The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-06-09
An Expert on
the New Oil Fields.
Government biologist Hill Dis
cusses the Possibilities in the
Southwest.

the views OF Robert II. Hill. one OF
the experts Of the United States geological
survey, who has returned from study Of
the oil fields In the Southwest. Mr. Hi
brought back with him a fund Of lnfor-
nation which Will he embodied In the next
annual report OF the survey, and whclh
viii be the FIRST official statement made
by the survey since the oil excitement be-
gan In Texas. Mr.. Hill says that num-
Der Of mushroom companies have grown
up In the Southwest which claim In their
Inducements to prospective purchasers Of
stock that they have reports and maps
Furnished by the survey. He denounceu
these operations and declares that Moth
ing has been given out officially relative
TO the held Mr.. Hill has spent the greater
part Of the last fifteen years IN study
~ the geology OF the Southwest, and what
he says relative to the new field Is ex-
peded to carry considerable weight with
II, I'm some quarters he IS credited With
being the original discoyCrer OF the Texas
| oil field.
~ Is entirely within the limit OF proba.
| bllit4" says Mr.. Hin, "that oil VIII be
FOUND az many places throughout the
ccasttl prairie, especially in It's Southern
eNtemion toward the Rio Grnnde ana IN
the nprtheastern state OF Mexico at Tama
| lipus.t The outcrop Of the tertiary forma-
| tion y Southwest Texas. In Wilson, Atlas.
cosa, McMullen, Duval and other coun-
ties Il materially rich in OIL and The prac.
teal dl men are risking their money In
experimenting in this region
There is absolutely no doubt but that
the soutce of the Beaumont oil is the ter.
tiary s4ata, which outcrop Is In the tim
| heor -, -
| peoh hlPWn Tor yenrs TO occur IN these
| strata Id the region Of their outcrop, and
| Is knoWt 10 occur today In nearly every
''Ihe Successful completion of well on
January w. 1901. by captnin 4. r Lucas,
/ near Beaumont Tpxns Whereby an amor
nous dow Of oh. estimntcd nd 1900 bar
! rels a dan was obtained. marked n most
| important economic discovery and Initiated
the succeAful exploitation uf q new and
praoticailyt hitherto unknown 0il field OF
The United States,
not an acSacnt hut II e roi"l i of sIuTt IS
aud experiments of Captain Lucas 1his
gttIIdd ig,n,9u lor years mas oeen carelpl
OF Westerui fooisIana and Eost rexas'
With viewpf developing the salt sulphur
ana petroleum. ny the aid u every record
previous geyoeiea'iI " coptrjHntIons .'' suppIe'
mented by BY own power of deduction aud
structure ana staigraphy indicated that
| beaumont WAS the place where the best
prospects for oil existed. n Is fortunate
for commerce and for science thai % man
OF Captain Lucas ability should have ap
pea%d for tlA emergency. and the reward
50. justly comIensating his labors ls a great
ODDS % economic research
adne importance mp, Of thls OIL held Is rag fas
eel estimated II mems not only n chem
fuel supply to the largest State IN area
IN the Union. which also ranks sixth IN
ppp'. eynort trah snsb oa eyiate noS;hcte
else in this or my other country
The details II the petroleum Industry
,arts ~ me 5n' ologico snry,,, fe ~ thn
years 1890 md 900. Rassil from her de
rosits on the ,C@pPn Sea produces \ ~
nor o NM eoes M a NJ 90 Sar wei
per 0nnun. The ,even " ellis so fhr openei
~ Be9umontA T9as pwiIl alone, produce
zines s Mich ss tbe ,3i XIX ~ NJ, Snid
"Fnere are -four factors which add 70
the magnitude and Importance OF the dis
coNerN OF on at bSnmont,
u the value OF inc oil as cheap rue
supply TO the vast Texas region tho eco,
monte deyalopment " which hos nrlnclpal
=, -, Ok III. 49,, 49,,
~ suHele" iof cue l'eN Oh cheap iuel'
y The proximity OF this oil reid to
tri,ution r., fnrei,,n ,,,,trios
'tm"'l ~, =" IVA ''luf'eS'
~ inc VAST qnantW OF oil so FAR al
known far pXVcrdinl that Of any ofhel