286 ANNUAL REPORT 
line. This found the Berea at 465 feet and made a showing of oil, but the 
well was abandoned without reaching the base of this formation. In the 
same year a well was drilled on the Bell farm one mile south of the city. 
The Berea was found at 450 feet, and the Devonian limestone at 1,918. 
Work ceased at a depth of 1,957 feet, but the operator hoped to take up 
the task again with the Clinton formation as the objective stratum. In 
the spring of 1900 a well was drilled on the Smyser farm near Overton. 
The Berea was penetrated to a depth of 65 feet and then the well was 
- abandoned, owing to the heavy flood of salt-water encountered. About 
the same time a well was drilled on the Jones farm three miles south of the 
village with results similar to those just reported. 
In December, 1900, the “Dalton Oil, Gas and Mineral Company” 
was incorporated with a capital stock of $10,000. The object was to test 
for oil, gas and other mineral products having an economic value. The 
first well drilled in the valley of Sugar creek in the summer of I901, found 
the Berea sand at 629 feet. The formation was divided as follows: 
Feet 
HO 00 Den re Onn eet pe Ae Pa NL AA ey An ate AA mtd ree Meh Te NC Tac 5 
SHAS eae ies separ s eesbashateh Hans Siae cte aae esol otek re ere one aiaoes, oes outs 10 
SERIN Gss, 9557.2 ROS Sera Soa casts watacenatee asta terad tener enobeneictaliceaten Rae Taree ontene 30 
The well was a failure. The second well was located within the 
corporation of Dalton, and about two miles east of No. 1. According to 
F. F. H. Pope, M. D., to whom the Survey is indebted for information 
concerning this territory, the Berea sand is found 9 feet higher in this well 
than in the preceding one, indicating the existence of an anticline. In the 
upper division of the Berea a good showing of oil was found, but when 
the lower stratum was tapped a heavy flow of brine was liberated and this 
ruined the well. Work continued to a depth of 1,500 feet with the hope 
of finding the Gordon or one of the deeper sands, but this was a failure. 
Subsequently the Berea sand was shot with 80 quarts of nitro-glycerine, 
but this left the well in such condition that the operators were unable to 
pump it, and the well was plugged and abandoned. Well No. 3 was drilled 
about one-half mile farther east and found the Berea at 720 feet.. This was 
11 feet lower with reference to sea level than well No. 2. Seven feet of 
pay-rock were reported in the upper division and this was shot with 40 
quarts of nitro-glycerine. The result was regarded fairly satisfactory, 
three barrels of oil having been bailed in less than two hours. At this 
stage the contractor moved his tools, and the well caving, the company 
was not able to keep it clean, so that this too was a financial failure. 
HOLMES COUNTY. 
This county has not been as thoroughly tested as some others, and yet 
a large amount of drilling has been done. Many of the wells have made 
a good showing of oil or gas, and occasionally a small producer has been 
