HAWORTH. ] Discoveries of Oil and Gas. QT 
with varying results, finding wells producing from three to 
six million cubic feet daily capacity in various parts, when in 
1902 the Independence Gas Company ‘wildeatted’ to hold some 
leases in the Bolton neighborhood, and this first venture re- 
sulted in finding a fourteen-million-cubic-feet gasser; and in 
succession they drilled six others, producing from ten to fifteen 
million cubic feet daily. Their seventh drilling in that field 
produced a forty-barrel oil-well, and that gave the impetus 
for developing the greatest oil-field in Kansas and the spend- 
ing of a million dollars in that industry, some of the wells. 
showing a flow of 1000 barrels of oil the first day. The years 
following, 1903-’04, the oil prospecting east of that field and 
south of Independence developed another great gas-field, wells 
producing from twelve million to one of thirty-seven million. 
cubic feet of dry gas daily—in the aggregate, hundreds of 
millions daily. The Independence field now has on tap 700 
million cubic feet of gas, and from it is projected a sixteen-inch 
main to furnish gas for lighting purposes to all the cities 
within 150 miles, while at home the Kansas Natural Gas Com- 
pany is advertising to furnish factories with gas at three cents 
per 1000 feet and the supply is deemed sufficient for half a 
century. W. T. YOR.” 
While Independence has been noted more as a gas territory 
than as an oil territory, it should be stated prominently that 
the richest oil-field ever yet opened up in Kansas lies only a 
few miles to the west and southwest of Independence. Large 
gas-wells had been obtained previous to 1903 in the gas terri- 
tory to the south of the little town of Bolton, the first station 
southwest of Independence on the Bartlesville line of the 
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railway. Late in 1902 oil! de- 
velopments began just north of the gas territory and wells 
with a capacity of a thousand barrels a day were obtained, so 
that in about two years the Bolton district was the most noted 
oil district in the state. Hon. G. L. Banks, of Independence, 
is the fortunate landowner of some of the best land in the field. 
Regarding the development in the Bolton field, he wrote, under 
date of April 14, 1905, as follows: 
“The first well in the Bolton field was drilled by McBride 
& Bloom in the fall and winter of 1902 and 1908 on the south- 
east quarter of the southeast quarter of section 18, township 
33, range 15 east, on land owned by Jeff Bolt. It was com- 
menced in October and completed in the following February. 
McBride & Bloom were the principal stockholders in the In- 
dependence company, and were drilling for gas when they 
struck oil. The depth of well was 1180 feet; the thickness of 
pussanid about 15 feet; output of well about forty barrels per 
ay. 
