26 University Geological Survey of Kansas. 
sandstones is so saturated with petroleum in places that it 
runs out into the soil or over the water, and fills the air with 
its peculiar odor; and where there are fractures or crevices 
the oil flows out in such abundance as to have acquired the 
name of ‘oil’ or ‘tar’ springs. Some of these localities are 
mentioned in the descriptions of those sandstones in the sec- 
tion above. There are other localities in these sandstones in 
this county and Linn, and in Bates and Cass counties, over 
the line in Missouri, but enough have been given to show the 
character and ALDULG eNOS of these manifestations of petroleum 
in this region. 
“Nearly all the petroleum seen was of the dark, thick, 
heavy variety known in commerce as lubricating oil, which is 
much more valuable than the thin, amber-colored varieties. 
“The thin, amber-colored variety, illuminating oil, was seen 
in places on the water in the branches, and particularly on 
the springs, which come up through the surface marls and 
soils; and the solid variety, asphaltum, was observed in nu- 
merous places in the cavities of the rocks and on the surface 
near the springs of the liquid varieties. Gas is more or less 
abundant at all the principal localities named. 
“Such are some of the facts observed during the examina- 
tion of Miami county, and it would seem they are sufficient to 
convince any one familiar with the indications and develop- 
ments of petroleum in the productive oil regions of the coun- 
try that it must exist in large quantities in this county. The 
facts that scarcely a well has been dug without finding petro- 
leum in some of its forms; that four sandstones are in many 
places perfectly saturated with it; that more or less of it is 
found in the cavities of all the other rocks; and, above all, 
that it has been flowing in considerable quantities from some 
score of springs from time immemorial, are, to say the least, 
very strong evidence of the existence of large reservoirs near 
these localities.” : 
Encouraged by such a flattering report, different companies 
were formed and a small amount of prospecting was done. But 
money was hard to raise, drilling was expensive, and at its 
best was mere child’s play compared with the way oil-wells are 
drilled at the present time. Under such circumstances, partly 
from a lack, as it now seems, of a good supply of oil, and partly 
on account of a deficiency of funds and a want of experienced 
drillers, very indifferent success followed these undertakings. 
WYANDOTTE COUNTY.—Wyandotte county came in for a 
share of interest, and a small number of wells were put down, 
some within the present city limits of Wyandotte. Here more 
gas was discovered than oil, although gas was almost unused 
anywhere in the world at that time. But “indications” were 
