Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-05
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NEW TEXAS OIL FIELD.

IF. w. Browne in Belle Plain Union.1
Monday morning early found us on
our way to Hardin county. the first
county north of the one in which
Beaumont is located. where we have
heretofore stated the new oil fields are
located. We travelled by train to
Kountz at which point the fourteen of
us loaded into five rigs to drive to
Saratoga, fourteen miles away. The
unusual rains OF the last two months
have made the roads almost impsssa-
Bile. We drove thru water many
places over the hubs of the buggy for E.
quarter of mile at stretch.
We We're considerably disappointed
at not being able to get into the woods
TO see some Of the various leases be-
longing to the Star Petroleum and
Iowa Beaumont, as we'll as the new
companies along the way between
kountz and Saratoga, but this was
impraticable.
We found many evidences of oil on
cur way, however. where the little
streams run cut from the woods.
Saratoga is the only point in this
neighborhood so far developed, but it
is so rich that the, Southern Pacific has
just paid 100000 in cash for S19 acres.
The Star Petroleum owns lease on a
part of the very ground the Southern
Pacific purchased. 1t also owns leases
almost surrounding this territory and
owns in fee some land adjoining 1t. The
first wells put down here were ten or
twelve years ago. They We're made
with drop drill and could not be car
ried further than the first sand. They
We're consequently never used. The
casting still remains there, however,
and the gas bubbles up thru the water
with which they are filed so that it will
flash If you light match and hold it
above the water. The first deep we'll
put down here was finished on the
21st day of September, 1901, and 1t is
still flowing. 1t has never been allowed
to run to waste and the company has
never built any large storage tanks
but 1T has never refused to gush when
ever opened and thousands of barrels
have been sold out of here to be used
for fuel in adjacent mills. The Star
Petroleum Company has we'll here
and Is drilling a second one. Both
these wells strike the first vein Of oil
more Oil at different depths all the way
down. The first one was spoiled by
drilling too deep and while 1t came In
a" gusher" it is not so good we'll on
account of the fact that the sand from
the extra hole and the mud fills the
strainer and will not allow the oil to
come thru. The new we'll found a
strong flow at $50 feet. but Is drilling
still deeper as we expect at about 700
or 500 feet to get splendid flowing
we'll.
The Southern Pacific has already or
iered twenty wells to be drilled OH the
500 acres purchased. 1t will erect a
So 900 barrel steel tank here immedi-
ately and will build its railroad as
quickly as possible. 1t was expected
that they would get here in ninety days,
but until the water goes down 1t will be
impossible to do anything, for you can
not We'll grade a track under four feet
Of water.
A new company named the "Apollo
Oil Company" is drilling about one
mile to the west of where the Star Pc
troleum is drilling. We visited this
spot also. This we'll is down some
where III the nelSnDOTnOOQ OIL l,UUU Ieel.
They have strong gas and good indi-
cations of oil, but at this distance the
field man thinks he may have to so
1900 feet.
Another new company by the name
of the Regal Oil Company Is prepar-
ing to drill just a mile south OF where
the Star Petroleum has It's we'll on a
piece OF ground that has great surface
indications.
The Byrd Syndicate, London con-
Germ, is also drilling in this neighbour
hood. and expects to put down twenty
wells this next season. George H.
Thayer formerly manager of the Belle
Plaine Electric Light plant. is surveyor
for these people and is constantly in
the field We met Mr.. McFadden, who
Is local manager of the Byrd company
at Beaumont, but did not meet Mr..
Thayer, as he passed us on the way go
ing to Beaumont the day we went to
Saratoga.
From all we can gather from obser-
walton and information from people In