Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1903-01-15
Of interest to Texas Colony Members.

Geraldine, Texas, Dec. "a, 1902.
EDITOR TRIBUNE: There being
large number OF people in your city
and surrounding country who are in
terested in the progress and welfare
of the Geraldine colony, | take the
liberty of writing this article and re-
specially ask that you publish 1T as
an item of news.
i 1t is we'll known fact that oil
has been found here in several places
at the depth of only 30 feet. About
the first of October, of the present
wear, four men with shovels picks.
buckets and ropes, quietly slipped
out to one of these wells and after
several hours of hard labor, bailing
out some four foot of water and near
| ly two foot of mud. we came 10 sand
stone. After applying the pick sew
eral times strong flow of gas was
started which made such a noise
| that those 30 foot above us could
| MAINLY hear it, and oil from three di-
rections commenced flowing into the
well. The writer, with the aid of
tin can cover, succeeded in S thinning
from the water we allowed to remain
/ in the well, three Bounce bottles OF
crude oil which was Immediately
sent to oil experts who pronounced
it "fine sample and good grade"
The Colony company stared "A well
in the early part of last summer, sew
eral hundred feet nearer to the city,
and, when down some twenty-five or
thirty feet, met with the same fate,
though the gas pressure ana how OF
oil was much stronger. For nearly
two months secret meetings have
been held, (this was necessary as
past experience had taught us that if
our intententions were known to the
management they would attempt to
nip it in the bud and the Geraldine
lOil Company, with $4,000 capital
stock, was organized, 10 acres OF land
Joining the we'll last mentioned have
been secured, a charter applied for
|
state of Texas. Those who know the
facts and had the opportunity OF
watching the digging of several
wells. are confident that oil exists in
lpaying quantity. TO the Colony
members, there is two fold in this.
When we have struck oil it's the in
ltentions of the officers to mako it the
largest dividend paying oil company
in existence. Then, too, you own
property here, which will cause it to
rapidly increase in value, and Geral-
dine will become a hustlng city. In
regard to the Colony lands let me
briefly say: While it is true that we
have some dry years, which would
happen in the best country on the
globe under similar circumstances,
we have some good years. Is it not
unreasonable to expect a land to
have good rainfall when thousands
upon thousands, yes millions Of acres
all around Us that have been tram
pied on by multitudes of cattle for
centuries, that have not been touched
by pillow. If you will drive out and
interview the farmers only miles
northeast of the Colony city, they
will tell you that II to Is years ago
they came here from those good old
farming states of Illinois and Iowa
poor but hard working men, and
| yrl, l., Nov if,h nj -
in plain English, they will make you
to understand that they have made
money here and are well-to-do
farmers. They will further tell you
that one can make more money with
less labor on 100 acres of land here
than on 200 acres in those states.
None who possess the push due a
successful farmer will make mis-
take by locating here. An irrigation
scheme is now on foot, and the writer
has been informed that surveyors
have been engaged and expect to
have it in operation inside of - to Is
months and possibly sooner. What
effect will they have on lands! Why
lands you can purchase to-day for
ten to fifteen dollars per acre will at
once jump to fifty and sixty dollars.
Let me enumerate the advantages of
irrigation. FIRsT-We will have no
hot winds. SECoND-Two crops of
nearly everything can be raised, and
sometimes as high as three crops can
be raised in year. THIBD-This
will be one of the most beautiful,
healthy and fertile lands in Uncle
SANS country. Yours truly,
j. f. WINCHESTER.