Arizona republican., 1913-11-25
IF O|L
 AT ROOSEVELT
The Veteran Colonel James A. Fleming in Charge of Operations Which He Be lieves Will Result in Important Discovery

Colonel James A. Fleming of Globe arrived in the city on Sunday night by automobile. Speaking of mining operations in the vicinity of Globe. he said that the Irene mine in which he is interested. is developing and that he feels assured that not only is it going to turn out to be a great mine, but it is being proved that the mineral wealh of that region is ! widening far below the surface. The water level has not yet been reached on the Irene.
 The mineral history of Butte, said Colonel Fleming is being repeated at Globe. At one time the Anaconda was believed to be the only mine at Butte, but it widened over an area of ten miles The workings of the Old Dominion have been carried 1900 feet west of the main shaft in the direction of Miami and at a depth of 1900 feet are in twelve feet of 15 Fer cent ole. In the opinion of Colo nel Fleming the whole country be- tween that and Miami will be found to be underlaid with ore.
 But just now, Colonel Fleming is more deeply interested in oil opera tions at Roosevelt than in mining. oil development is the real business of Colonel Fleming, and he has been engaged in it from. bOyhood. His first experience was in the Pennsyl- vania field and later in the Mid continent. By the way. he was the inventor. at the age of twenty one, Of oil drilling machinery which is yet ill use.
 Colonel Fleming has strong faith in the future of operations at Roose- welt The ground lies in the angle between the Salt river and Tonto creek over what was an old lake. A geological survey of the country which Colonel Fleming has made, in dicates that at a depth of 1900 feet, 1000 of which will be through the bed of the old lake, the shell which contains the oil will be found. In all his experience he said he had never seen more promising signs of oil The indications are that oil, with a paraffine base will be dis covered.
 On the subject of oil exploration. Colonel Fleming said that much money and time had been wasted by uoople who do not know that oil is found only ;n well defined belts run hing through the country. In this country outside of the California field there are three such belts. The Pennsylvania belt, extending from the southern boundary of New York runs into Tennessee a distance of 1000 miles bearing away from a north and south direction at an angle of thirty five degrees. The Mid Continent runs from the neighborhoOd of Kansas City through the Beaumont, Tex, al most parallel with the Pennsylvania belt The third belt runs from Wyo- ming in southwestern direction, west of Gallup through Arizona, fol- lowing from Roosevelt, the general direction of the Roosevelt road as long as it bears to the southwest. These belts are comparatively mar row, in some places not more than 100 feet in width. Outside of them oil is never found.
 Twenty eight years ago Colonel Fleming investigated the Wyoming field for the Union Pacific Railroad and he directed the plant where op- erations should be conducted. Sev- eral years later the company began operations at that plant with the re- suit that oil was discovered in con- siderable quantity.
 The machinery is on the ground at Roosevelt and drilling will be be- gun shortly.