Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1888 — The Gas Field to be Tested. [ARTICLE]

The Gas Field to be Tested.

There is now a fair prospect that a thorough exploration will be made of the Francesvjlle gas region, and its value and dimensions fully determined. Our readers will remember that oil and gas leases were given last summer to Smith & Wise, for large tracts, of land in Hanging Grove, Gillam and Barkley townships. The name of H. E. Bucklin, of Chicago, did not appear in the transaction, but he, it seems, owned a controlling interest in the firm which held the leases, and it was his intention to avail himself of the privileges granted in the leases, and bore a number of experimental wells upon the lands of the leasors. Circumstances, however, operated to prevent the beginning of the wells before the expiration of the leases, which occured a few weeks ago. Mr. Bucklin is very anxious to carry out his plans however, and last Friday he met Mr. J. T. Baudle, of Rensselaer, at one of the farms of the latter, in Gillam tp., and explained his plans and intentions. He will make, or cause to be made, a thorough survey of the country between Rensselaer and Francesville, select a number of the seemingly most favorable points and there bore for gas, provided the owners of the land will grant him reasonable concessions. Mr. Randle at once agreed to grant the same terms, if his land should be selected for any of the borings, as the expired leases contained, and we understand that Mr. Parkison and other large land owners in the regions mentioned, are alike liberal in.their encouragements of Mr. Bucklin’s project. It will thus be seen that there is good reasons for believing that the people of Renaselaer will soon have an opportunity to know whether or not they are on the western limits of a valuable gas field.