106 E. ORTON — GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF lOLA GAS FIELD 



great advantages of the new fuel. As in tlie glass industiy of the coun- 

 try, after the opening of the Ohio and Indiana gas fields, the center of 

 the manufacture was shifted, so it seems likely to be with the spelter 

 production. The old districts will be unable to compete and will be left 

 to languish as long at least as the gas supjil}^ can be maintained. The 

 cities and villages of Allen county will be supplied with light and fuel, 

 and many of the farmers' houses also, within the limits of the field ; but 

 the great bulk of this superfine fuel, the best in the world — much better, 

 in fact, than man has learned to make for use in the large wa}^ — will be 

 consumed in smelting zinc ores, for which, until this gas was discovered, 

 even inferior grades of Kansas coal were counted good enough. 



The highest and really the only proper use of natural gas is house- 

 hold use. In this field it meets the supreme test of doing the greatest 

 good to the greatest number. If the world were wise and if genuine good 

 will controlled the actions of all, ever}^ foot of natural gas would be 

 scrupulously husbanded for this service; but the world is not wise and 

 univ.ersal benevolence does not yet bear sway. 



Against the improper use and wanton waste of natural gas geologists 

 have made earnest but unavailing protest, receiving often the curses 

 instead of the thanks of those in whose interests they have labored. To 

 convince the most intelligent and fair-minded members of a community 

 of the justice and wisdom of the geological view is an easy task ; but 

 the thoughtful and fair-minded are never in the majority. Under exist- 

 ing conditions it is simply impossible, at least in this country, to save a 

 promising gas field for the highest uses. Natural gas will be mainly con- 

 sumed in steam production, iron mills, machine shops, glass factories, 

 zinc smelting works, or even in the coarser service of brick j^ards and 

 lime kilns. Let us still hope, however, that its use will incidentally 

 educate enough people to the inexpressible advantages of gaseous fuel 

 to pave the way for the introduction of a successor, necessarily a vastly 

 inferior successor, but one which can be held under proper control, and 

 which, therefore, when it comes, will " come to stay,'' except as it is 

 improved by the growing knowledge of the world. 



