The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1908-10-08

the same time climatic change
took place at SO rapid Il rate that
1t destroyed entire species. The
dead bodies of these animals. to-
gethsr with the accumulated ve9e-
tation. had already prior to this
time formed large beds OF carbon
bearing shales. But now during
this time of this disturbance their
remains together with seaweeds.
sea mud and shell fish of every
description accumulated at 4 very
rapid rate in the lower basins of
this inland sea. 1t was not only
once that this country underwent
such changes. These were repeat
ed causing lowering and rising of
this part of the continent until the
end Of the reptilian age, and thus
were formed the great shale beds,
which form chain from the gulf
to the Artic ocean along \ parallel
line with the Rocky mountains.
At the end Of this period began
the ,lme of real mountain making.
The marine water disappeared
from this section of the continent
and the country became an alkaline
desert. The rocks became heated
as result of the forces which
were at work raising the crust and
forming the lofty mountains. It
must have been ut this time when
the oil was extracted from the
shale and trickled down to the
lower levels.
All the conditions which are
necessary to originate oil have ex-
listed in this country. We have
the thickest shale beds known. We
find traces of existing heat, which
has extended down almost to the
age of man and still exists at no
great depth in the Bad Lands.
Along the same line which / have
described as once having been q
chain of shale inland seas oil has
been discovered on both sides of
us.
The only question is where is
the oil of this section located. l
believe that a careful geological
investigation will give US some
idea where the oil is.
The Black Hills came into exist
ence at the close of the cretaceous
period and the Bad Lands, as is
shown by it's fossils, during the
Middle Tertiary and if we take in
to consideration that at this time
the entire country from Pine
Ridge north to Fox Ridge, and
from the Black Hills east to the
range of hills which run between
the Missouri and James rivers was
covered with fresh water of con-
siderable depth we can see that
here either existed one of the deep
places during the times of marine
water, or a sinking had followed
the former rising, so that in any
event the Cheyenne river marks
the center of the basin. Since We
find no traces of any disturbance
of breaking of the strata, we may
assume that the oil has had no
chance to drain off. On the other
hand we nave reason " believe
that by the fitting of the strata
on the eastern slope of the Black
Hills and the partial rise of the
strata in the Bad Lands has caused
the oil to come this way. The
finding of large bones dating back
to the age of the saurians on the
western end of Fox Ridge is proof
that this range has either been
elevated during the early Tertiary
age or has been at higher level
than the country to the south dur
ing the latter cretaceous. am
inclined to accept the later view.
For this reason, that during the
Tertiary aye when the Ignite beds
were formed a great part Of west
ern South Dakota and on in to
North Dakota, was covered with
shallow fresh water marshes.
During this period there was no
connection between the marshes
of the MOreau river country and