Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-26
LARGE LAKES OF OIL.
The Wonderful Springs of Wyoming
Critically Inspected.
BLACK GYSERS OF RICH GREASE,
Arrangements Now Under Way to Pipe and
Carry it to the Pacific.
A PITTSBURGER'S INTERESTING STORY
WRITTEN FOR THE pIsPATcH.1

capitol for admittance as one of the sister
States brings vividly to mind the pleasant
journey made to that interesting country
last October. I left Pittsburg September "a,
on harvest excursion to Rowlins, Wyo. T..
on the Union Pacific Railroad, 800 miles
west of Pittsburg, at an elevation of G, 700
feet above tide water. Thus far the trip af-
forded great pleasure, but the rest of the
journey held no vision of luxurions comfort
for at 8 A. M. on Monday, September 80, 1,
with solitary companion, embarked in a
mountain stage, or rather, covered spring
wagon of very limited capacity, and began a
trip of 130 miles, continuous staging, which
occupied that day, all of Monday night and
until IL A. NJ. Tuesday.
The daylight trip was enjoyable from its
novelty and varied scenery. A herd of
antelopes was occasionally seen in the dis
tance, as in beautiful and speedy graceful
ness they fed from sight. Some badgers
and few cayotes or wolves and other wild
animals were seen, including many focks
OF sage hens and numberless prairie dogs,
These latter were about the size of half
grown kittens. They sat upright with pro-
voking impudence withil few feet of our
vehicle, and afforded rare sport for us, as
with perfect impunity they listened to my
pistol balls whistle near them. They seemed
to know they were in no danger. But few
birds were seen. and we frequently travelled
10 or 10 miles without seeing a human
being.
SIGNS OF CIVILIZATION,
however, Gold fruit cans and empty bottles)
were constant reminders of campers sta
tions. Occasionally the prairie schooner, 8
large covered wagon, or several fastened to-
gether, drawn by 10 or 20 horses or mules,
passed us on its way between Landor and
Rawlins. It is the only means there of
transporting freight, which consequently
makes the articles OF civilization high
priced. Carbon oil, retailing at 60 cents at
the oil wells, and vinegar even higher. Fruit
also is brought in this way from Utah.
Visions OF highwaymen had visited me
while at home, but would take my chances
for safety in that country since being there,
with toothplck for a weapon, rather than
on some of Pittsburg's streets with an ar
senal of firearms. I noticed children and
ladies on horseback alone, seemingly ten
miles from any settlement, the Indian even
not being considered an element of danger.
The Indians do not seem to have gained
much by contact with the whites, having
tie of the good of the white race.
The wondrous clearness of Wyoming's
atmosphere is constant study and delight.
Mountains would judge in Pennsylvania
we're three or four miles distant proved there
to be 10 or 10, and one I thought not more
than 10 or 20, I was assured was more than
100 miles away. 1 could not hear persons
speak as distinctly as at home, and was
short of breath on mountain climb. At
last 1 remembered the cause, the rarifed
atmosphere of ., 900 or 5000 feet elevation.
The long stage drive was through clouds of
dust, there having been no rain since the
preceding June.
wYoMING's OIL WELLS.
The chief point of interest, however. was
the oil deposit of Wyoming. We drove to
Dallas, ten miles southeast of Landor, near
which the wonderful wells are situated, and
had a cordial handshake from Hon. Mike
Murphy, who has charge of the wells and
property of the oil company, and from him
as well as A. A. Cyphert, who drilled the
three wells in 1885; w. T. Anderson, an old
and well known Pennsylvania oil driller;
Captain Nickerson, Territorial Recorder;
Mr.. j. A. McAvoy, County Recorder; not
forgetting Prof Ricketts,, of Cheyenne, Ter
ritorial Geologist, all of whom gave me
many points of vital interest. Prof. Ricketts,
Wyoming, as well as the agricultural, where
irrigation is possible, for her land is rich,
but dry, producing under irrigation several
large crops of alfafa annually.
Now will try and tell what found and
what my views of Wyoming oil future are:
First, geographically speaking, the Sho-
shone wells are near the center of Wyoming
Territory, about " miles 10 nearest point on
Union Pacific, II OF IA miles south of Lam
dor, and, perhaps, ITO BY stage to Rawlins
on Union Pacific. The Fremont, Elkhorn
and Missouri River Railroad is projected,
and now reaches Casper, 140 miles east of
Dallas, and will, the coming year, reach a
point only few miles south OF Dallas, OF
its way to connect with the Central Pacific
at Ogden, Utah. which is now, am credi-
bly, informed, grading to reach it, thus COM
pleting another trunk line from east to west,
and which will give every facility for ship
ping oil to the Pacific. By consulting
map of Wyoming one can readily see the
route between Ogden at the west and Casper
on the east, the road following the course of
the North Platte and Sweet Water rivers
and by a short branch road, or pipe line,
will give easy facilities for shipping the oil
west, its legitimate market, as the Pacific
slope has but little oil and PENNSYLVANIA
supplies the east. Pipe lines are even now
projected to Denver and Omaha, but my
impression is that tidewater on the Pacific
can more readily be reached by a Northwest
line, atfordlng the best market for this oil.
WELLS CRITICALLY EXAMINED.
The points first to be assured of are: Does
oil in large quantities exist in Wyoming?
feel assured it does. Is it of good quality?
Yes. But, for further information, will re-
hearse my experience. AS 1 said before,
through the courtesy of the Hon. Mr.. Muir
ply, who is the guardian OF those wells, every
facility was afforded me to critically examine
them and their oil springs. The approach
from the west by road presented rare ana
beautiful sight. The valley is about ], 900
feet wide, and from the eastern side the rocks
rise abruptly for perhaps 100 feet, then less
abruptly for several hundred feet more, then
gradually sloping upward, attaining height
of perhaps 800 feet one mile from the wells.
The rocks are in well-defned layers of bright
red and white sandstone, above which is
fine layer of gypsum, and above that the
Dakota and Larime (coaD formations.
The rocks below the surface can only be
surmised, the sand pump bringing a slush
to the surface judged by the drillers to be
the same kind ofrock as shown in the hill
above. The quality or thickness of the
sand rock from whence the oil is supposed
to come is not known, as it was only pene-
trated Jew inches in the deepest of the
wells. (745 feet), the great flow OF oil and gas
driving the drlllers from the wells. The
rocks on the west side of the stream appear
to be more broken and at an angle at this
point, though lower down the stream they
are reversed, the abrupt ones there being on
the east side. My impression is that In the
upheaval the pressure from below cracked
the rocks for many miles in line north