The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1914-03-03
FLKO SHALF RICH
IN PETROLEUM

Did you ever see two dogs battling
for the same bonef
Within the next six or seven weeks
the shale beds of Elko promise to be
the greatest bone fought for by the
financial gods in years and Elko Is
going to be the battle-ground.
Judging from surface indications
and the statements given out by both
sides, the scramble for the shale prop
erty will be lively one, and the
building of one and possibly two he
fneries will be accomplished with the
greatest rapidity.
For forty years there has been just
talk and lots of it. But now the pro
iect is assured and means lot to
Elko. Many men will be employed
and by Christmas time Elko will look
like an old time bonanza mining
camp.
Elko's shale beds for years have
been known to contain valuable oil
proprities. There was much talk of
developing them, but nothing was
ever done up to about year ago.
Then two men with money grasped
the development idea at the same
time and since then things have been
humming to get on the ground first.
The net result of this secret activity
is Elko will have at least one, and
probably two great oil refneries.
One will be operated by r. M. Cat
lin of New Jersey and wealthy asso-
ciates. The other, if it pans out, and
there is every belief it will, is to be
financed by great French syndicate
through half a dozen New York mil
lionaires, headed by A. K Stallo,
who already has large financial hold
ings in Elko and Tuscarora.
There is the possibility of three
cornered fight, although the Free
Press was unable today to get facts
enough to justify the statement that
third company would come here into
the battle for the shale beds. But
one of Mr. Catlin's associates did tell
the Free Press that British people
had offered Catlin and his associates
$3.50 ton for all shale brought to a
mill which the Englishmen would
erect in Elko. Catlin had so much
faith in his own project that he turn
ed down the British offer cold. Wheth-
er the Englishmen will jump into this
known, but it is possible.
Mr.. Catlin has announced, it is said,
that he will build a big refinery in
Elko and have it going early in the
fall. That much is definitely settled.
What the refinery will cost is merely
conjecture as no official statement was
forthcoming. 1t was said that some
years ago a small refinery was plan
ned and the estimated cost then was
100000. So if small refinery costs
100000 it is reasonable to suppose
that big refinery such as Catlin de-
clares he will build will cost in the
neighborhood of $250,0O0. 1t is fur
ther said that Catlin hopes to put
about $500,000 into his Elko venture,
so that the supposition of $250,000
refinery would be conservative esti-
mate.
The shale beds have been prospect
ed up and down the Humboldt river
from a point a mile and quarter
down the river to point twelve miles
up the river the other way. Mr.. Cat
Inns company has 2S0 acres optioned
and the French syndicate through Mr..
Stallo has 1880 acres located The
exact depth of the shale beds are un-
known and shafts will have to be
sunk to determine their depth. All
that is known now is from the out
groupings.
Both companies have experts from
Scotland ON the way to Elko. When
Catlin IS man will arrive is not known,
but the French syndicate's man is
due here April 1st.
Last fall 545 pounds of the Elko
shale was shipped to Stallo in New
York and the most minute analysis
made. 1t showed very rich oil values.
Some of the shale was shipped to
Scotland and it was said to be much
richer than that found in Scotland.
Not much is known at precent in
Elko of the plans or intentions of the
British syndicate which may possibly
become a third factor in the Elko
field, but it is believed that David r.
Day, former chief of the United
States Geological Survey, is identi-
fed with the Englishmen.-Elko Free
Press.