The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-12
SEASW OIL AT BEAUMONT
Pioneer Press Correspondent Visits the Texas Oil Fields an
Verlfes the Wonderful Reports at Which the
World Stands Ag1ast

Owing to the great number of advertise
ments and news items which have an
peared recently regarding the city of
Beaumont, Tex, and owing to the general
belief by the people Of the Northwest
that large majority of the tales were
greatly exaggerated, the Pioneer Press
decided to send a representative to that
city for the sole purpose of investigating
the oil fields and making an impartial re-
port on them.
Though it recently came into promi-
nence, Beaumont is a city seventy years
old, and has grown from a log cabin oc-
cupied by Noah Tevis, in 1892, to a pros
porous town with a population estimated
to be at present 25, 900 or 10000. Railway
tracks now run through the streets in all
directions. The street cars are crowded
from early morning until late al night
with all sorts and conditions Of men,
from millionaires to negro laborers. The
constant stream of wagons and pedestri-
ans reminds one of a country town dur
ing fair time rather than in the perform
ance of it's every day duties. Accommo-
dations are everywhere overcrowded, as
the rush of population in the last few
years has been so swift that BUILDING has
not been able to keep up with it. The city
is
An Ideal City.
in many respects. 1t has many churches,
large and up-to-date office buildings and
large manufacturing interests which Of
fer inducements to outsiders who do not
care to speculate in the oil feature 1t IS
the county seat of Jefferson county, forty
miles north of Sabine Pass, the nearest
point on the gulf, and 80 miles from New
Orleans. Among its large buildings are
the new postoffice, built about a year ago,
at a cost of SIS 600, which has every
modern convenience but shich is already
almost too small for the increased bust
ness, and the opera house, which is the
finest south Of Chicago. 1t has greater
seating capacity, and is more complete in
every respect than any opera house in
the Twin Cities Theatrical companies Of
all kinds say that the business is better
in Beaumont than in any other city in
Texas. Three large Office buildings one
seven stories high and the other two five
stories high, besides a number of smaller
buildings and innumerable residences are
now in process of erection. The city is
situated on the bank of the Neches river
which gives ample supply of water for
all purposes The climate is very agree
able, the winters being short and the
summers not unreasOnably warm. It is
very seldom that the Thermometer reaches
100
In 1901 the assessed valuation Of property
IN the City of Beaumont was three and
one-quarter millions.
The first impression as one alights from
the cars in the business center Of the
town is that the paving and drainage of
the city is very bad. There are only a few
blocks of paved streets at present, and
owing to the fact that many streets are
now torn up for installing a sewerage
system, the outlook from the visitors
point Of view is not commentaries The
SOIL being mostly clay affords the worst
possible kind of mud as soon as rain has
fallen for a few minutes, or even after
heavy dew. Large paving contracts
nave been let, however, and it is. expected
that before the coming summer is very
Tar advanced the business portions Of the
city will present a
Much Cleaner Appearance.
The educational interests of the city,
CT course, have not kept up with the
increase in population. The public school
system consists of five schools, two Of
which are for negroes. There are also
nVe very efficient private schools.
Beaumont does not depend entirely
upon the oil interests for support as
1t has two large iron works where every
KIND Of heavy machinery is constructed,
and whose output is sold all over the
South. There are three saw mills. three
planning mills and two Single mills, be-
sides one large factory, which is devoted
to the manufacture Of sashes, doors and
interior. woodwork. The largest creosot-
ing plant i'll the South, three brick fac
tories Which make very good quality of
building brick and marble yard are
among the other important industries Of
the city. An enlarged plant for the man
ufacture Of ice is just being built, being
a part Of the Citizens Ice, Light and
Power company. The annual capacity of
the saw mills is 12OO 900 feet and Of
the planning mills 50 000, 900 feet. The SIR
rounding country is largely devoted to
the cultivation of rice, there being three
rice mills in the city and many store
houses in the vicinity. The largest grain
elevator IN the South is located at Port
Arthur, sixteen miles from Beaumont
and it's capacity is largely devoted to
rice. The completion of the Port Arthur
shipping canal makes it possible for
Ocean-GOing Vessels.
to load within sixteen miles of the great
oil fields at Spindle Top. This canal is
seven miles long which opens directly
into the Gulf of Mexico. Sabine Pass is
also seven miles long and from 1900 tn
4,0O0 feet wide. The deep water channel
through the pass is about 500 feet wide.
and at no point less than twenty-one
feet deep. The United States governments
is now spending 81, 600 900 in improving
this deep water channel
1t was a little over a year ago that
this town sprang into a prominence
greater. than that of the Klondike when
the famous Lucas gusher was announced
by the newspapers all over the country.
Since that time oil wells without number
nave been put in and others are now
nearing completion and still others are
being started. Notwithstanding a great
amount of newspaper advertising and the
immense number of news stories regard
ing the wonderful force and capacity Of
the OIL wells, no one can conceive any
adequate idea of the
Immense Output of These Gushers.
until he has see them in operation. The
peautlful spectacular gusher spouting its
OH hlSh IN the air is a thing of the past
the large number of fires on the field
mas increased the danger to such an ex-
tent that now all the wells are provided
with spout pareIlel to the ground 50
lhdt the OIL does not spread TO any great
extent.
10 Pat1llo Higgins, native Of Beau
mont, belongs the honor of locating the
oil fields at Spirdle Tcp. He said in 1896
that IN ten years the property would be
worth millions of dollars and would star
tie the world with it's greatness. He i'm
19edlateIy organized the Gladys City Oil
gas ana Manufacturing company. Several
attempts were made to sink a well, but
owing to the infericrity Of the machinery
a greater depth than 400 feet could not Be
reached. After great deal of money
had been sunk the other stockholders re-
fused to do any more and Mr., Higgins
WlthdreW from the company.
He went to Washington and interested
capt A. f. Lucas. Together they secured
leases and began drilling Lucas had
charge Of the work, and at a depth Of
6SO feet he abandoned the well He went
East and interested other capitalists and