The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-06-30
GEOLOGIST TO INVESTIGATE
DEPOSIT OF FERTILIZER

Norman, Okla, June 23.-Has Okla
homa untold wealth of valuable fer
Itilizer lying beneath the surface. That
lis what the authorities are trying to
find out. The Oklahoma geological
Isurvey at Norman, the Oklahoma state
board of agriculture and the United
States geological survey are co-operat-
ling in the endeayor to find deposits of
potash or other fertilizing salts in
western Oklahoma.
1t is we'll known that potash is one
lof the most valuable fertilizers known
Ito man. It has been used for gener-
ations in both Europe and America to
lrestore worn out soils. The worlds
lsupply of fertilizers comes from GER
ltain deep mines in Germany, where
this material was discovered in drill
ling for salt. This German potash is
fused in all the countries of Europe
land much of it is sent to America.
| The authorities at Washington have
lfor some time been endeavoring to
find out where in the United States
deposits of potash were located. The
last congress made an appropriation
flor research along this line and the
work was placed under the direction Of
the United States geological survey.
IAaaA,Itro 1 fA hn hill oil roCnornh
work must be upon public land. The
ldirector of the United States has or
Iganized several parties that will work
this year in California, Nevada, and
IArizona. A number of deep wells will
lbe drilled in old lake beds in these
states and the drillings at various
Idepth will be analyzed in the endea-
vor to find potash.
Prof. Gould of the Oklahoma geolog-
Iical survey, having learned of this,
Iendeavored to persuade the federal
authorities to spend some of the money
lin Oklahoma, but was unable to do so
because of the fact that there is no
Ipublic land in this state
1t will be remembered that last
Iyear the legislature appropriated $45,-
100000 for drilling nine wells in Cim-
larron, Texas, and Beaver counties in
IOklahoma in an attempt to find arte-
Isian water. This work was placed un-
ider direction of the state board of ag-
Iriculture. The board has contracted
with drillers to put down four wells
lin Texas, three in Cimarron and two
in Beaver counties.
When Prof. Gould found that the
government would not spend any
money in drilling in Oklahoma, he
took up with the federal survey the
matter of securing the information
lfrom the wells which the state is to
drill, and has arranged to have sam
lples collected from these wells. That
lis, the federal survey and the Okla
lhoma survey will cooperate in paying
1.-THE expenses of man to collect these
samples Mr.. Chas. R. Eckes, grad
luate in geology at Oklahoma univer-
sity has been assigned this work and
INSTRUCTED to report at Hooker Okla,
where the first well is being drilled.
HE will collect samples of the drillings
from every few feet. These samples
will be sealed in air tight bottles and
taken to chemical laboratories and
analyzed. 1t is hoped that some of
them will show potash or other fer
tilizing salts.
When asked regarding the probabil-
Iity of these things being found in the
Panhandle, Prof. Gould said:
"I consider the chance for finding
potash fairly good. In Germany and
IOther places in the world where pot
ash salts occur they are generally
found in connection with dolomite,
gypsum and common salt All of these
minerals occur in western Oklahoma
The Gypsum Hills which outerop along
the Cimarron river in Woodward and
Harper counties, contain great ledges
of gypsum and many beds of salts
and dolomite. These formations pass
under the surface and should be en-
countered in the wells which are being
drilled in the Panhandle counties. II
! is true that heretofore very little pot
ash has been found in Oklahoma, but
this. Of itself is no particular reason
why these deposits might not occur in
deep wells.
At any rate I agree with the direc
tor of the federal survey that we will
be justified in paying the expenses OF
man to collect samples and of having
analysis made in order to ascertain
} whether or not these salts occur. II
| nothing is found the state is out few
hundred dollars. If the salt is found
Oklahoma will have added millions OF
dollars to its wealth"