Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1910 — CLAIMS A LAKE. [ARTICLE]

CLAIMS A LAKE.

Fiwparatnry to a Big <KI Venture Throagh Boriag fir'lta Bet. A fight for title to 4,400 acres of Ferry Lake in Caddo parish, southwest Louisiana, and said to be an oil field valued at approximately $5,000,000, hasbeen begun before Commissioner Dennett of the general land office. The claimant is John B.King of Texarkana, Texas, who made entry over one year ago under the placer mining act He claims that the area of the lake was never turned over by the government to the State of Louisiana, and as the attorney general of that State did not put in an appearance yesterday it is believed that'the State is content to let the general government deal with the proposition before it in any manner it may deem advisable. Former Representative John J. Lentz of Columbus, Ohio; J. A. Tellier of Little Rock, Ark., and J. D. Korner, also of the capital of Ohio, made up the legal array which presented Mr. King’s side of the case. At the close of the argument Commissioner Dennett took the matter under advisement. He did not announce when a decision will be rendered in the matter. For several months past it has been believed that the State officials of Louisiana were going to put up a vigorous fight for the lake, which also has a considerable area in the State of Texas. Several years ago, while prospecting over the general oil field in the faction where the lake is located, Mr. King discovered that while the Standard Oil Company had located Its wells on all-sides of the property, no attempt had been made to locate on the lake. He then went to work, and made a close examination of the records bearing on the question of title to the land bn which the lake lies. This was formerly government land before the back water from the Red River overflowed the section and left the lake. He ascertained, so it was pointed out in the argument of the attorneys before Commissioner Dennett yesterday that the lake was never turned over by the general government to the State of Louisiana, and he lost no time In making an entry bn the 4,400 acres Ln question, which Is believed to be the richest in the section in point of possible oil fields. With his entry he then made his plans to bring the matter to the attention of the commissioner of the geieral land office, so as to perfect the title before he begins operations for locating oil wells. He talked at length yesterday of the question and pointed out that as the lake Is only about two or three feet dedp it will be a,comparatively easy matter to locate oil wells in all parts of the area covered by the 4,400 acres in question. Mr. King is positive from the investigations he has made that the area is of Immense value and hopes as soon as he gets title to begin operations. she section in which the lake is located in both Texas and Louisiana is looked upon by pil experts everywhere as a particularly'rich oil country, and this fact has been singu&rly brought out, it is declared, by reason of the tact that the Standard Oil Company has come into the'sectlpn and bought up all the land bordering on the lake. Washington Star.