The Dolores star., 1901-06-28
OIL EXCITEMENT ON THE SAN JUAN.
Prospectors Pouring Into the Country. Ma
ehinery Being Placed for
Boring Wells.


On the San Juan river, about ten
miles below Bluff city, there is develop
ing an oil excitement Of no small pro-
portions. Though the location is a few
miles across the line in Utah, if oil
wells of paying proportions are devel-
oped southwestern Colorado will reap
material benefit because of the fact that
tile shortest and most feasible route to
station on the Rio Grahde Southern
railroad, through Montezuma valley
and down McElmo canon. From Do
lores to Bluff city via Cortez and Me-
Elmo canon, the distance Is about sixty
miles and the oil regions are about ten
miles below Bluff. A daily stage runs
between Dolores and Cortez and tri-
weekly stage between Cortez and Bluff.
There is water and feed along the route
and the road Is good one.
Most of the crowds going in now,
and plant of machinery now on the
way for boring and pumping, leaves
the Rio Grande Western at Thompson's
Springs, Utah, by this route the dis
tance is 160 miles, and for 100 miles of
the way the road is through sand where
an empty wagon is a load for single
team.
OF the existence of oil in considerable
quantities there is no question:. 1t
trickles from crevices in the rocks and
floats on the surface of the creeks.
Prospectors and settlers in the district
have for years used the oil for illumi-
mating purposes, in its crude state. 1t
has been obtained by digging out hole
in the rock for the collection of the
fluid Rs it oozes from the crevices in the
bluffs and was dipped up in buckets.
A few days since the Journal repre-
sentative met Dell Raplee at Cortez.
Mr.. Raplee was just up from the oil
regions, with which he is familiar, hav-
ing lived and placer mined In the vi
cinity for several years, and he is conf
dent, now that capital has become in
terested, and practical and experienced
oil men are fldcking into that section,
that it will rapidly be developed.
For several years Mr.. Raplee was
connected with n placer company and
he says they secured their oil for lubri-
eating and Illuminating purposes from
this source. He sunk shaft or hole in
the rock about five feet in depth and
from the bottom of this drilled an inch
and half hole about two feet deep into
which wooden plug was inserted.
When they wanted oil they would at
night draw out the plug. During the
night the fluid would rise in the shaft
and in the morning two ordinary
buckets Of oil would be skinned off in
a few moments. On his recent trip he
brought back couple gallons .of the
crude oil as 1t issues from the surface Of
the rocks, which he will use as ii lubri-
cant on his mowers and harvesters.
The stuff can not be easily distinguish
ed from the ordinary lubricatihg oil,
and carries strong smell of kerosene.
The Journal met several men who
had been in the country making loca-
tions and all are very enthusiastic over
the outlook for its development into a
big producer of oil. Several practical
oil 1neii from Pennsylvania have in.
vestigated it and pronounce the surface
indications the most encouraging they
have ever seen. One outfit at once tel
egraphed an order for engine, drills and
pumps, and the same were shipped
from Thompson's Springs s6hie days
ago hnd are probably now on the
ground. Another party was. met at
Cortez ON his way east to purchase ma
chinery.
The existence Of this tract Of oil land
has been known for years, but It's iso-
lated location precl,idtd the possibility
Of Interesting capitai, or even getting
practical men to make the tedious and
hard trip to make an investigation.
The rerent impetus given the oil indus
try by the discoveries III Texas attracts
ed eastern oil men to the west and some
who have Investigated these lields pro.
fiounce them more promising than
anythink shown oil THE surface In
Texas.
The section ls now far iii5e easy Of
decess than was the San Miguel valley
when the pioneer prospectus invaded
~ There II 4 good wagon tead ali the
way, with nc ttiuuntains I'd eross, the
codttry being settled for the ,tiost part
u the distdhce. "
The place, too, is easy Of access for a
failroad iine from, Dolores across Monte
zuma valley, . srich agricultural and
stock growing region, dd~n throhgli