Semi-weekly herald., 1910-12-22
TO
OIL FIELDS
Dolores the Mecca for
Seekers Of Wealth.
Pipeline Proposed

A special to the st. Louis Globe
Democrat from Dolores, says:
Results OF the development OF the
new oil fields along the San Juan river
in southwestern Colorado and south
eastern Utah are so encouraging that
this district is rapidly becoming big
commercial proposition, alrady rank
ing as the greatest oil-producing sec
tion in the Rocky Mountain region.
1t has every prospect OF expanding into
one of the chief districts of the United
States. There Is n great rush of pros
pectlng outfits and oil experts into
the district. and a continuous string
OF welldrilling machinery en- route.
while derricks are rising in great num-
bers.
The discoveries SO far made dem
onstrate the existence OF an oil-pro-
ducing area 100 miles long and about
fifty miles wide. two-thirds OF the
area being In San Juan county. Utah,
and the remainder In Montezuma coun-
ty. Colo. At present the most accessi-
is by way of Dolores and other points
on the Flo Grande Southern railway
in Colorado. while the center OF &C
tivity seems to be Bluff City. Utah.
near the Colorado state line.
Camp Fires from OIL.
while the existence OF oil In this To-
cality has been known for many years.
II was only recently that any great
amount OF interest was manifested.
the inaccessibillty OF the region hay
ing heretofore been It's greatest and
only drawback. 1t is authentically re-
ported that prospectors thirty years
ago made camp fires with the oil ooz-
| ing out OF the oil-saturnted shale. and
the early settlers lighted their houses
with the oil and natural gas found
on their ranches Many locations
were made years ago. but nearly all
have been surrendered because OF the
slow opening OF the country and the
tremendous cost Of development with.
out railroads or other facilities.
THE success attending the develop
ments OF the last few years has been
phenomenal, and 1t is reliably reported
that with few exceptions the prospect
ing outfits have all encountered the
oil-bearing sands at moderate depths,
many yielding excellent flows Of oil.
A dozen wells already are producing
good quantity OF high-grade petro-
leum, while scores Of others are just
at the point Of producing. the discov-
cries having been made and in many
cases regular flows opened up. The
daily output now is In excess Of 5000
barrels.
May Build Pipe Line.
80 important ls the district consid-
cred that Utah and California capi-
talists and oil operators. headed by
w. p Dancer OF Salt Lake City. have
Investigated the feasibility OF con-
structing pipe line to either Salt
Lake City or Gallup. N. NJ. at one OF
which points a large oil refinery will
be established. The air line distance
to Salt Lake City Is 300 miles and to
Gallup $50 miles. 1t is believed that
the plant will be built at the latter
point.
"Mr. Dancer. while In the district.
purchased outright 800 acres OF prom
ising ground and took lease on $40
acres additional. which will be &C
tively developed without delay. The
work will be under the management Of
F. V. Bodfish. a Cripple Creek mine
operator. Mr.. Dancer recently sold
three and half sections to California
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