The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-04-29
RICHEST FARM IN WORLD.
Parcel of Land in Kansas Belonging
to Standard Oil Company
Grows Nothing.

| D, Rockefeller has what is undoubtedly
the richest farm in the world, and not a
dollars worth Of produce is raised upon
it. The farm consists Of 400 acres OF
fine land Its value is nearly S2,00e.0
and its annual crop amounts TO about
s8,000.000, says Neodesha (I<an.l let
ter TO the New York Sun.
Mr.. Rockefeller doesn't try any expert
ments with corn CT wheat, nor does
be try to increase his wealth by engaging
in the raising of cattle, sheep or hogs.
The Rockefeller farm is purely a tank
farm, and is so called in the nelghbol'-
hood At approximately the same dis
lance apart on the 400 acres are So big
oil tanks, each having a storage capacity
Of from $4,000 to 10000 barrels OF Gil.
A space Of eight acres is set apart for
each tank. and around each is dyke OF
earth about five feet in height, thrown
up to catch the oil should a leak be
sprung or to fight away the flames
should they come il the wake Of d
stream Of oil that had burst its confines.
Each of the tanks is made OF sheet
steel, and cost about $4,000 They are
about so feet in diameter and 80 feet
high. They rest lightly on the grou5ad.
The steel floor is covered with heavy
black Oil paper, and a conical roof szlr-
mounts the whole. A stairway leads to
the roof from the ground. IN the middle
Of it is a door locked with a Rockefeller
paddock, special design which can
not be duplicated, and to which Only
trusted employees carry keys.
In these tanks is stored the surp. as
oil Of the Kansas field. The prodrc-
ton has been increased greatly. A year
ago it was about $4,000 barrels a daT;
now it is more than twice that figure.
The Standard refinery here can tare
care Of only $500 barrels day. but Ut
Sugar Creek, near Kansas City. thecoll-
pany is putting up an immense ole.
Even this, however. would have beGn
inadequate.
If the state is going to put the cola-
pany out of business in Kansas the
Standard will lose several millions in
investments such as the tank farm
which cannot well be moved without
great impairment There are smaller
farms at Humboldt and Caney.
These tank farms are connected with
the Gil fields everywhere. Big mains
run into each Of the six large producing
counties, and from these 1aterals extend
to wherever there is any oil. The mo-
ment an operator can show a production
Of so barrels day the Standard will
build him a pipe line. Until the recent
fuss this was the rule, and gangs OF pipe
layers were kept busy all the time. many
wells being capped awaiting the arrival
Of the pipes.
More than 100000 is invested by the
Standard in pipe lines in this state.
Solid trainloads of pipe and sheet steel
were daily sights in the field last sum
mer Each main line is supplied with
a pumping station which forces the oil
through the pipes. Where OIL does nc,
run by gravity the Standard has been
paying a cent barrel for the steam
used in pumping, which in itself has
been a good source Of income for the
operators
Forty men are employed to ride the
pipe lines and gauge the oil. Their bust
ness is to look for thefts and leaks.
Oil stealings have not been infrequent
in the past. A line will be tapped al
some secluded point and a Wagonload OF
oil taken. to be sold later to the re
fnery people.
These gaugers visitthe oil wells. meas
IRE the oil and run it into the line
They give the operator a ticket and he
sends the accumulated ones to the head
quarters on the first of the month and
gets his check An affidavit must &C
company each claim, in which is set out
the name of the owner of the royalty.
Few of the wells are operated by the
owners of the land, most Of whom take
life easy on their monthly royalties.
These they receive direct from the
Standard office. In this way they feel
sure the operators are not defraudina
them.
The Kansas field is divided by the
Standard into two districts. The divid-
ing line runs just on the north side OF
Neodesha The company does not be
lieye that the oil in the north end oil
the field is as good as that in the south
end, and a difference Of 20 cents a barrel
is made. The man with we'll just north
Of the line gets that much less than a
man with well hundred feet away,
but on the south side Of it, and this has
aroused much feeling. The company
retorts that it must make the division
somewhere, aud somebody must ger
hurt. Very heavy Oil is produced in the
north end