Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1888 — A Suggestion About Our Gas Well. [ARTICLE]

A Suggestion About Our Gas Well.

Since the new management took charge of the Indianapolis Sentinel the general tone of that paper has greatly improved. \ . We consider Mr. Blaine the greatest living American statesman; and there is no man whom we should sooner see occupying the presidential chair. At the same time we have greatly doubted the wisdom of making him the Republican candidate this year, and believe that hie manly, straightforward and unequivocal announcement that he is not a candidate, will greatly unite and strengthen the par ty and increase its prospects for victory. Michigan sat down hard on proposed state prohibition, but is voting for it by counties like wildthrough the operation of a local option law. That is all right. If a county secures prohibition within its ,own borders, through the ballots of a majority of its voters, the fact shows that the public sentiment in that county will cause its enforcement. Moreover when prohibition is adopted in any county or town through the local option method, the people who were instrumental in its adoption will naturally feel largely re-

sponsible for its enforcement. Thus prohibition secured by local option is much more efficacious in any place than prohibition attempted by state law. The people of Michigan have probably chosen wisely in preferring local option to state prohibition.

The old gas field of Indiana is a comparatively regular area, several thousand square miles in extent; and in almost any part of which wells may be bored with a reasonably certain prospect of finding gas in paying quantities. It would not be reasonable to suppose that the boundary line enclosing the gas field is clearly and sharply defined, and, in fact, the result of many borings seem to plainly show that all around the region of paying gas wells in a narrow border, a sort of ragged edge, so to speak, where gas can be found, but in quantities much smaller than farther towards the center of the field. To illustrate what we mean, we can cite the borings at and near Indianapolis. That city lies a little west and south of the gas region. Wells a few miles northeast or east strike the aforesaid ragged edge, and gas in small quantities is obtained from rock of the same formation and at about the same depth, as the more abun •

dant quantities are found in a few miles distant. Starting from the weak wells and going northeast or east, towards the main gas field, the welfs become stronger and stronger, and the big blades above shine more and more unto the perfect gusher. The existence of this same region of diminishing gas pressure is shown by borings at many other towns at or near the limits of,the Indiana gas-fiend; and if such a region surrounqs the principal gas-field of the state, we are entitled to conclude that n similar region will probably be jound surrounding every gas field. in-1 eluding the one lately re discover-! ed at Francesville.

Now we believe'that there does exist, beyond a treasonable doubt, such a region of diminishing pressure, surrounding the Francesville gas field; and we believe, moreover, that Rensselaer is situated above that region. The weak,' but seemingly constant and regular, flow of gas discovered in our well was found at about the same depth and, we believe, in rock of exactly similar character, to that in which the gas is found at Francesville. In view of this fact, which, as we thipk, is undeniable, that is that we are in the diminishing border line of the Francesville gas field, is it not reasonable to believe that a well bored a few miles nearer that field, would strike gas in paying quantities? If the productive area of this field has any dimensions at all, worth considering, it must, almost’ certainly, extend towards Rensselaer. The location of the gas well, at Francesville, barren wells at the same town and at Monon and the discovery of a small quantity of gas here, in the same strata of rock, establish this fact. In view of all these considerations, we would make a suggestion to the directors and stockholders of the local gas and oil company: Let the contractor of the present well in town be permitted to abandon that, for them, money losing job, and bore a new hole, a few miles east of town. Its depth need not be more than 700 feet anldEe contractors, heing on the ground and stuck with a bad job, would probably be willing to do the work at a very moderate price.