Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1920-04-15

we cannot Delleve that the city VII
remain in darkness much longer.
LOOKS LIKE BUSINESS
IN JEFFERSON COUNTY
Old Abandoned Well May Prove
Veritable Oil Strike Under
New Contract.
About four years ago test wei
for oil and gas was drilled neal
Truly Lake in jefferson county, Miss
This well was drilled by local com.
pany with judge Jclf Truly as it,
president. Il was q matter Of com
mon knowledge anIo-g the citizens
of that section tina. .,as h"1 been es-
Gaping along the borders of the lake
and even near the center of the lake
as far back as the oldest settlers OF
the community could remember. In
fact Truly Lake, is the camping
ground for many hunting and fish
ing parties; and it has been the
common practice on these occasions
to strike a match to this escaping
gas of curiosity and interest, and in
some instances even for lighter
forms OF cooking. Hence the local
people, themselves, very readily
up the money necessary for the 4
ing of this we'll and a driller was
employed by them.
This first well was drilled to the
depth of 2,575 feet, and then aband-
oned. There are some curious facts
connected with the history of this
well, however. In the first place a
correct "log" of the well was kept
to depth of 1,178 feet. strong
showing of gas having been struck
then. strange to say, the driller pro-
cceeded with his work, but suddenly
became very secretive as to his
findings, and soon abandoned the
well and left for parts unknown.
Finally the local company succeeded
in employing second driller, who
found that the "log" of the well had
been padded" ,178 to 1906 feet
that an incorrect and impossible re-
port had been made on this space of
127 feet by the first driller, and that
the truth as to what was found at
this depth was known to none but
the first driller; except the fact that
1T came after a strong showing of
gas. This second driller carried the
well to "a depth of 2,575 feet, where
it was finally abandoned.
Again Appears On Scene.
To this day the people of Fayette
have neither seen nor heard from
this first driller. However, about one
month ago. Mr.. Green, of Dallas,
Texas, who has been in the oil busi-
ness for approximately twenty years
and who has for many years a drill
er himself appeared in Jackson and
called on the Secretary of State, Joe
Power. Mr.. Power having been a
director in the we'll driller drilled
near Truly Lake and went with Mr..
Power to Fayette, to see Judge
Truly. Before Mr.. Power or Judge
Truly revealed any information
whatever about the well. Mr.. Green
thoroughly established the fact that
he, Mr.. Green, a Texas driller, was
thoroughly conversant with the en-
tire history of the well, naming
both drillers, and otherwise going
into details, although no one in that
section has ever been found who
ever saw or heard of Mr.. Green be-
fore. Mr.. Green then told Judge
Truly that he had been searching
the state for this we'll, at consider
able expense, for six months; that
he had information to the effect
that an oil sand probably capable of
producing 1000 barrels of oil day
had been struck at 1000 feet, and
drilled through, and that he would
have second well drilled on the
same location if Judge Truly would
secure and transfer leases on suffi-
cient acreage surrounding this well.
Judge Truly told Mr.. Green that if
he would get a man on the ground
PREPARED to sign a binding contract,
he, Judge Truly, would see that the
leases were secured and transferred.
Within a week Mr.. Green resppear-
ed in Judge Truly's office, this time
accompanied by j. 7. Craig, of Dali
las, president Of the Imperial Pro-
duction Company, which is a. mil
lion dollar company. A tentative
contract was drawn and signed.
Leases have been secu ed, and on
March 31st Mr.. Craig again appear
ed in Judge Truly's office, having
come directly from Dallss, and the
final drilling contract was drawn and
signed.
Provisions Of Contraet.
Among other things this contract
provides that operations must begin
by May LIST, 1920; that operations
once begun must be continued with
due diligence and without unreason-.
able delay" until the well shall have
been completed and that the I'M:
perial Production Company must
Immediately" deposit in the Jeffer-
son County Bank, at Fayette, the
sum of $1,000 available only for the
one purpose of defraying expenses
incident to the construction of an
84-foot derrick and incident to the
drilling Of test well.
The contract also provides that
Mr.. Green himself, will have abso-
lutte charge of the actual drilling Of
the well. Both Mr.. Green and Mr..
Craig express the utmost confidence
in the belief that thew will bring in
a good we'll on this land at 100
feet. This coincidence, thev 80 is
based on absolute information as tos