The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-02

times. The Kelly-Dennis company has
a lease also in another quarter section
| lying almost directly between the Syn
dictate and Victor wells and is prepar-
ing to develop 1t.
The Victor is on a 120 acre tract late
ly leased and its development has just
commenced. 1t is situated in the trend
just south of the Syndicate and three
fourthS of a. mile north of the famous
Shaw property which sold few days
ago for $125, 900. Two wells, both pro-
ductive, have already been sunk on the
lease and the prospect is f1attering for
a splendid paying property.
In the same region is the Gaylano
property in which David Mulvane ana
In all of these properties mentioned by
name and hundreds of others oil Is be-
ing pumped day by day.
Some farmers of the Indifferent soil.
about to lose his so acre tract year
ago in default of the payment OF
5000 mortgage. This spring ne mas
built an $4,000 opera house for the town
and has a beautiful dwelling house. He
is wealthy and all of it came from
royalties. Oil was found on his so
acres.
Another farmer who has a 40 acre
piece of land is receiving $35 a day
royalty from oil wells drilled on his
land, but the other day he expressed
sorrow because the grass would not
grow around the wells. woman whose
corn patcn- has thus been invaded and
whose income for two months has aver
aged SIS day said she would almost
rather have the cornfield, she was so
used to the sight of corn tassles.
The Standard makes the prices of oil,
there as elsewhere, and that price just
now doesn't suit the oil producers. Last
winter the price was $1.l9- NOW II is oo
cents at Cnanute and SO cents at NeO-
dosha. The oil people-some of them
have been holding secret meetings ana
discussing the advisability of putting
in an independent refinery. They say
the Standard probably had agents IN
the meeting and so nothing was said
there abusive or denunciatory OF the
trust. There are propositions for lnoe-
pendent refineries but the proposerS
want a guarantee that all the oil VIII
be delivered to them The producers
on the other hand, having read what
Miss Ida Tarbell says about 1t, nave
wholesome respect mingled with their
dislike of the trust and so hate TO Pima
themselves to fight it. And even at %
cents the oil is profitable. Only. they
argue, Mr.. Rockefeller and MT II n.
Rogers can afford to pay more Tor II
and would do SO, were there even meas
urable competition
This relation of the biggest corpora
ton in the world to the oil producers
of sunny Kansas is interesting put II
has only an indirect bearing on the oil
we'll discoveries. And if the octopus
should grow too grasping, OIL people
say 1t will find a new race OF nShterS
in KanSaS-d11erenI from the OAiO az
Pennsylvania brand. and more nearly
resembling the Texas type. 1t Is In the
Lone Star state that the Standard mas
met its most vigorous resistance. Kan
sas, they say, will also give active I'VE pat
file should the need come. one OIL man
told me that lawyers and legislators
all over Kansas were becoming IN
terested in oil wells. The Standard
some day may be forced to cross
ST 10 u e mother way this great Standard
oil conDany is an aid and a conven-
fence to the oil development, especianyy
To the farmers. Some of these lanu
holders were fearful at first that they
might be cheated out of part OF thelF
ROYALTY: that the eighth or the sixth OF
the oil production might not De meas
nred accurately. But their fears are SCI
at rest. Standard oil in this region Is
Something like government IN Englahl-
II cannot err-so far as bookkeeping iS
concerned. The Standard gauges All on
in the tanks before pumping Desills,,
and afterward. The difference is Wnae
n navs for. 1t has a copy or all leases
and its checks go where they peiohs-
70 tne farmer his share; to the lessee