Pike County Democrat, Volume 27, Number 52, Petersburg, Pike County, 7 May 1897 — Page 1

®}e fthe Cmintn democrat. ——- VOL. XXVII. PETERSBURG, IND.. FRIDAY. MAY 7. 1897. NO. 52

JUMBO, 575 POUNDS! The Biggest Gas Producer in the World. n 1 _ Its Equal Never Heard of Before— 4,000,000 Feet a Day ,

The Test Made Tuesday Night in the Pmnw of T|»nsandiu eg! T A niRhi) lt*nr «t>< the name* l.e*»p KliCb Ihi* ikte Air. Jumbo a corker nod the strongest! pressure natural gas well ever drilled in Indiana soil and with one exception the | biggest well discovered ill the world. That' it is a good well stands without reason, a,- ( it required nearly five'weeks to get the wuL! under full and complete control. On the j Stub of March gas was struck and work ceased at once arid arrangements made to) £ase off the water. Many difficulties were" eucountered during the process of drilling j the well, but iu the end it came out ali right, and today Petersburg has the honor I of possessing the heavies! pressure natural ga> well known iu the world. Every eiti- ! pstn is proud of this fact, and Wednesday j morning every man felt that he was richer by thousands than he was four mouths ago ; when the well first started Chiuaw&rd. To ray that the people are happy does hot express it. Old men are young again and it has acted hke a great tome in inspiring new health ami vigor to the people. It is not necessary tn give a history of the drilling as the Democrat has at all times kept the people fully posted on every event and for years lias been the Only newspaper in ^Petersburg advocating the question of drilling for natural gas. tg 1 and other minerals, and its work h*s received the commendation of Petersburg citizens and the newspaper fraternity of the state. It may a iso la* said that the people are I somewhat excited and talk nothing but j natural gas. and instead cf there being but! n few cranks on the subject as there was a ; few mouths ago, all is now changed aud ; gveiy mau. woman or child you meet will i falk about Jumbo and its immense pressure. It is not only the prule ol Petersburg and ’ Pike county people to talk al«ont it. but every strung^ ami every citizen of Indiana i< equally as proud, and s;*eak wordwQf praise And sing th*' > og of gi.uln* s> for the great business future of the great Has City of the I

South. In fact the Democuat is a little excited itself this week, but it is tobe hoped that our friends will overlook the matter, at least for the time being. Tuesday morning, bills were scattered about the city and in the country near by announcing the fact that a public test of the well would be made that evening and that Jumbo would blow off. W. T. Warner of Elwood, an expert gas driller, had arrived the day before and put the finishing touches on the well and a pipe extending from the derrick to a distance of fifty feet was placed in position, and all was in readiness for the test. Long before dusk Tuesday evening, the streets leading toward the famous gas well were lined with people, all eager to see the sight a^d hear the mighty roar. The City band was on hands and dispensed music suitable to the occasion. It is estimated that upwards of 8,000 people were present at the test of the well, lion. A.il. Taylor, president of the Petersburg mining and manufacturing association, made a brief speech in which he defined the methods of tlw> company and the work which is proposed in building up and making a manufacturing city of Petersburg. When be announced the fact that Jumbo was the biggest natural gas well in Indiana by 215 pounds the air rebounded with the shouts of the people. At the conclusion of his speech a mighty shout went k.Mr. Warner then placed a newspaper at e mouth of the pipe and lit it, and going into the derrick house turned on the gas; at first slow and then stronger and stronger until the people iu terror fled back for over two hundred feet'. The roar was almost deafening and the playing of the band could not be heard, while the people shouted themselves hoarse. TheSfio pouud j pressure was turned on in full ami the, ground a foot deep and for several feet was } blown out. The flames shot out for a dis- \ tance of nearly 150 feet, fifty or sixty wide j and forty feet high. It was the first time • in the history of nearly every* person present j that they had seen natural gas burning aud j it was indeed a grand sight. The pressure j was again cut off, and iu a few minutes j again turned on with full force and again the multitude of people swept back to get j away from the deafening roar.' And when j it was finally turned off for the night a

575 POUNDS PRESSURE.

great shout went up and the people wended their ways home contented with having seen the greatest gas well in the country today. The people were more than satisfied after haring been on tiptoe of expectancy for the past five weeks, it having been surmised and talked about that the well had but .a very small pressure, ami also the fact that geologists had predicted that gas would not be found here in paying quantifies, and even after it had been found that it was only “shale gas" and would only last a short time. But from the actions of Jumbo Tuesday evening the doubts of the people have been removed and. they are perfectly satisfied with the well and the

T | fteabet), j've fleet) t | That th« ohl moat hack carpet, must go. Its race is run. Those pretty pat- i

T terns t hat I »aw clown at Haitrove & Co*s have filled my heart with woe. Header, this may be your last chance to buy Cari*U at a'ui et half their value. Owing to our great rush we b&ve concluded to extend our Carpet Sale ‘til May 15th to accommodate those that live far away. Bring the measure of

your room and Jet * rewon an-l ngure together. SEE*THE*PRICE5fr Oooil Bedroom Carpets ...... 10c per *ard Good every day Carpets, extra heavy ...17c j>er yard Genuine (\s tage Carpets, 33c grade......19c per y^rd Hag Carpet, pretty patterns .. . ..,...l9o per yard Ingrain Carpets. 30c grade. ....19c per yard Genuine Star Ingrain Carpet, 50c grade.35c per yard Fretty pattern# in Brussells ... 3®e to 75c per yard Lovely Patterns in Moquettes with Borders to match, Mattings, Linoleums, Oilcloth, etc. QjrWe offer 300 pair# Lace Curtains, the $3.30 quality, dating this sale for... . . .......... 91.50 per pair | «W. V. Hargrove & Cos* i Petei*sburg’s Carpet House. # There is no place ia this: aide world where you can buy Carpets cheaper than of us.

i work of the gentlemen who compose the! I association. It has always* been held that gas would ? not be found below salt water. This theory has been exploded. A heavy vein of salt1 t water was encountered at a depth of 6S'7 j feet* but the drill continued to go down; deeper and deeper until gas bearing rxfc j was found at 1,161 feet, when with aj mighty rush the heavy volume of water was I sent into the air and continue*! for several i i weeks and until the casing and packer was ; I put in one week ago last Saturday. Min- j oral waUr and salt water continue to flow between the casing, but not nearly so strong. So it will be seen from this test j well that salt water will cut but little tlgure j iu the future drilling for. gas or oil in this I territory. Other wells will be put down at once and j the near future will see this territory thor-j [ oaghlv developed and business men and ; capitalists pushing over one another to get ! in on the ground floor. Petersburg will! become the great city of Sent item Indiana j if the citizens will but do their duty. j Well, well, we have ga* and a plenty, j j Holly Gee! Lztzo.—Wednesday morning the tester was again placed in position and the well showed an increase of ten pounds, making | it 575 {Mutnds to the square inch. (to the 15th iust., at the residence of G. j W. Colvin, near Gatsvilie. Company B. 65th regiment Indiana volunteer infantry j ■ will meet in semi-annual reunion. All old , soldier.-, ar.d their friends are hereby invited j to meet with and spend the day in patriotic | «devotion in the shade of old glory. Bring ; ’ one day's rations. ! ! ----- • i William Brewer and wile of Evansville, i visited friends here this week. Mr. Brewer j made this office a call and ordered the j iDcgocavr to hs adrireee. W, L. Snapp of Princeton, js |q town on1

THE HEW GAS FIELD Petersburg the Place for the Business Man. The Richest Combined Gas and Coal Field in the World. The tiooni Now at (laud W ith tias and Coal for Manufacturers. Jlafce lour Title ('(ear and tin in on tUe tirauud floor. %

t J'ike is now the banner county of Indiana. It has been thoroughly demonstrated and is no longer a question, but an absolute certainty that Petersburg has natural gas ia payiug.quautities, ami with the vast coal fields surrounding her on every hand, makes, Pike county the largest cqmbincd natural gas and coal fieid in the w<\id, and within a very short space of time Petersburg is destined to become the leading manufacturing and mining city of Indiana, as the cheap fuel of Pike county now gives it an uuequaled advantage over any other manufacturing district in t he United States. The Petersburg mining and manufacturing asMx iat ion i-com posed of a number of Petersburg’s well known and enterprising business men. The compauy will put down a number of gas wells this summer, and there is now a move on foot to organ saw a j Business Men's Association, whose object | it will be to solicit and offer inducements, to manufacturers desiring new aud letter ! locations. Investors could have no better ! class of tenants thau the men who rent store rooms or dwellings iu Petersburg, as j there is not at ibe present time a single vacant store room or dwelling in the city, i Buildiug material, brick, lime, lumber, I sand, etc., is here iu abundance and remarkably cheap. It is an ideal location for all classes of manufacturers and for geuerai trade, as j there is limber of all kiuds in enormous quantities. It is a gratifying fact that since natural gas has been found here in j paving quantities that the Petersburg mining and manufacturing association has had \ numerous unsolicited and voluntary inquiries respecting sites from manufacturers that desire to locate in this field, the latest and largest combined natural gas and coal field ever discovered. Pike county embraces 833 square miles, and notwithstanding the large area of heavy gas, almost every acre of land iu the county is underlaid with vast veins of coal, which is and can be produced at a very slight expense to the operator, compared to other. coal fields. The city of Petersburg is beautifully laid j out and is one of tho most delightiful and > desirable residence town* in il»e state. It is located within otfe mil* of White river, on

the E. & 1. railroad, and midway between the main line of the B. & 0. S-W. and the great Air Line system of railroads, and a glance at auv railroad map will show that Petersburg makes close connections north and south, east and west, and a direct route to the great city of Chicago. On alt sides of Petersburg are extensive tracts of virgin woodlands forming lovely natural parks, where wild flowers bloom in broad pastures and crystal springs flow. A good location for manufactories and an ideal place for homes. Building materials arc cheap and abundant, and as may be computed from the annexed table of prices for material and labor at Petersburg, the cost

ol ending a substantial frame cottage or four rooms with kitchen, porch, cistern and outhouse, need not exceed $475. This will rent as soon as finished for $100 per year, and if placed on a lot costing $300 would^ make the total cost of the house and lot $775. Upon this investment the rental would pay 12$ per cent per annum and leave enough leside to meet the annual insurance and taxes. No better location could be found for a large distillery of spirits and high wines, as Pike county is one of the best agrieulcounties of Indiana, as well as being noted tor ber fruit growing industries, and it can he truthfully said that iu and around Petersburg is noted fora never failing volume of pure soft water for manufacturing and domestic purposes. Good drainage and pure water aided by a mild climate, troubled neither by drouth nor extreme cold. All industries combining wood and iron in manufactured products, such as wagons, carriages, plow factories, etc., will have rich opportunities here iu cheap timber, tor all around for miles can be seen heavy growths of the finest hardwood timber now to be found in the state. Here too is an ideal location for woolen and paper mills, for the farmers here, clip annually thousands of pounds of fine wool, and thousands of acres of wheat and oats straw are burned. Aside from these natural advantages is Petersburg's eomraaudidg position in the heart of the largest combined gas and oil fields of the world. Based upou the inducements Petersburg can uow offer to manufacturers it is reasonable and safe to predict that within a period of three years Petersburg will be a rushing, hustling manufacturing city with a population of not less than 10,000 inhabitants, when tin bucket brigades can be seen going to and from tbeir work. It is uot uncommon for dwellings and business rooms to be rented before their foundations are laid and at'prices which will realize ten to twelve per cent. As we have said before there is not a single vacant dwelling or business house in the city. The certainty of leases upon lands surrounding Petersburg held by the Petersburg mining anti manufacturing association controlling thousands of acres of the choicest gas lands, abundant fuel for manufactories is assured. Auv manufacturing concern

IN NEW TERRITORY! New Company Will Drill ou the Omelvena hand. Articles of Incorporation Filed With Secretary of State. W ill Begin Oprreti«ns at Once and Hate Well Completed by July 1. Operators Have large lot of Un«» ' to Begin Work On.

—-—. - The articles of incorporation of the Pike county gas, oil anil mineral company were filed with the secretary of state Monday. The capital stock of the company is $10,000 . •divided into shares of $25 each. The object of t he 'company is to participate in the developing of the new gas territory recently discovered here, and if possible to open up an oil field near here. Wednesday noon S. W. Little. Clark W hitman, William Omelvena and Sol Frank went to Rodgers for the purpose of looking for a favorable place to sink the first well. They concluded to drill the first well on the land belonging to William Omelvena and in sight of Rodgers Station, about five miles from,Petersburg. This tip was given in the Dkmocrat of last week. The company is now in correspondence with several drilling companies, and it is more than likely that a contract will be closed by next Monday and a test well be commenced by this company at once and to be completed bv the first of July. The company is composed of business men and capitalists and they promise to do their part in helping to develop the new gas fields of the South. The capital stock of $10,000 lias m arly all been taken and the company will hold another meeting this (Friday) night to make further arrangements. At the present time they hare no definite plans for the future until the test well has been made and proved what there is in that locality. They have aiargeamount of land ready for operation. The president of the company, J. W.Brumfield, and secretary, - Sol Frank, will answer all correspondence and inquiries regarding Petersburg aud the future prospects.

of an approval class permanent ly locating j in Petersburg will also be provided with i free lands for erecting plant and for storage ! of stock and materials. Any manufacturer or investor desiring further information! will receive a prompt reply to any ami ail inquiries by addressing A. H. Taylor, president. or Jacob Sphurz, secretary of the association. j There is plenty of room in Petersburg for all who desire to locate anti become residents or for the purpose of engaging in a, manufacturing enterprise, and all will* be cordially received. •-, Normal ( omniencemeut. The following is the program for the Pike county normal commencement to be held Friday afternoon, May 14th, at the high school building: CBORUS- - Higher Ideal* .... . E H. (ibatnness Select Reauins .Miss Delia XHinwen 1 nstrumeatal Solo.Miss Maude Harrell Essay . . Prentice Chappell »**Ject Reading.... .Miss Daisy Dillon Women should Vote . ... Ehuer Lucas Women Should not Vote Leonard Proton Instrumental Solo ...... Miss Maude Harrell 1 tee isolation . —.... Mins Krsslr Urtridgr La*tarnation.Miss Lets Gray Everybody is cordially invited to be present. Time, 2 o’clock p. in. Dr. Betheli, C. W. • Young and Frank j ilenring of Winslow, were here yesterday ttending cou rt. i i

Town Electiou. The town election posted off quietly Monday last. The republicans had 4 full ticket in tiie field. There was also a citiaens’ ticket, which only contained one name* that for town marshal. The race for marshal, while quite spirited, was only a fight among the republicans, both candidates belonging to tie same political party. Kinman on the citizens* ticket was elected by 45 majority. The total vote in the two •precincts was as follows: For marshal—Nathaniel Burton received 180 votes and Joseph Kinman 225; Kinman’s majority 45. ^ For trustees—D. C. Malott received 281 votes. W. |1. C. Lingo 274 and C. F. Boonjshot 283. For treasurer—W. A. Oliphant 276 votes. For clerk—Frank Battles 282. Carl Brayfield, traveling correspondent of the Louisville Dispatch, was here Wed* nes day in the interest of that paper and also taking in the gas fever. Fml Stump, a Washington butcher, committed suicide by hanging Sunday night. * /j John Lee has opened up a harber shop iq the Ilisgen building opposite the ceuft honse.