The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-04-28
WILL DRILL OIL WE'LL.
GAINESVILLE Coal Company Will Drill
Oil or Gas Well, and Start by
June 1St

SalnSVllle Coal company VIII DFlIi
Oil or Gas Well, and Start by
June 1st.
Mr.. c. H. Alderfer. and W. d. AL
thouse, of Norristown, Pa, arrived
the latter part of last week to see
how the work was progressing in the
different departments at the shaft.
They found that while the work on
the shaft was going on rather slowly
on account of the shortage of hands,
the work is being done in first-class
shape and that the specifications are
being filled in every respect. Mr..
Dowell knows his work thoroughly
in every respect and does it accord
ing to specification.
Another object of their visit was
to arrange if possible for the drill
ing of another we'll for oil or gas. 1t
| will be remembered that the oil and
| gas leases heretofore given contained
clause requiring the company to
pay rental of 10 cents per acre to
each farmer providing a we'll was not
| drilled within the time specified in
| the leases. This clause the COM
pany asks the farmers to waive for
three years or until the field can be
thoroughly tested for oil and gas. 1t
looks like a good proposition for the
| farmers for if no futher testing is
done they will get nothing, while
If the test is made and oil or gas or
both found the reward will be enor-
nous.
We are glad to know that the
| farmers are meeting the company
half way and are signing up without
exception so far, and the company
hopes to be able to begin drilling on
the new we'll by June LIST, if not
sooner. The we'll will be located
| somewhere on the bottoms, presum-
ably south of, but not far from town.
1t will be remembered that the old
Oil we'll showed unmistakable traces
of oil and the new drilling will be
an effort to find the heavier deposit,
We are glad to know that our old
friend, Fred Morck, of Warren, Pa,
who was here some months while the
old well was being drilled, and is
we'll known to our people, will come
to GAINESVILLE to superintend the
drilling of the new we'll. AS Mr..
Morck is an old hand at the bust
ness it is safe to say that he will
push the work with all possible
speed. The company hopes to finish
the we'll in six months, or even less
time. The derrick and tools used in
the we'll near the Murphy school
house southwest of town, will be
moved to the new site as soon as it
is selected. The willingness of the
company to incur the expense of
drilling new test we'll for oil or
gas shows that they have strong
faith that oil or gas, perhaps both,
will be found in the territory con-
tiguous to GAINESVILLE.
Mr.. Alderfer informs us that in
releasing he found that some of the
parties who made the original leases
had sold out, and failed to recite in
the deed the fact of a lease existing
leaving doubt as to whether the
original owner reserved the minera
right or transferred it to the new
owner. The law makes such trans
fers misdemeanor punishable by {
fine or Imprisonment. AS a matter
of information to the people we sug
gest that when a piece OF land or
which mineral lease exists, the
solid facts and terms of the lease
should be recited in the deed, ant
also state whether the mining RICH
is reserved or transferred to the new
owner of the land. This will proven
possible serious trouble.
One of the largest mining oper
ators of Novinger, Mo-, was here tn
past few days and thoroughly in
spected the shaft and machinery TO
the same, and said that the equip
ment was far superior to any min
with which he is acquainted. H
said that he did not know of a sngl
mine in Missouri with timbers owe
inches square, while the timber
in our mine are 10x10. He sal
that he did not know of a shaft wit
concrete collar, while our shaft
have a concrete collar feet thick
reaching from the solid rock to tn
top of the ground. He also did no
, know of boiler room equipped Wit
: a large fan for inducing draft TO
the boilers as our boiler room has
All this goes to show that the shaft
here are not only the largest in Mis-
sissippi Valley, but that the min
will also be the largest and bes
l. equipped in that territory.
Work on the shaft is progressin
in good shape. They have NOR
men than for some time past, som
e SO odd men now being on the 10
j. and some more came in from Novir
q ger the first of the week. The mai
shaft is now down some 1876 fee
and will perhaps reach the 200 mar
It by the time this reaches our reader!
It The air shaft lacks about thirty fee
o being as deep as the main shaft.
is thought that the first vein of Goa
will be uncovered soon, probabl!
not far from the 200 foot level
GAINESVILLE News.
al