The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-10-09
The KINTLA
OIL FIELDS
Kerosene Smelling Bears Gave
the First Clew.
ALL LAND LOCATED
And In Six Weeks Drilling Will Commence
The Oil Is There aud the Problem
Is to Strike It.

The discovery of gold in California
is said TO have been made through
ducks, in whose crops the yellow
metal was found: the richest mine in
the Occur d Alenes was uncovered
by a prOspector's donkey, and the To-
cation of numerous placer diggings
has been attiihu,. 4 TO the finding of
gold dust or Nuggets in the crops of
domestic fowls, but it is proabale
that in only one instance have bears
been the guides of men to valuable
deposits beneath the surface of the
earth. This one instance is the dis
covery of the Kintla lake oil fields,
in the northern part of Flathead
county, almost on the boundary be-
tween Montana and the British pos
sessions.
E. w. Kelley, who returned a few
days ago after visit to those fields.
heard the story of their discovery
as it is related by the residents of
the vicinity who give to bruin the
credit for the first prospecting, and
it is doubtless true, for the discov-
cry Was SO recently made that the
manner of it has not been forgotten.
The secpage Indicating the pres
base of a great boulder. perhaps Is
feet high, beween the Upper kintla
and Lower hintla lakes. At the foot
of this great rock is a pool of water
impregnated with petroleum, and
not far away is a small creek. con
Meeting the two lakes, while on either
side are great timbered mountains,
in former days and even now the
nf fou 10
hun--ng ground for trappers. The
traprers sold their catches at To
bacco Plains, not far distant, and
frequently they remarked that the
hides of bear eXhalel the odor of ker-
osene. This fact came to the knowl-
edge of men who realized its signi-
ficance; Investigations were made
and it was found that the pool at
the base of the great boulder was a
wallow for bears. and the odor of
kerosene that attached to their hides
came from the petroleum that was in
the wallow. Soon the country sur
rounding the bear wallow had all
been filed upon. under the United
States mining laws, as oil bearing
land; but the locaters had no capital
and could not interest men of wealth,
That was nine years ago, and there
had been little attention given to the
region until few months ago. when
iea possibilities were presented to
such men as Frank Klepetko, general
superintendent for the Amalgamated
Copper Mining company; G. S. Bat
terman, assistant superintendent of
the Amalgamatei properties; eX-Sen
ator Lee Mantle, Hon. H. L. Frank
Mr. Bender of Spokane, oil experts
of California, president J. j. Hill OF
the Great Northern and numerous
others. They were convinced that
the showings made justified thorough
exploitation of the region, and in a
short time location notices We're post
ed for miles around.
"Practlcally that whole region has
been taken up" said Mr.. Kelley. 81
am not able to state Just what area
is covered by the locations. but it is
great extent of territory The land
is filed upon as placer claims, and
each individual is allowed to take up
eight claims of 20 acres each, while
corporation of eight or more per
sons is permitted to file upon an in.
definite number of claims of 16O acres
each. Within 80 days after locating a
claim an excavation of at least 240
cubic feet must have been made upon
it, and the boundaries must have
been distinctly marked. the sidelines
being blazed along the trees, the
country being heavily timbered.
The oil fields-or, rather. the
point of seepage. where the first drill
ing will be done-lies about 60 miles
almost due north of Bolton, on the
Great Northen. From the railroad
to Lake Mcdonald, a distance OF
three miles. there mas long been a
wagon road, and those who are about
to develop the fields have built a
good wagon road, following an old
trail. from Lake Mcdonald to the
south end of Kintla lake. There are
two lakes and the seepage is between
Diary, about mile west of the upper
lake. Here, at the foot of a great
boulder, is pool of water, on the
surface of which is the oil.
THE oil has been thoroughly test
ed and the results have been most
satisfactory. 1t is superior to all oils
except those found in Pennsylvania
and is of the lubricating quality, and
burn freely. giving off a dense black
smoke, but it will be too valuable a;
a lubricant to be used for fuel Plac
ing few drops of it on the fingers
one may rub it for several moments
without removing it. while the il
Illuminating Oil of the Texas nelds will
not SO respond to this thumb test
and is of much less value.