The daily sentinel., 1910-01-12
MANY LOCAL MEN ARE STILL
CONFIDENT THAT GREAT OIL
AND GAS BOOM WILL YET COME

Their are quite a few people who
have not abandoned the hope that at
some future day, this entire section
of country will see marvellous de-
velopment in the discovery of gas and
oil
1t has not been so long ago since
one OF the most eXcitable campaigns
imaginable was prosecuted for the
discovery of oil and gas in Mesa coun-
ty 1t was not confined locally to the
country surrounding this city. but ex-
tended throughout the county. 1t
engaged the attention of men who
have spent their lives in work of that
character and some most excellent re-
suits followed.
1t will hardly be news to the public
generally to state that at five differ
ent locations n considerable flow of
gas was found and at two places in
the valley considerable development
in oil was made.
AT two distinct places in this city
there was developed a considerable
flow of gas, II might be almost said
at three different points almost with
in the boundaries of the city. The
discoveries, were not prosecuted to
INC tAltul ludl NhtN SuOulu nave Dttl
at that time, owing to the fact that
all oil development had a bad set
back, and the entire work for the
development of oil and gas in the
state scotched through the develop
ment of stock brokerage craze that
took away largely from the legitimacy
of the work that had been under
taken.
Every man who has had anything
whatever to do with development
work for the discovery of gas or oil,
believes without any reservation
whatever that. some day. some time
a big flow of natural gas will be dis
covered underlying this city. suffic-
lent in quantity to work vast change
in many conditions in this city.
A little history of discovery and
Investigation may not be amiss at the
present time. Yesterday Frank w.
Smith, who has always been largely
| interested in the work of attempting
to develop the oil and gas industry of
this section brought to the office of
The Sentinel traced copy of an orig
inal map marking the various strata
underlying this city. This map was
| originally the draft and the investiga-
ton of ]. Clayton Nichols. a former
| well known citizen, brother of Henry
Nichols, former county clerk and now
one of the grantees to a vast block
of land in the Philippines.
Mr. Nichols made his Investigations
long before there had been any de-
velopment work for the, discovery OF
all in this valley. So correct was this
geological study by Mr.. Nichols that.
when boring for oil in what is known
as well number one was made, the
core from the drill showed that his
measurements of the various tsarta
corresponded with wonderful &C
curacy.
Well number one was bored along
the railroad right of way in the Keith
addition and a considerable flow of
gas was discovered at 3l5 feet m a
shady shale, propped up by drop
sandstone water.
gas stratum was again discovered
in this same well at 514 feet In a
white gray shale or clay. No fur
ther work was prosecuted below this
discovery of gas and same was light
ed and 1t burned for year or more.
Another well that developed just
as good a flow of gas was what is
known as the Caswell we'll. the late
Charles F. Caswell having taken n
deep interest in the work of boring
in this well, more particularly for
pure artesian water.
The first gas discovered in ;nis
well was at a depth of 444 feet anG it
was a particularly heavy flow. At
700 feet and again at S04 feet flows
of gas were found. At the last mem
toned depth the gas was so heavy
that it blew the tools out of the well
and into the air to a heighth of at