The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-06-10
CLAIMS A LAKE.
Preparatory to a Big OIL Venture
Through Boring I'm It's Bed.

VSoUmrHtOry TO b18 OIA VentUE8
Through Boring I'm It's Bed.
A fight for title to 4,400 acres Of Fer
ry Lake in Caddo parish, southwest
Louisiana, and said to be an oil field
valued at approximately $4,000, 900, has
been begun before Commissioner Dem
nett Of the general land Office. The
claimant Is John B. King Of Texarkana,
Texas, who made entry over one year
ago under the placer mining act. He
claims that the area of the lake was
never turned over by the government
to the State Of Louisiana. and as the
attorney general of that State did not
put In an appearance yesterday 1t Is
believed that the State Is content to lot
the general government deal with the
proposition before 1t in any manner
1t may deem advisable.
Former Representative John J. Lents
OF Columbus, Ohio; ]. A. Teller Of
Little Rock, Ark, and J. D. Korner,
also of the capital of Ohio, made up
the legal array which presented Mr..
Kings side Of the case. At the close
Of the argument Commissioner Dem
nett took the matter under advisement.
He did not announce when decision
will be rendered in the matter.
For several months past 1t has been
believed that the State officials of Lou
isiana were going to put up vigorous
fight for the lake, which also has
considerable area in the State Of Tex
as. Several years ago, while prospect
ing over the general oil field in the
section where the lake Is located, Mr..
King discovered that while the Stand
ard OIL Company had located its wells
on all sides of the property, no attempt
had been made to locate on the lake.
He then went to work, and made .
close examination Of the records bear
ing on the question Of title to the land
on which the lake lies. This was for
merly government land before the back
water from the Red River overfowed
the section and left the lake. He ascer-
tanned, so 1t was pointed out in the ar
gument of the attorneys before Com
missioner bennett yesterday that the
lake was never turned over by the
general government to the State or
Louisiana, and he lost no time in max
ing an entry on the 4,400 acres In ques-
tion, which Is believed to be the rich
est in the section in point of possible
oil fields. -
With his entry he then made his
plans to bring the matter to the atten-
tion of the commissioner OF the gen.
eral land office, so as to perfect the IT,
tie before he begins operations for lo-
eating oil wells. He talked at length
yesterday of the question and pointed
out that as the lake Is only about two
or three feet deep 1t will be a compafa-
lively easy matter to locate oil wells in
all parts of the area covered by the
4,400 acres in question: Mr. King Is
positive from the Investigations he has
made that the area is of immense value
and hopes as soon as he gets title to
begin operations.
/ The section In which the lake Is 1o-
/ Gated in both Texas and Louisiana is
looked upon by oil experts everywhere
as particularly rich oil country, and
this fact has been singularly brought
out, 1t is declared, by reason of the fact
that the Standard Oil Company has
come into the section and bought up
all the land bordering on the lake.
Washington Star.