Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-07

an oil strike that was sent out in the
press dispatches a few days ago is
u romantic story of unusual interest.
Few people who read the telegrams
stating that the jaeger Oil company
had made a big strike of petroleum
ON it's lands near Spring Valley knew
about the rich find.
Spring Valley is a small hamlet sit
uated about 20 miles northeast of Ev-
anston, Wyo., on the Union Pacific
railway. 1t had a staid. sober popula-
ton of less than 100 people, until
the news of the oil strike went forth;
now it is growing by leaps and bounds
in Il manner that is very astonishing
to those unacquainted with booms,
and the natives are beginning to
wonder where they are at.
To speak frankly, they don't like
this sudden transformation of their
quiet burg into town of bustling ac
tivity, although they are willing to
profit by the greatly increased none
tary income it brings them.
The change is due. the residents be-
Iieve. to the predictions made by Il ge-
olCgist from Chicago. Last winter
a stranger giving his name as Prof.
p. +. Daniels, who said he had an of
flee in the hartford building, in the
big city by the lake, appeared in
Spring Valley and was Immediately
taken in tow by James j. Hardin. the
superintendent of the jaeger
company, who seemed to he expect
ing him.
H.. T.,
pany, although it has been in the oil
fields for quite time. had not ac-
complished much; neither for that
matter, had any of the other oil
companies that are operating here.
although it is a matter supported
by government surveys that Wyo-
ming is one of the greatest petroleum
districts in the world.
II was midwinter when the stranger
arrived, and when he announced that
he was geologist and was going to
tell Mr.. Hardin where to drill for oil
with a certainty of finding it, loud
guffaw went up. The thing was too
ridiculous for serious consideration.
Allowing that a geologist under ordi-
nary conditions could scent ont oil
territory, which in itself was too big
morsel to be swallowed, how was
Prof. Daniels going to tell anything
about it when the surface of the
ground was covered with blanket
of snow that made it all look alike.
AS subsequent events have proved.
all the land did not look alike to Prof.
Daniels. He went carefully over the
ground with Mr.. Hardin. and made
his selections of the spots where
oil would be found. Mr.. Hardin, 4
hard-headed business man, sent out
here to develop the jaeger company's
territory, was nonplused. He didn't
know exactly what to do. Then he
bethought himself of the fact that
the geologist had been warmly re-
commended by his friend, DR.. p. T..
Burns, also of Chicago, and in whom
he had every confidence.
Finally Hardin decided to take a
chance on the scientist knowing more
about geological conditions than 4
tenderfoot, and began to make his
preparations to follow Prof, Daniels
instructions. Taking the spot Sc
lected for the first boring, while the
snow was still on the ground, he
piped in a water supply from a spring
three miles away, erected quarters
for his men, and graded a road over
which the drilling outfits could be
hauled from the railway, 1t was well
into the summer before he was ready
to begin the actual .wark of drilling
his first well, and he approached it
with a reverent amount of dread.
All too slowly the well went down
TO suit Hardin, who was apprehensive
lest he had made a fatal and costly
mistake. Everything tended to delay.
Tools broke, the hole went crooked
and had to be reflled and the drill
started over again, necessary sup
plies were behind time in arriving
and it was after the LIST of August
before oil was struck. This was at
ISIS feet, and the sight of the dark