The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-02-25
OIL WELL
STILL A
BAFFLER

" - - - -
Maybe there was oil in the
{. Crescent well.
Maybe there is oil in the Cres-
cent well.
Maybe the promoters will bring
It to the surface.
but
Emery G. Williamson's hole in
the ground near Tenino Is today
just as much of u mystery as
ever.
A visit to the well yesterday
didn't reveal anything new 10
those who own stock in the con-
Germ or to those trying TO "get
the right DOPE on the oil situa-
ton In Washington state.
The inspection of the Crescent
and Scatter Greek wells OCCASION
ed both disappointment and n
surprise.
The Crescent was the dis
appointment. Visitors were per-
mitted to parade single file
through narrow opening in the
15-foot barbed wire entangle-
ments which surround the "hole
OF mystery" Inside the enclos-
ure little was to be learned.
The drill was not in operation.
1t was not in the hole. The top
of the four-inch casing was plug
ged. The men at the well were
busy fixing teh derrick" which
had been Jared loose during re-
cent work in strengthening the
hole.
3catter Creek Surprise.
The Scatter Crek was the sur
prise to the visitors. An uj-to-
date outfit is drilling away night
and day at that location. Tue
deep thug. thug" of the two-tol
drill as 1t pounded through a blue
shale formation was cheering
sound to the inspection squad.
Bailers brought from a 200
foot depth showed oil in the wat
er. While experts do not consid-
er this startling information they
say that 1t is an encouraging sign.
Heralded as discovery"
The Crescent has been heralded
as the discovery we'll" 1t was
the cause of wild excitement last
November, when thousands of
dollars went for stock, after EN-
cry G. Williamson told the exult-
ant crowd at the Opening" I'VE
have oil and lots of it."
There are many points to the
Crescent mystery which Emery
Williamson failed to explain, chief
among these being the disappear
ance Of Drillers M. j. MCGOWAN
and Frank Horne, who left the
Crescent hastily some time after
the opening" They were also
officers in the Crescent Drillers
company, which was sidetracked
after their departure. 1t was re-
vived Sunday by Williamson, who
is again asking the small buyer to
come with him.
Ridicules Pikers.
During the excitement period
many stockholders could have
turned their certificates at a
profit. Williamson advised them
not to be pikers. He is strong on
the two words ''pikers" and
knockers"
MCGOWAN and Horne left the
we'll after two or three sections of
casing had been badly jammed in
the hole. There Ii no doubt
about the tanning" Visitors
yesterday saw one section of pipe
that was twisted its entire length.
Howard Slocum, who with d. e.
Altman is now taking care of the
drilling work on the Scatter
Creek, took over the task of saw
ing the hole. He did so, and ac-
c5mplisbed what Oil men consider
next to impossible. He brought
out the crooked casing and had a
straight hole two weeks ago.
Should BE Down Now.
At that time it was reported
that the drill was within 1873 feet
of the original bottom. Oil ex-
perts said the well could be
brought in within two days time.
At that juncture Williamson or
dered Slocum off the job, shut
down the works, went to Seattle
and sold control to syndicate.
Since then an announcement
was made that drilling was going
on at the Crescent day and night.
Oil men say so feet a 24-hour
shift is not unusual. With only
I3s feet to go. 1t would seem to
the uninitiated that the bottom
should have been reached by this
time.
Yet there was no official ex-
PLANTATION OF what's doing by any
of the officials of the company.
Stockholders are growing rest
less under the strain. 1t Is 9
common rumor that q movement
4 ID on foot TO force the Crescent
men and Williamson % give some
real Information on sthe Silent
-.