The Wagner leader. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1912-1912, 1912-02-02
70 DRILL 1000 FEET
FOR GAS OR OIL PLAN
UNDER CONSIDERATION
BY Piercing Crust to Great
Depth There Is Prospect Of
Valuable Find.

I fur1nx a deep well. penetrating th0
| earth to the depth OF 5000 feet IL nee
essary. to discover what IL under us,
were thoroughly discussed and ap-
proved by a largely attended n rep
resantative citizens meeting yesterday
evening. and preliminary steps taken
TO begin the work, which IL was pro-
posed should be done through the CO.
operation of the city n a company
OF citizens. There a always been
evidence that there Ia either dry gas or
petroleum sone where in this imine-
date vicinity.
Nearly IS years ago wet a was
found in drilling an artesian well at
the Indian school. ana since that time
further wells have been drilled IN
Pierre, and in central South Dakota.
nearly ali of which VI yielded an
abundant flow OF gas along with the
water. The Pierre a ~ evidently OF
petroleum origin. and the supply from
the wells WAKES and wanes. giving
foundation TO the theory that artesian
water Is i-mpregnated with the gas
which has seeped through assures from
the main supply below. OIL experts
have repeatedly stated that there Is
every Indication OF the presence OF
petroleum. and On the Fort Pierre side.
just below that city, this substance has
been found oozing out OF he base OF a
high bluff In small quantities. Just
this fall a small quantity was discov-
cred In the water from the state house
gas well The supply Of wet gas. while
in total quantity about the same as
when first discovered. seem 10 be lin
tied in this immediate vicinity. new
wells not adding materially TO the to-
| tai amount The city uses this gas
| for pOwer In the pumping station.
which averages 100000 gallons a day
elevated 245 feet, Ind the electric sta
ton for 18th arc in~candescent
lights These utilities onsum prac-
tically all the gas, leaving a shortage
for domestic use. As h city grows 1t
Is evident the present supply will be in
adequate. unless 1t can be largely in
creased. IL is for this immediate rea-
son that the agitation and talk which
has taken place for years has been
| brought to q head.
A company. formed by Eve OF the
leading citizens, secured leases on
about 1900. n promises OF about
| i5.00o more acres of land In this yicin-
ify: U c leases running to one OF the
number as trustee who will assign
them TO the company when incorpo-
rated 1t Is believed that 1t will require
So. 600 to complete he well TO 1000 feet.
and 1t Is proposed to issue stock, in
$40 shares to the Of 81. 600: a
committee being appointed to list all
persons. corporations and property
owners In Pierre, and to assign stock
to each In proportion to their ability
to pay, and expect them to take the
same for the public good. A similar
000 for h construction OF the Gas
Belt auditorium
1t Is believed the city will contri-
| butte its deepest well $50 feet), which
Is said to be finely cased and in good
condition. together with some expen-
sive drilling machinery. and will agree
to purchase all Of the gas produced
BY the deep well at a reasonable price
for q fixed period in order that the
investors may receive some return.
Fort Pierre has beer asked to assist
and everything points TO the frnme-
c~nnciustvely showing whether or not
Pierre Is In h center OF q great Pc
troieum or dry gas field
HoMEsTEADERs ORGANIZE
PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION
Goldfeid. s. D.. Jan 2s.-A Home
steaders' association was organized at
Eleanor today with an enthusiastic
membership They expect to affiliate
with the associations at Chalk Butte
n Gold Field Permanent officers
will be elected at their next regular
meeting. Talk of the organization is
current everywhere In this country and
= general feeling Of protest exists
owing TO he fact that legislation N
eficial 20 the hornesteaders q not been
enacted
For some years past the homestead
ers have demanded a herd law. but
thus far all their efforts have been
unavailing-
In the midst OF a period OF severe
drought. the last legislature passed q
law providing for the furnishing OF seed
by counties. a note being AXE against
the land and the growing crop, which
IL not liquidated became a lien assess
aha ~. u~oa II xrurs1d urnao = - %hn
homesteaders rs though the legisla-
rure anticipated this situation and had
| determines to forestall any possibility
| OF the state being called upon to aid
in the crisis. and left them to bear h
entire burden OF developing the
try
Petitions were circulated asking that
some OF the proposed railroad be ex-
| tended and work be given TO the home
| steaders. and 1t Is thought that had
| pressure been brought to bear by h
state that something might have been
done. This w0uld have aided to some
extent
Some months ago petitions were cir
| culated asxing tlsak fd..ce~ msn service
be provided. and q Star route be es-
tablished following the purchased right
OF way Of b Belle Fourche Valley
railway. The patience of the settlers
| has beer about exhausted with the
nnending red tape necessary to get
actual results =.
SOUNDING BALLOONS GAINS
HiGhES- FLIGHT ON RECORD
Huron s. d. lar 2s.-At the South
Dakota state fair held here q year ago.
the weather bureau sent up a number
OF sounding balloons from the ground
in this city. and In the annual report
OF the chief OF the weather bureau for
the past fiscal yea is the statement
thar n OF these balloons reached an
altitude of 1873 miles above sea level
The experiments here were made By
IN Astrological STAFF OF the Mt. Weather
observatory. and the results of them
were never made known here
The report does not discuss the mat
ter. but 1t Is 4 act that a device OF
this sort or of any other kind has never
before reached such an altitude The
previous rec0ru a ttnined by q bal
loon sent up at Urcle- Belgium, Mo-
vembcr s. 1908. This one rose is
miles. nine-tenths OF a mile less than
the one sent UP here on September L.