon
Springs, and on his report Col. J. d.
Rose, since deceased. invested quite
large sums Of money in lands here. Be-
fore he could perfect arrangements for
development he died very suddenly. Most
of his leaseholds have passed recently
into other hands, supposed to be con-
nected with the Standard Oil Company
and the development is now problemat-
ical.
After organizing the St. Stephens Oil
Company, Mr.. Thompson secured other
lands and organized the Mobile Develop
ment Company. This company has some
very valuable lands m the St. Stephens
field but have done no developing there,
lhGiE dtlthtlOH ulTtCleu u the Sll-
ronelle field in Mobile County. In this
latter field the oil comes from the ground
in numerous places with the waters of
springs. The Development Company put
down two wells at Chronicle, one LOO
feet deep and another 1850 feet In the
latter well he drill was twisted off and
the hole was abandoned, just as a good
showing of oil was made and the form
alton indicated oil in paying quantity.
These companies were of limited cap
italization and Mr.. Thompson conceived
the idea of getting together a large body
of lands and organizing a company with
sufficient capital to undertake and push
to successful conclusion extensive devel
opment of the field. In execution of this
design he acquired about $1,000 acres OF
lands in Clarke, Washingt On and Choc-
taw counties, Alabama, covering quite
the whole of the territory in which Oil
gas, salt, cement, fire clay, kaolin and
other valuable minerals were found, and
about $1,000 acres in the Mississippi field
principally in Clarke County, and with
these holdings he succeeded in organic
ing the Alabama Mississippi Investment
and Development Company. OF Mobile.
This company Is composed of some of the
most conservative and successful bust
ness men of that city. Col. Z. L. Rus
Sell, FORMER FreSluenL OF the MODlle ana
Ohio Railroad, is its President Governor
Joseph F. Johnston. of birmingham;
Hon. A. s. Lyons. of Mobile. and Mr..
w. w. Thompson, Vice Presidents; Cap
tain Pat J. Lyons. Secretary and Treas
urer. Messrs. Spira & Pincus, L. Ham
mel, Z. o. Zadek, Jas. Keoughan. T. c.
Booth, Z. D. Pepper, j. b. Webster and
A. s. Benn, late British Consul at Mo
bile, all leading business men of Mobile.
are directors and stockholders.
This company has a capital stock of
$1.OOO.OOO. and its shares are Of the par
value of S1.00 each.
1t now has the machinery and mate.
rial on the ground near Enterprise. Miss,
to put down it's first well and the work
will begin within few days This is .
most promising field OIL seeps Of very
high grade oil are numerous and gas
seeps plentiful in this territory.
Other Companies.
In addition to the work that has been
done by the companies organized by Mr.
Thompson the following work has been
done by the parties or companies named: