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Early Oil History(Galveston Daily News, February 27, 190) Beaumont, Tex., Feb. 26--Ten Years Ago Efforts Were Made to Strike Oil in The Beaumont Field--Failure The Result--Struck Quicksand In One Instance and In Another The Casing Got Stuck--A Remarkable Prediction--Which Was Verified and Realized Through Efforts of Captain Lucas. G. W.Carroll of Beaumont, Texas, who was in Austin yesterday, gave an interesting account of the oil field operations in that area. He said that he owns a half-interest in 2,300 acres of land which borders within 800 feet of the great Lucas gusher. The first well put down in that section was started about ten years ago (1893) on the tract of land owned by Mr. Carroll. The well reached a depth of 500 feet, when quicksand was struck, and the hole had to be abandoned. About five years ago (1896), another well was put down on the place, and had to be abandoned when it reached 200 feet on account of the casing getting stuck. Two years ago, Captain A. F. Lucas, who brought in the celebrated Lucas gusher, began prospecting for oil on the same tract of land owned by Mr. Carroll. He put down a well to a depth of 500 feet, when he struck a light flow of oil. Owing to the fact that the pipe got stuck, he had to abandon this well and moved over to the tract of land on which the big strike was made a few weeks ago. A remarkable thing in connection with the development of the Beaumont oil district is that P(attillo) Higgins, a young man of Beaumont, asserted ten years ago that a lake of oil existed under the earth's surface in the very locality where the Lucas well is located. He said that the oil would be struck at a depth of 1,200 to 1,500 feet, and that the flow would reach, if not exceed, 5,000 barrels a day. It was on the strength of Mr. Higgins' assertions concerning the existence of oil that Mr. Carroll acquired a portion of the tract of land in which he now holds a half interest. Mr. Higgins, who foretold the wonderful oil strike ten years ago, owned 33 acres adjoining the land on which the Lucas well is located. He sold a four-fifths interest in that tract for $15,000 and has organized a company with a capital stock of $100,000 for the purpose of developing the property. It was learned here today that Messrs. Guffey and Galey, the owners of the Lucas well, have decided to burn the oil which fills an improvised lake. It is estimated there are 300,000 barrels of oil in the lake, and the fire will be a grand one. Owing to the fact that much of the oil has become mixed with the soil, its value has been lost, and it is for this reason that it will be gotten rid of by burning. (comp. by W. T. Block)
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