The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-06-04
GREAT OIL BOOM
FOR EASTERN UTAH
Extensive Operations OF a Cali
fOrnia Syndicate.
WILLSINK THREE WELLS
MAY BUILD A RAILROAD TO
VERNAL.
Especial to The Herald.p

v EIEletls J uLG o.--ADOuL Two weeks ago
Milton. AIcWhorter. president of the
BIcWhorterS Oil Refining company OF
the Kern river district, California, and
one of the conpany's agents named
Roberts, arrived at Vernal. having been
attracted to the hydro-carbon belt By
the reDresen tatiOns of the b kersfeld
crowd, who are interested in western
Colorado in the vicinity of Rangely,
and the Dewey oil springs, in which
County Attorney Pope is interested.
The latter gentleman was Instrumental
in first attracting the California people
10 that section, having sent samples of
the oil to different points in the Golden
state.
Mr.. McW7horter, however, had had
some previous correspondence with
John Beck concerning the sand asphalt
deposits on Ehe west and south of the
valley, in which Beck and others are
associated. Tt was due TO this CORE
spOndence that Mr.. McWhorter came
by way Of Vernal. en- route for the oil
fields of western Colorado.
On arriving n town Mr.. NcWhorter
at once looked up County Surveyor
John Glenn, WHO has for years had
charge OF the engineering, work Of the
Beck-Hyde interests, and who is IA
mIliar with every detail of the COM
pany's interests in this section. Ac-
COnpanied by Mr.. Glenn. the California
men inspected the cOmpany's ground,
with the result that Mr. McWhOrter
was struck with the possibilities of this
section as an oil field, and at once con-
cluded to begin opera tons in this vi
entity, instead of going on into Colo
RADIO Mr.. Glenn was employed to go
into the field with force Of mel and
locate lands for the McWhOrter COM
pany, extending from Powder springs
across Green river, which had also
been visited, along the slopes of the
sand asphalt reef to the Uintah gap,
| west Of the valley. Mr.. Glenn has been
in thesfield several days, and has To-
Gated 200 claims of $50 acres each, %, 600
acres, all Of which, it is claimed, fur
nishes indications Of oil.
Will Sink Three Wells.
It is the expressed intention of the
company to bore three wells in the near
/ future 10 test these lands. These wells
/ VIII be driven under the instructions OF
| Mr. McWhOTter, who is one OF the noted
/ experts of the California fields, and was
/ the pioneer of the Kern river district,
which now represents a, cash valuation
| OF over 500, 000,000.
Mr.. McWhOrter gives it as his opin-
! ion that this section presents a far
| greater field than Kern river, and that
] the indications ore much more pro-
nOunCed.
! The scheme of the NIcWborter com
pany is to consolidate all of the prln-
] opal interests along the DCIJ, WnlCl
/ viii include the absorption OF the Beck
1 yde-Cunningham holdings The
/ scheme also COmprehends the COnstrUC-
] ton of transported ton facilities in the
/ shape of branch railroad from some
/ convenient Doiut all of which, if car
/ ried out. ans a big Industrial awak-
( ening for eastern Utah, for, with he1
/ hydro carbon deposits, coal measures
| and other mineral resources, together
| with a demonstration that oil exigts in
/ paying quantities and quality, there
would come a boom that would be last
/ ing and permanent.
/ In the Kern river district, California
/ 10000 men are employed, which vii
] give a fair idea of what the discovery
/ of oil viii mean to this section, which
/ is pronounced far more extensive 10y
/ the same men who are interested IL
/ the California fields.
! While the outside companies have
! been hustling, local parties shave no
/ been idle. and some choice ground Is
/ held by them, and if the predictions o.
/ those who lay claim to knowledge con
! corning oil proves true, there will b'
4 some local men with a fat bank ac
/ count in the future