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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



No disinterested person with adequate knowledge of the ex- 

 perience that has been so abundantly accumulated within the 

 last 15 years would advise such a course as the Fulton company 

 pursued. It is possible, to indicate a policy that would have 

 returned the money invested and would have given to some hun- 

 dreds of people the inexpressible advantages of gaseous fuel for 

 several years. 



Still another possible use of natural gas, viz, manufacturing 

 use, is reserved for discussion in connection with the experience 

 of other localities. 



b Sandy Creek. The village of Sandy Creek is located in the 

 township of the same name in the northwest corner of Oswego 

 county. There are two sections of the village with an interval of 

 about one mile between them. They are known as Sandy Creek 

 and Lacona, and in earlier times went under the name of Wash- 

 ingtonville. 



By a disastrous fire that visited the village 10 or 12 years ago, 

 its one manufacturing interest, viz, a large tannery, was de- 

 stroyed and nothing was found to take its place. The more en- 

 terprising of its citizens felt that something must be done to 

 arrest its discouragement and decay. 



The Trenton limestone excitement that began with the ex- 

 perience at Findlay, O., in 1884; was already under way and, 

 as surface indications, probably of the bog gas variety already 

 referred to, were found here, and as drilling though unsuccessful 

 had been undertaken at Watertown, in* the county north, it was 

 determined in 1888 that a test of the rock should be made here. 

 A company was formed under the name of the Sandy Creek oil 

 and gas company, limited. It comprised the best citizens of the 

 village and took in also many of the more intelligent farmers of 

 the neighborhood. The capital of the company was placed at 

 $5000 and the stock was sold in shares of $10 each. There was 

 a large number of subscribers and the burdens of all were light. 

 O. R. Earl was elected president and Gilbert N. Harding sec- 

 retary. 



The company bought the drilling outfit that had just been in 

 unsuccessful operation at Watertown. It also entered on the 

 leasing of land on quite a large scale. At first an annual rental 

 of $5 an acre was paid till drilling should be undertaken on the 



