People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 October 1895 — Excited Over Prospects for Gas. [ARTICLE]

Excited Over Prospects for Gas.

The we man of the Monon News has the following personally qualified article on a test well that is being put down near that town. “We” hope it will prove a successful venture, for what booms that neck o’ woods will be good for “us.” “The well being put down by the Standard Oil company on Mr. Rund’s farm, four miles west of Monon and about nine miles southwest of Francesville, is now 700 feet deep and going down rapidly. The machinery used for drilling is of the heaviest and the intention is to go down 2,500 feet if necessary. • They are now within a short distance of trenton rock and before many days we will know whether or not natuial gas is to be found. It is but a few miles from the Francesville natural gas wells and the prospects are good for finding gas. The fact that gas has been found in tolerably fair duantities has been tested by the gas wells only three and a half miles south-

west of Francesville and in our opinion gas in abundant quantities would be of more benefit than oil. But we shall be happy if either should be found and we are inclined to the belief that both exist in large quantities in the vicinity of the premises where the drilling is now going on. Mr. James Murdock, president of the Merchants National Bank at LaFayette, is at the head of the business here and it is believed that he is operating for the Standard Oil company. But he is also the president of the company that piped gas to the city of LaFayette and now holds about a half million dollars stock in natural gas enterprises, and this well may be in the interest of natural gas, more than oil. Natural gas sufficient for manufacturing purposes would start a boom here that would over run all Northern Indiana with a speculative flood of population. The time is near when we will be either jubilant or despondent. The drill is each day nearing the point where great wealth may be found. J. M. Winkley is managing the work of drilling and is giving very good satisfaction to alb concerned.” ■ Keystone Corn Husker and Fodder Shredder. Sold by Robt. Randle.