The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-01
More Than an Oil DrilIer

NAOh> iiai Vii DIllltT
George Osborne is an oil driller He's
more than that-he's a man. And he's
a man whose belief in Alabama and the
birmingham district is part of him.
lie knows something about oil pros
pecting. He's done it all his life. His
father was a driller before him and his
three sons are now in the business
themselves. Three generations, and the
second one, combining at present all
the craft and skill of the other two
believes there is oil in the Birmingham
district
And Osborne is one of those men
VINO when they believe a thing do more
than talk about it. That's why he's
out in the wilds of the north Alabama
mining country today with one helper
and negro cook for his companions.
pounding, pounding, pounding, pound
ing. The hole where he is pounding is
now down in the earth practically a
distance of two Birmingham city
blocks. AT its mouth every day stands
Osborne pounding, pounding, pound
ing, and away dow min the earth be-
meath him the bottom of the hole is
slowly but surely retreating away from
him.
George Osborne is a citizen of Fay-
ette He is the man who first found
gas in the Fayette oil fields and he
himself drilled nearly all of the sue
cessful gas wells at that place He has
drilled for oil and gas in the great
fields of Pennsylvania, Ohio. Indiana
and Texas. At the present time he has
an opportunity to be working in Louis
lana and Texas. but he preferred to
stake his chances on Alabama.
How He Became Interested
Mr.. Osbornes attention was first
called to the oil prospects of the Bir-
mingham district by j. C. Finch. geol-
cglst or the Tennessee Coal Iron and
Itailroad company, who with EIwell
Eastman, one of the best known geol-
ogists and mineralogists in the state.
had Investigated the geologic forma
tions of the district, had arrived at the
conclusion that from these scientific
investigations there was oil here and
mad formed corporation to find it. All
they needed when George Osborne pre-
sented himself on the scene was a drill
er A few moments explanation of their
idea to Mr.. Osborne and that gentle
man gave up his job in Texas took
stock in the corporation MIR. Finch and
Mr.. Eastman had formed and caught
the next train for Bryan station
Bryan station is on the Southern
railway almost on the boundary line
between jefferson and Walker coun-
ties, about 20 miles northwest of Bir-
Aiiht,i mere is loCdleu JneFp a.
railway station and one house About
| a mile north of the station, out through
the pine forest, is where Osborne and
his crew of two are at work There 8
10 one to stand about and applaud
Visitors to the place are few. Most of
| those who do come are the hardy noun
| taineers who look upon the operation
with comprehension as small as their
wonder is large.
Mr.. Finch, Mr.. Eastman, and a few
others get out to see him occasionally
These three and a few others who are
interested in the undertaking lend en-
couragement to ach other once in
most actively engaged, They are men
with vision. They believe there Is
an oil reservoir in the bowels of the
earth in this district that If once To-
Gated will Immediately take rank with
the great iron ore and coal deposits
which have already been found here
In some of their more enthusiastic mo-
ments they aver their belief that the
iron and coal of the Birmingham dis
trict will fade into insignificance when
they succeed in locating this oil.
Basis of Arguments
technical presentation of the ar
guments which have induced these
men to believe there is an oil reser-
voir in the Birmingham district would
be of little interest to the general pub
lie They have based their claims, how
ever. on the geological reports of the
state and federal geologists and min
eralogists. These reports locate what
has been called the fSequatchie anti
cline" the greatest anticline in the
world, which extends from Tuscaloosa
up through Alabama and the states of
Tennessee and Kentucky with but
few breaks in it's formation. 1t is ap-
proximately 80 miles wide. An "anti-
cline" in geology is an upheaval of
rock, its upper surface being convex.
in the 1equatchie anticlen is layer of
Trenton limestone--a formation which
has been the oil bearing rock in many
oil fields. This Trenton limestone in
Alabama, however. it Is believed has
aot undergone certain chemical trans
formations which it must undergo be-
fore its becomes porous and an oil res
ervoir.
Therefore. these men believe that by
crilling through the Trenton limestone
they Will tap the oil reservoir which
Is contained in the rock underneath.
This rock is the Knox dolomite which
Is porous and an oil reservoir. The
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