Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-11
MECklENbURG HITS OIL;
WELL O|GCERs IN GREASE
Oil Leaks Out on the Famous Old
Page Plantation. in the Roa-
nokc River Bottoms.
SOMEBODY NAY STRIFE 1T RICH
Mr.. Bracey. Digging n Well ON Banks
OF the Roanoke, STRIKES lie"
Some Other Experiences Called to
neutrality-suspicious. Welcomed.

LA CROSSE. VA. July lo--Is old
Virginia still richer NTH its under
ground wealth that has no, yct boon
brourh, to light? We know Of its old
time gold mines that once made Buck
inEham County famous. we know OF
the immense slate deposits that are vet
making that grand oil county famous:
VIC know OF the coal III the southwest
regions that is being brought to the
surface ana shipped TO all parts of the
earth We know If tn, lime deposits
that the state III it's governmental ca
pAcity is nov developing for the bene-
ut of the farmers: VIC know GOOD
deal about the manganese. but not AS
much as We ought To know: ". know
somewhat OF the iron ores that arc
under the ground, and No think We
know great deal about some other
hidden wealth that is under the ground
and only needs the touch Of the pickax.
the shovel and thc spade to turn them
into money, and now We are hearing Il
rood deal in this immediate section
ABOUT OIL is the hndersurfacc Of this
part OF Virginia rich IN petroleum:
Some of us in this corner Of old Neck
lenburE County arc beg inning To think
SO. and this writer wants to tell the
Industrial Section OF Tn, Times Dis
patch Why We think So
-sTRUCK lie" ct AFTER
OF CENTURY AGO
Twenty-Five. maybe thirty years. aeo
before the building ot tt Atlantic and
Danville Railroad through this i'm
mediate section, some prosroctors on tho
farm OF Dr.. T. r.. Smith found an oily
substance oozinR from tho ground.
have forgotten Just what they were
prospecting for ~ tho time. They may
have been looking for gold. or they may
have been just digging we'll but. he
that as II may. they had not duS very
TAR before they came in contact with an
oily substance. and great quantities or
this grease oozcd out from the earth
and good many farmers along the
Roanoke River sections cauRh, tho oily
stun, mixed. as il was. with the sand
AND heavier earth and used ii to n.
considerable extent To grease the nXles
or their wagons. and in this WAY il
came IN very handy, for in those DAYS
the people along tho Ronnoke River
bottoms had no railway facilities, and
oils and grease OF All Kinds were. scarce
and very costly
Then the two railwa! lines the At
!antic and Danvillc and the Scaboard
Mr. Line. came along. freightS were
'heapened and oils and Grcases came in
'heaH enough, and the people soon tor
got the oils substance that had been
"o1inS out from Mecklenburc Then.
100, the prospectors. who we're no,
looking for oil At all. failed TO hrd
What they were looking for and closed
up the holes they had made Nothing
more was thought OF the oil or grease
-heE had run into. but II has from time
10 time been observed that an oil OF
some Kind mas " way Of oozing on; of
the ground floating on on the waters
81 the creeks and branches and ind
inT it's way into the muddy nuid Of tho
Roanoke River.
REMINDED or THINGS
FROM TIME TO TIME
Peopie hereabouts have paid very
ittle atention-io this. Two wears aoo
maFhe litllc .mor"or little less. the
industrial Section OF Tho Timcs-Dis-
patch had good deal TO say about
the discovery OF oil i'm Nottowav
county near Surkevil!e. and Of tho
raiiure OF the people there to take adj
NhhtaKe OF the good work OF som, pros
peotors who came there from Fem
sElHania 10 look into the matter 4,
inc time this caused the people who
s' around the country grocery on Sal
u'ohEs ana som" Other days to call 10
IN Me'kieneurI County. and
~, "en' $" tar as TO study the map
una niue h'i and wonder II
"ieh' not he an underground
s.'eRm or wave Of oil cutting across
virginia. these outcroppinss here i'm
MeeKienbure County hcinc OF the same
= vein as ,hhi OF Nottoway County. And
. We, ], VAS All corner grocery talk. for
hobodN Was prepared 10 ,ns, the ma,