The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1902-05-09
DAZZLING
Are the Prospects of Eastern
Kentucky. Now Under De-
yeIOpement.
A REVIEW BY AN OIL EXPERT.

through the fields OF Kentucky by
the Courier-Journal TO write i'm
partially Of the prospects. He has
been doing this right along, giving
both the favorable and the unfav-
orable aspects wherever he went.
"Cities build like a child grows.
Nobody around home notices it.
1t is the same way with industrial
development, 1t is that way with
oil. Kentuckians do not realize
how fast their oil lands are develop
ing. Just year ago nobody knew
anything about oil in Kentucky.
There was just one little devel-
opment away up in the northeast
county OF Floyd, near the West
Virginia line, with about enough
production to buy wine for high
liver, and few barrels day from
little strip in Wayne county.
There was no Knox county, Knott
county, no Bath county and no
thought Of several other counties,
which have presented their initial
we'll. There was no thought OF
Clay or Leslie county, where the
companies have since scrambled
for land and where the standard
Oil Company has recently planted
its forces, following its fate in Ken
tueky-of getting in late.
"Speculators have entered all the
fields. Nothing left for them to
take up easily, SO they are buying.
Prices have been paid forland that
will never be realized from produc.
ton. All territory, even though
INFESTED, lying along the mystical
45.degree line between develop
ments from the Tennessee to the
West Virginia and Ohio bounda-
ries OF the State, is at premium.
at is said that the Standard Oil
Company is paying a premium for
leases in Leslie and Perry counties.
Certain it is that the com pany has
had men taking up territory in
both of those counties for the past
four months and taking every acre
in either county that remained un-
LEASED. Gutfey & Galley made a
dash on this county a long time
ago, when they were heading into
Knott and Floyd, where they have
since opened up a nice field and be-
come a neighbor OF the Standard in
the producing business in that
region.
"There is nothing in Leslie or
Clay or Perry county yet, except a
prospect. That prospect is valua-
BILE because the companies have
ideas that they are backing up and
thier backing makes it valuable.
Only the beginning of the oil
field is introduced by naming
Wayne and Knox counties. There
is Knott county, 100 miles from
here, through the mountains and
forest, with four nice little wells,
,Hepe OF which were there three
mon ths ago. There is Floyd on the
other side of Knox county, with
twelve or thirteen nice little wells,
four more than it had four months
ago.
"Lastly, there is Bath with re-
cord that beats them all. Moth
ling a year ago and more actual
wells now than any county of the
State and more production than all
of them. 1t is said that no dry
hole has yet been drilled in Bath
county. This is probably true on
inference alone, as SO many wells
that are producers have been drill,
ed in there in so short a time that
there is no time to account for In
drilling dry holes. Much money
is being spent in Bath county, es
pecially by Guffey & Gayley who
are building enormous steel tank:
to hold their oil until pipe line
is built to it.
"LoOk at the map Of Kentucky
and see what this radius OF devel
opmeut means. 1t Is nearly 20(
miles on ar air line from tn,
Wayne county production TO III,
Floyd county production. Here il
the Knox and Knott production
lying between. All the oil mel
are backing the belief that 1t is or
ly matter OF time when these OF
: pools will be coupled up by discov
cries in Clay, Leslie and PER-!
counties. Think OF what tina
meansl Two hundred miles Of oil
territory, the width OF the counter
through which the line passes
There is no telling where the eX
tension from Bath county will end
At present it is an exclusive field
, "All this territory has beef
, spotted by oil wells, one might sa.
, in a circle on the outer rim OF it
In case oil wells should now b,
strung through the center and bulg
ing to the sides this would be th,
most tremendous field that tn,
world had known OF dreamet
about.
"Comparlsons make the thinl
seem greater. Bradford, the larg
est field ever known; covered onl!
one county, twenty or thirty miles
Western New York fields all to
gether were not as big as Wayne
county, only few miles OF then
all. Harness, Butler, Clarion
Warren, Mexican, Iioliver, Rich