, 1901-12-12
KNOCKERS IN STATE
CLASS OF MEN WHO HINDER
RATHER THAN HELP THE
COMMONWEALTH.
They Receive Attention at the Hands
of Clarence B. Richardson, Who
Read Convention Paper on Pres
emit Conditions of Wyoming, Last
Night.

presented an able paper on the Pres
ent Conditions In Wyoming" Mr.
Richardson's paper follows:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of tn,
Convention:-Wyoming is Ger
tainly to be congratulated on the grca'
progress she is making daily in the
development of her vast natural re
sources. For many years past, aside
from the development of Il coal in
dustry. the mineral of oul
state have remained dormant. Ii
nearly every other western state, the
inhabitants turned their attention
| first to the DEVELOPMENT of their mines
and later to stock raising and aEri
culture. Wyoming is probably the
only western state thai has reversed
that rule. Not. however. because heI
citizens do not appreciate the vast
| mineral wealth of the state. for every
| school boy will tell you that Wyoming
is known to be richer in coal, oil, iron,
copper and probably gold, than any
other state in the west. and probably
in the United States.
1t is not. or, probably has not up to
| the present time. been what is gener,
ally known as a poor mans country
In other words, nature has deposited
| her minerals here on a colossal scale.
| Large bodies of low grade ore are to
be found in nearly every mining camp,
and large sums of capital are requir.
| ed to make these mines productive and
work them profitably. In addition to
this drawback. we have always lacked
transportation facilities to market any
product that a man of moderate meant
might be able to produce.
AS a result of these conditions. we
find, today. in most of the mining
camps of IL state, very little actual
development beyond the ~prospector's
annual assessment work, and that us
ually amounts to a ten foot hole.
| Nearly all the money that has been
! spent in prospecting in Wyoming has
been expended on surface work. out,
| side of one or two producing camps.
Within the past few years these
conditions have greatly changed and,
today. we find all over the state, where
work is being done, that it is no long
er with the sole view OF holding the
prospect and doing assessment work,
but it is done in a manner that tends
to make the property Immediately
productive. By carrying out this new
method of working, a number of the
| richest mines to be found in the west
have been opened up in Wyoming dur
ing the past three years, and hun
dreds of others are being developed
many of which will soon enter the list
of shipping mines.
Another very encouraging and graf
flying result of the strikes that have
already been made, is the fact tina,
our home people are contributing
largely to the work and development
that is o going on Probably nine
tenths of all the capital invested il
wyoming mines belongs to our home
people. A few years ago o coulC
hardly find a man in the state who
would permit you to talk to him OF
the subject of mines. Today, nearly
every other nan you meet on the
street has an interest of some kind IN
some of our prospects or mines.
The prospect for the immediate in
vestment of large sums of foreign cap
ital in the purchase and development
of our oil. coal and other resources
is far brighter than the most sanguine
among you have anticipated. During
the past twelve months there has been
organized for that purpose over one
hundred and fifty different companies
with a capitalization of many mil
lions to operate in this state. True
many of these companies are very
much overcapitaliZed, and Others will
do little or no actual work, but, al
least. one-fifth of the number are now
going ahead and daily expanding large
sums of money in opening up these in
dustries.
| know of one syndicate of gentle
men, as yet not Incorporated in the
state of Wyoming, that has actually
expended in investigating the natura
wealth of the state over one hundred
thousand dollars, and so far, these
gentlemen have very little outside Of
voluminous reports to show for theil
investment. AS a result of these in
vestigations they have demonstrated
the fact that Wyoming has the highest
quality of oil in the known world, no
excepting the finest oil produced il
Russia. They have become convinced
that this oil is to be found in many
parts of the state and in enormou.
quantities. They have had careful es
Inmates prepared by the best experts
which show that it will require an DC
tual working capital of nearly ten mil
lion dollars to build pipe lines and de
velop these fields; build nearly tire,
hundred miles of railroad and furnish
transportation for the oil after it ha.
been developed. They have becom,
convinced that the enterprise woult
be an immensely profitable one, AM
they are prepared to carry out theil
plans in developing these fields on {
scale that will add thousands of PEG
Pile to the inhabitants of our state ant
millions of dollars in a few years t.
our taxable wealth. One gentleman
identified with this movement has al
ready invested over $100, 900 in OF
land in Wyoming: has put down two
wells, both of which are gushers, ant
is now drilling another.
At the present moment there are nj
less than twenty companies boring TO
oil in different parts of the state, an
this industry which is probably destin
ed to become the greatest industry il
the state land | believe will eventual
ly produce more wealth in a singl,
year. when it is once developed. thai
is now represented by the entire taxa
BILE wealth of the state), is on the ev'
of a wonderful advancement. 1t |
not only about to make the state o
Wyoming famous, but it has alread,
done SO. and progress in this direction
will doubtless be extremely rapid i
} future.
To give you an idea of the stupent
GUS possibilities of this n industry
I might state that there is more tina
500, 900 acres of land located and worl
ed as oil land In this state. In tn
Baku oil fields of Russia. where the
produce more oil than is at presen
produced in the United States. the t
ltal field covers but eighty-six acres; tn
:. largest company paying enormou div