Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1905-10-24
While Cutting Sprouts a FERGUS
County RanCher Chopped into
Some.-.TyplCal Oil Rock.
O0K UP STUDY OF GEOLOGY
Did Not Make Any Attempt to Ex-
plot His Discovery Until Over
Eight Years Later.

If Fergus county should ever be-
come an oil producing region, which
is by no means an improbability,
the story Of the first discovery Of oil
will certainly be of all consuming
interest to all who live in this COM
munity. 1t Is not unlike the story
Of many other strikes which ultimate
ly become famous the world over, the
story in which merest chance plays a
big part.
ranch in the foot hills Of the Snowy
mountains. about 20 miles from this
city, was making a new road across
his place and the work required that
some sprouts be cleared from
the ground. With one stroke of
his axe, he struck into a rock and
broke the bit of the axe half in two.
He was greatly worried over the ac-
cident, as it meant that he should
have to make a trip all of the way
into Lewistown after a new axe.
Curious to know the exact extent of
the damage, he reached down
and picked up the broken piece. AS
he raised the piece up to his face he
easily detected an unusual odor. T. ex-
actly resembled the smoke from burn
ing oil and it's origin was source
of mystery to the rancher
He went home and told his wife
about the accident not forgetting to
mention the peculiar odor which he
observed when he picked up the brok.
en- axe bit. She told him that it might
be oil. He thought little of the matter,
but having a little idle time a day or
so later, went out to that spot and
dug up the rock which his axe had
struck. 1t was evidently saturated
with oil and upon being broken op-
Ell, it was found to contain a cavity
with the capacity of about a gill,
full of oil. Even this showing did not
excite Mr.. Noble, as he had never
given any thought to the oil business
and was in no wise informed as to the
modes of the production of that every
day necessity.
He decided, however to go into the
matter more thoroughly and at .once
secured some geological literature, and
from time to time, picked up differ
ent publications describing the pro-
cesses of oil production. The more
he read. the more convinced was he
that he had on his ranch the best
sort of indications of oil deposits.
He kept his knowledge to himself
until about two years ago, when he
brought into this city some samples
of the rock. These samples were found
to be so saturated with oil that they
would blaze if heated by an ordinary
match, and the odor arising from
them was unmistakable.
Mr.. Noble did not disclose the place
of his discovery until he and his
friends had located large amount OF
the ground. There are now three COM
panies, each comprising eight men,
about ready to be incorporated for the
purpose of Systematically and thor
oughly exploiting the ground. These
companies have located, altogether,
something like $500 acres of land in
the foot hills of the Snowy noun
tains. the ranch of the original dis
coverer being in the center of this
tract.
A few months ago, Ira Myers, Of
Great Falls, a gentleman who has de-
voted number of years to the oil
business, came down and, in company
with Frank Moshner, who is also in
terested in one of the companies,
drove out to the Noble ranch and very
thoroughly investigated the grounds.
Upon his return he gave to The DEM
ocrat an interview stating that the in
dications of oil We're far better than
those which We're first found in the
Teton county and Alberta fields. In
fact Mr.. Myers stated that, from the
best of his knowledge, the outlook for
a paying oil field is brighter. far
brighter than that which caused the
first Beaumont prospector to spend
thousands of dollars in drilling for the
first we'll in that now world famous
region. Prominent capitalists of the
east have been interested in the mat
ter and it is confidently believed that
a drill will be placed on the ground
sometime in the spring.
Mr.. G. w. Noble, the man who dis
covered the indications, has undergone
the usual visissitudes of a Montana
rancher, and his friends hope that he
may speedily realize something from
his prospect.