THE FIRST REAL OIL IN NORTHEAST ARKANSAS WAS STRUCK SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE OIL WELL AT OLD GAINESVILLE , EIGHT- MILES NORTH OF PARAGOULD , WHERE THE PRESTON OIL & GAS COMPANY ARE PUTTING DOWN A TEST WELL.
THEY HAD DRILLED THROUGH A ROCK , WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE CAP ROCK TO A BED OF OIL . THE ROCK WAS ONLY FOUR FEET THROUGH AND AFTER GOING THROUGH , A FLOW OF OIL WAS HAD WHICH REACHED THE TOP OF THE WELL. DRILLING WAS STOPPED AT ONCE AND WORK STARTED CLEANING OUT THE WELL AND ENDEAVORING TO GET THE SAND AND WATER OUT FROM THE OIL , AFTER WORKING ALL DAY SUNDAY AND MOST OF THE DAY MONDAY , THE QUANTITY OF THE OIL WAS WORKED OUT BUT IT WAS NOT THOUGHT TO BE ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY THEM IN SHOOTING THE WELL.

THEY CLAIM THAT ONLY ABOUT A HALF BARREL FLOW WAS FOUND TO EXIST AND IF BLOWN OR SHOT IT WOULD MAKE ABOUT A THREE BARREL WELL , WHICH THE DRILLING COMPANY DID NOT BELIEVE WOULD JUSTIFY THE BLOWING OF IT. THE CASING WAS SET LAST NIGHT AND AND DRILLING WAS RESUMED TODAY.

J.H. MAHONEY , GENERAL MANAGER FOR THE DRILLING COMPANY , STATED OVER THE TO THE SUN TODAY , THAT HE HAD SPENT ALL OF HIS TIME SINCE SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE WELL COMING INTO PARAGOULD THIS MORNING AND THAT THE ABOVE STATEMENT WAS AN ABSOLUTE FACT. HE SAID THAT THEY HAD EVERY INDICATION THAT A STRONGER BASIN OF OIL WOULD BE STRUCK WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HUNDRED FEET AND THAT THIS ONE WAS PROBABLY A FEEDER FROM THE MAIN BASIN .

MR. MAHONEY SAID THE STATEMENT PHONED TO JONESBORO LAST NIGHT THAT THE WELL HAD BEEN SALTED AND THERE WAS NO OIL , WAS ABSOLUTELY FALSE AND WAS GIVEN OUT BY PARTIES IN PARAGOULD WHO WERE IN A FIGHT AGAINST THE LOCAL INTEREST THERE IN SECURING THE WELL. HE SAID THEY HAD NO REASON FOR GIVING OUT ANY REPORTS BUT FACTS AND THAT THE PUBLIC COULD FEEL ASSURED THAT WHEN THERE WAS ANYTHING DEVELOPED THAT IT WOULD BE KNOWN AND ONLY FACTS WOULD BE GIVEN.

PARAGOULD PEABODY NORMAL : SOURCE : JONESBORO EVENING NEWS - JUNE 15, 1905

PARAGOULD , JUNE 7, THE PEABODY NORMAL SCHOOL FOR NORTHEAST ARKANSAS OPENED HERE WITH 100 TEACHERS IN ATTENDANCE . PROF. W.F. CONDRAY HAS CHARGE OF THE INSTITUTE AND IS ASSISTED BY PROF. M.F. DICKENSON , COUNTY EXAMINER FOR THIS COUNTY . MOST OF THE TEACHERS IN ATTENDANCE ARE OF GREENE COUNTY AND A LARGE PER CENT OF THEM ARE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN . THE CONDUCTOR SOON HAD THE NORMAL WELL IN HAND AND THE TEACHERS HARD AT WORK.

PARAGOULD PEABODY NORMAL : SOURCE : JONESBORO EVENING NEWS - JUNE 15, 1905

PARAGOULD , JUNE 7, THE PEABODY NORMAL SCHOOL FOR NORTHEAST ARKANSAS OPENED HERE WITH 100 TEACHERS IN ATTENDANCE . PROF. W.F. CONDRAY HAS CHARGE OF THE INSTITUTE AND IS ASSISTED BY PROF. M.F. DICKENSON , COUNTY EXAMINER FOR THIS COUNTY . MOST OF THE TEACHERS IN ATTENDANCE ARE OF GREENE COUNTY AND A LARGE PER CENT OF THEM ARE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN . THE CONDUCTOR SOON HAD THE NORMAL WELL IN HAND AND THE TEACHERS HARD AT WORK.

PARAGOULD PEABODY NORMAL : SOURCE : JONESBORO EVENING NEWS - JUNE 15, 1905

PARAGOULD , JUNE 7, THE PEABODY NORMAL SCHOOL FOR NORTHEAST ARKANSAS OPENED HERE WITH 100 TEACHERS IN ATTENDANCE . PROF. W.F. CONDRAY HAS CHARGE OF THE INSTITUTE AND IS ASSISTED BY PROF. M.F. DICKENSON , COUNTY EXAMINER FOR THIS COUNTY . MOST OF THE TEACHERS IN ATTENDANCE ARE OF GREENE COUNTY AND A LARGE PER CENT OF THEM ARE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN . THE CONDUCTOR SOON HAD THE NORMAL WELL IN HAND AND THE TEACHERS HARD AT WORK.

THE STRATA OF OIL MEANS MUCH TO THE OIL PROSPECTORS OF THIS PART OF THE STATE , IF THERE IS OIL IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY THERE SHOULD BE MORE OIL IN THIS COUNTY , AS IT IS CLAIMED BY GEOLOGISTS THAT CRAIGHEAD COUNTY IS LOCATED OVER THE MAIN OIL BASIN AND THAT GREENE AND POINSETT COUNTIES ARE ONLY ON THE EDGE OF IT , SO WHEN THE WELLS GO DOWN IN THIS COUNTY , BIG THINGS ARE ANTICIPATED.