The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-27
SOUTHERN PROGRESS
THE SARATOGA OIL FIELDS IN
 TEXAS.
The Santa Fe Making Surveys With the Idea of Building a Branch From Its Main Line.

Baltimore. Oct. 2A.-(SpeciaL )--An announce ment of significance for the petroleum indus try. especially that of Southeast Texas, was
 made during the past week in the statement that e right-ofway for the Santa Fe Railroad had been secured from a point on its main line between Votaw and Kountze to the Saratoga oil field a distance of eight miles. and that surveys of the line were under way. It Is also stated that options had been obtained on 25o to 800 acres of land 1 nthe Saratoga field to be turned over to the Santa Fe and developed by that company with the purpose of producing its own oil for use as fuel on the locomotives of It's Gulf division. Referring to this deal
 which, if all the options closed will rep
 resent outlay of from S2oo. 900 to $500. 900. the Beaumont correspondent of the Manu- lecturers Record says:
 Two routes are being surveyed for the new line. one of which is intended to tap an i'm mence area of pine timber and induce
 ment to the road to build in their direction the
 promoters of a Sloo, 900 lumber mill. who con- trol the timber. are said to have offered to pay for four miles of track. Thus it will be seen that the construction and operation of the branch means the opening up of other resources and the stimulation of other industries besides oil.
 Saratoga is in Hardin County. ten and one- half miles northwest of Sour Lake. and thirty two miles, on a bee line. northwest of Beau
 mont. Considerable development has already been accomplished in the Saratoga oil field,
 and the product of several wells, drilled and
 operated by the Beaumont Petroleum and Liquid Fuel Company. an English corporation, of which Carl K MacFadden Is American | manager. Is now being delivered into the | steel tanks of the Southern Pacific Company. at Saratoga. on sixty days contract. This Is the first regular delivery of oil on contract | which has been made from Saratoga wells. The Southern Pacific owns 800 of Saratoga property and has two more producing wells, The Guffey Company, through its deal with the Star Petroleum Company, consummated Sept. 22nd, acquired some very choice terri tory in this field, and 1t is stated that the | management has determined to drill not less than fifteen wells. Already the Guffey Com pany is operating a six-inch pipe line, with loop from Sour Lake to Beaumont. and in the deal with the Star Company 1t acquired the uncompleted six-inch line of that company
 from Saratoga to Sour Lake. Work on this line is being pushed. and within few
 weeks the Guffey Company will be able to pipe Saratoga oil to its refinery at Port Arthur.
 The Texas Company, owner of the bulk of the
 Sour Lake field, also has a line and loop ip operation from Sour Lake to Beaumont. and Is now cutting the timber on its pipe line right of way to Saratoga, with the object of laying the line immediately.
 ''The Southern Pacific has a branch from It's main line, at Nome. to Sour Lake eight miles
 distant. and 1t is said that this line will be extended to Saratoga. The Santa Fe people will rush their branch to completion and with
 this object have offered a bonus of SS. 900, If
 
 ''Te announcement of the Santa Fe's plans
 has caused a revival of the rumor to the effect
 that the electric line. which has been complet- ed from Beaumont half way to Sour Lake.
 will be used by the Santa Fe. If this be true
 1t will require only ten miles of track between
 Saratofga and Sour Lake to give the Santa Fe
 a direct line from the point between Kountze
 and Votaw, to Sour Lake and Beaumont via
 Saratoga. The Santa Fe now operates trains
 into Beaumont but the line passes north of
 the Saratoga and Sour Lake delds.
 More Texas oil Is in storage today than at
 any time since the opening of the fields at
 Beaumont and Sour Lake. Estimates by vari-
 ous operators place the amount above ground
 at [, 900 900 barrels On August list the
 Texas oil in storage was estimated at 8, 900 .
 900 barrels. The great increase since that
 time is due to the production in the Sour Lake
 field which has as high as 9o coo barrels
 a day and is now about 50. 900 barrels a day"
 The highest prices for oil yet reached in the
 Kentucky fields obtained last week and have
 encouraged the operators to prepare for exten-
 sive field work. as they believe the prices will
 not be materially lowered for some time. In
 the Tennessee fields the outlook is brighter
 than it has been for some time and a great
 deal of new work Is planned.