8/05/28 Mr. [
4906]'s letter: "Well, Cayce, I have gotten
to a depth of 2178 and at about 2166 I noticed a little gas
and a rainbow of oil on the lines. It happened that there
were 2 practical drillers visiting the rig when I got the
gas, so they spread the news in San Saba that I had hit a
big gas well and in an hour the rig was full of local people,
and by the next day the major company's chief scouts and
geologists were all at the well. These 2 drillers estimated
that the well might make from 25,000,000 to 75,000,000,
as the hole was full of water to the top. It was wholly
speculation on their part to estimate it at that size. I
knew very much better because the hole full of water was
artesian and flowed out continually of its own accord, and
naturally a small amount of gas would follow up with the
rising water to the top. At any rate after the news spread
all the people here expected the casing run and never thought
but what they already had a big gas well. But I realized
that it was useless to run the pipe, but I had to satisfy
the public because I am dependent on them for further help.
Well, it resulted that I ran the pipe and drilled and had 10
ft. of sand; did not increase the gas any, and was not able
to shut off the water from above. I am satisfied that there
was additional water in this sand below the pipe. So I
pulled the casing out and reamed the hole out again to its
original size and went ahead. The result of this was that
it was a heavy cost on me, and as I had it figured wholly
useless to go to that trouble. Yet all seem satisfied. But
it nearly finished me up financially, as I was about broke
before. So I shut down at 2178 to make a final campaign to
raise enough to finish on, and ran into all kinds of trouble
with my leases. You probably will remember a farmer by the
name of Dick Murray. Well, he refused to extend the time
on his lease, laid down flat on me, said if I got his lease
any longer I would have to pay $1 per acre for it. So I
explained to him that I would not pay for the acreage and
also the well, and that I would plug the hole and quit, as
I had already spent $41,000 and if he could not appreciate a
deep test that close to his land, then I was not the man to
go ahead and let him get the best of the deal when so many
widow women, who were so willing to put in their land, wanted
to see the well finished. I have 5 widows in my block, and
every one of them is old and needs help. I explained that if
I was going to pay anybody I would pay the women who had no
one to depend on for help. So when Dick Murray blew up on
me, I realized that I had to make my last stand to hold the
block together, so I played my cards this way. On the very
day here in two that he refused the extension, I had in my
pocket $4,800 in checks from the local people and some few
from oil men away from here. So when he flatly refused, I
said, 'Well, Dick, that settles it, and I will take your
answer to be final.' So I forthwith handed out the $4,800
back to the people who gave it to me, telling in each case
that I was sorry but I would have to give up the test, that
I would not go ahead with 811 acres laying out next to the
well, but they could always remember that Dick Murray was the
man who broke up their deep hole. Well, this got every
tongue in town to wagging.
"So at that point I hopped in my car and went to Coleman
County and started a well there at Tinkham and am now working
on it. I come in every night or so from Coleman County and
I am now told that they are all willing to sign up and are
thinking I have quit for good. Well, I let them sweat a
while, then I signed them up and go ahead.
"Cayce, when I start up again I want to know where to set
my 5 3/16 inch casing so that I will have it through all the
water and set at the proper place to handle the well in a
practical manner. Also if the gas I got was natural gas or
sulphur gas or helium gas. There were lots of different
opinions on this, but it would burn nicely.
"The well I am starting in Coleman County with my brother as
a partner, I hope and pray will be a well, for I am willing
to bring every cent I make on it here to complete the well.
I am satisfied if I get a well I can get him to finance me on
the rest of my test here.
"So please take a reading on this well also, and let me know
if I will get a well and what size it will be, the depth of
the production is 960 ft. approximately. Here is a little
map so you can find it. We are drilling on Lee Vaughn's
land. [See Source File Key #5628 for diagram of oil
well/drilling site re 5628-9.]
"Cayce, this lease is south of Tinkham, Texas, about 3/4 of
a mile on J. L. Vaughn land. Please give me all the data on
this you can, and get it off to me on the next mail.
"I am having a tough old pull but there is nothing worth
while that is not worth a struggle, and I feel that when I
finally get 2600 here I will reap a big harvest."
8/16/28 See
5628-10.
Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation