Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1889 — BOUND TO BORE. [ARTICLE]

BOUND TO BORE.

A Western Geologist Furnishes the Knowleege, and Eastern Capitalists put up the Cash. It may be set down as a certanity that another attempt to find gas or oil will at once be made in Jasper county. Martin J. Miller, of Aurora. 111., who represents a body of eastern captalists, .has been in Rensselaer since last Saturday and lias secured oil leases on a vast amount of land in Union tp., in the vicinity of Fair Oaks. The amount secured is said to be in the vicinity of 15.000 acres. Aniopg the land owners who have given ttjCSe leases are the following residents of Rensselaer: Alfred, S. P. and D. J. Thompson, E. P. Hammond, A. Leopold, J. Makeover, J. W. Williams, R. Fendig, M. L. Spitler, W. B. Austin and Frank Foltz. By the terms of these leases one experimental well must be completed within four months from the time of execution, in the vicinity of the land leased; and it is further provided that a well must be completed within a year on each tract of land leased, or the company must pay a rental of 25 cents per acre or surrender their leases. The company has been operating for some time north of the Kankakee river, having bored three wells. The last of these was at Shelby, the crossing of the Monon and the “Three I.” railways. The boring outfiLby wbich this well was made has been loaded on the cars at Shelby for several weeks, and is expected torarrive at Fair Oaks this week, and that work on the first well in that vicinity will begin at once. Later; Since the above was put in type we have learned that Mr. Miller and his chief driller, Win. Mahanny, drove up from this place Tuesday and spent the day in looking the land over and decided to drill the first well on S. P. Thompson’s land, in the close vicinity of Thompson ’s switch, a few miles this side of Fair Oaks. The drilling outfit has been ordered shipped to the switch and was expected to have arrived yesterday, or to-day, at the furthest. A sufficient force of competent men accompanies the outfit and they will begin preparations for drilling at once. These ex perimental wells, it may be added, are drilled in the hopes of finding oil, rather than gas. An as additional fact in this connection, and one of even greater local interest than the above, we can state that there is an excellent prospect that after the boring at Thompson’s Switch is completed, Mr. Miller will direct his drillers to come to Rensselaer and make another test, for gas or oil, in the limits of the town or its immediate vicinity—probably in Leopold’s Addition, or a little further eastward.