The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-04-17
OKLAHOMA
OIL AND GAS
Professor Gould Talks Inter-
estingIy of the Outlook
SOME GEOLOGICAL IDEAS
Search for Earth's Secrets
Made More MethodicaIIy

Norman. o. T., April 16-Your reporter
called upon Professor Gould yesterday to
oil and gas development in eastern Okla
homa- He found the professor much in
jects connected with the development OF
Oklahoma's resources.
In fact" he said, s am glad to see
the intelligent interest that is being taken
in the matter of oil and gas. ] say intel
ligent interest because so much of the
prospecting that has taken place in the
past few years has been done without
method or reason. Oklahoma has been
punched full of holes in the vain endeay-
or to find something of value beneath
the surface, and in nearly every instance
nothing has come of it.
Now, Oil and gas are substances that
are very widely distributed, but almost
always in such small quantities as to be
of no commercial value. Plenty of shall
it may be that gas bubbles up through
the water, where these products may be
found in paying quantities. Certain kinds
of rocks yield oil and gas, other kinds do
not Unfortunately so far as known no.
where in the world have these products
been found III paying quantities in red
shale and clay, such as / found in so
many parts of Oklahoma. The conditions
were not such that all and gas could be
found in these rocks.
mo. do not mean that there is no oil
and gas in Oklahoma continued Prof.
Gould. What l tried to say was that it
will probably not be found in very ex
tensively throughout the territory. The
best chances all around the Wichita
mountains and along the Arkansas river
and in the eastern counties Just how
much will be found in these regions is.
of course, a question. So far it has bare
ly Deen found in paying quantities, if at
all, but at the same time l should not be
surprised of paying wells are eventually
found both in the eastern and south
western parts of Oklahoma"
~How about the newspaper reports of
finds all over the territory" inquired the
reporter
Mostly fakes" replied Mr.. Gould Il
have a scrap book that must contain
hundred clippings announcing the discov-
cry of coal. oil, gas. copper. gold. silver.
or other minerals. In all sorts of impoSsi-
bic places-eYery one of them fakes. It's
unfortunate too, that these reports are
circulated for they can but do harm to
the community
1.-THE trouble with the greater part of
the territory is that a company which de-
cides to drill for oil has no idea of the
cost of putting down well. In the CEN
trail and western part of Oklahoma it is
practically useless to start unless pre-
pare dto go $500 or 5000 and even 1900
feet, is not too great a depth to plan
for, and in order to go 5000 feet id Okla
homa, not less than $1,000 should be on
hand. OF course, if everything goes well,
it might not all be used, but the general
experience is that something will happen;
the rope will break, the well will cave,
salt will come in or something else will
go wrong and the well must be aban-
doned
80 many holes have been put down
that we know reasonably well just what
will be encountered in drilling in any
county of the territory, that is down to
a depth of say, 1,500 feet, or 1900 feet.
Below that we are not SO certain but the
result of what we learn leads us to be-
lieve that there is little hope for any
thing of value throughout a good part
of Oklahoma
I'm the Indian Territory it is different
There is plenty of oil. gas. and coal over
there. Just how much We do not know
but certainly more than most people have
idea of. 1t is my opinion. take it for
what it is worth that in ten or twenty
years a large part of the supply of oil
what now is the Cherokee and Creek Ma
ton. although the northern part of the
Choctaw and the Chickasaw Nations
probably contain oil also
Surface indications are not Of as much
Importance as is usually attached to
them. Even men who profess to he drill
ers. sometimes claim that oil is more
likely to be found along streams than in
other localities. In fact, surface erosion
has little to do with internal structure
and it is upon internal structure that oil
and gas depends So surface indications
count for practically nothing
Absolutely none. There can not pos
sibly be any relation whatever nor with
Colorado oil with the Indian Territory oil
fields extend north in into ansas and
may extend east into Oklahoma. but when
some fellow tells you that he has traced
the matter out and finds that line from
Beaumont TO somewhere else passes
through your farm be gentle with him,
but very firm and send him where the
dead hats so. He Is on par with the
faker with a divinirg rod and the sooner
Oklahoma is rid of such srafters the
better
My advice? What's the use? If peo-
pie want to drill. they'll drill anywhere.
But. if / were drilling for oil and gas.
would give the same advice that Arte-
mus Ward gave the young couple who
were going 90 get married: Don't"
BUILDING THE TRACK.