The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-08-06
More Excitement at GAINESVILLE.

A. g. West & Son completed, Tuesday, |
the second prospect hole for coal finish |
ing at depth of 600 feet. No more |
coal has been found since that reported |
last week, but very encouraging fea- |
ture of the drilling of the last few feet
is the strong indications of oil. This
showing is so strong that Mr.. West is
positive that oil and gas in paying
quantities are in this country some
place. Representatives of the COM
pany have held to this belief ever
since oil indications were first observ-
ed at the oil we'll and they have repeat
edly said that they intended to keep up
the work of testing until the pool was
found. The company has spent more
than $4,000 in prospecting in this
vicinity and it is idle to suppose that
they will stop now when the indica-
tions are brighter than ever for getting
oil and gas in addition to coal, the
latter of which is now an absolute GER
tainly.
Orders have been received from the
company not to move the core drill
from it's present location and it is per-
sumed from this the company is consid-
ering the matter of making deeper
drilling at that site. 1t is we'll known
that the company purposes to make
another deep drilling, the present plan
being to ship diamond drill, with a
capacity of 1000 feet, out here, and the
exact location of this will be deter
mined after conference between Mr..
Althouse and the biologists. MIR. West
has prepared report of the drillings
he has made, which will be considered
at conference of the board of direc-
tors of the company at Norristown, Pa,
which will be called as soon as MIR.
Vests report reaches them. This re-
port was mailed yesterday and should
reach Norristown tonight or tomorrow
morning. Walters, the geologist, is
now here and Mr.. Althouse is expected
in few days.
The drillings here are attracting wide
attention. Inquiries as to our prospects
for cheap fuel are coming from all over
the country, not only from the western
railroads but from large business con-
Germs, among which was the Ottumwa
Iron Works, of which John Morrel, the
big packer, is president. Interest among
the railroads in reach of this territory
is keen. The Burlington has wired ask
ing it representative Of that company
would be given the privilege Of con-
TSs
alive of the Campbell Heating Co., Of
Des Moines, was here last week figuring
on contract for heating apparatus
for the school house, and he is authority
for the statement that the Great West
ern is watching the situation here very
closely, and his opinion is that they
will build line in, if the coal field i.
large enough to warrant. Other bust
ofnh nd a
soon as it is an assured fact that coal
mines are to be opened and operated
big doin' s will start and this burg will
take hump on itself that will amaze the
natives.
There is one thing however that
gives our people cold chills, and that is
the possibility of the Burlington buying
the coal property outright. If the Burl
ington would open and operate the
mines it would make no difference, but
it might do as it did at Lucas, Ia, wher
coal was found there. A company open
! ed mines there, put in couple Of shaft
equipped it with machinery all read.
) to go to work when the Burlington
stepped in and bought the propert,
and beyond keeping the property in re
!, pair, no coal has been mined there no
: likely to be for years as the Burlington
already has large coal fields in opera
ton and does not need the Lucas coal
The same tactics would DO followed
here in all probability and the countr,
. held back for many, many years. l
. would be different with the Rock Island
Union Pacific, or Great Western as the
need the coal; and the mines would b
opened and operated not only for them
. selves but also for the market.
!. However the Keystone Oil and Ga
Co. are keenly alive to business oppor
tunity here and the value Of their prop
erty and we are sure that they woul'
ask fancy price for it. In case it i
not sold the company purposes to begi
at once the work Of sinking shaft q
soon as it is determined that the feel
is not merely pocket They ar
satisfied that the field is general bu
like Missourians they have to be "show
ed and the core drill is the only thin
that will "show" them.-Cainsvill
News.