The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-03-11
PREDICTS OIL BOOM
Professor HaWOrth Says Big
Field Lies UndeVe.oped
Under the State.
PROSPECTORS GETTING BUSY
Promoters are Already Leasing Land
Nearly as Far North as the
Nebraska Line.

I Another oil boom is due in Kansas
according to Erasmus Haworth, pro
fessor of geology at the University OF
Kansas and formerly state geologist
He believes that there is a broad oil
belt extending north and south through
Kansas just west of the present South
east Kansas oil district After care
full and extensive investigation Pro-
fessor HawOrth says that the oil strip
probably extends through Butler,
Chase, Marion, Morris, Geary, Riley,
Wabaunsee, Pottawatomie and Mar
shall counties.
Oil and gas have already been
struck in the south portion of this
strip and promoters are leasing land
almost to the Nebraska line, accord
ing TO reports received by Professor
Haworth. Near Onaga, in Pottawato-
ME county, nearly ten thousand acres
have been leased.
! The prospect of new oil develop
ments has taken all of the graduate
students in geology from the Univer-
sity of Kansas. For the first time in
years no graduate students are study
| ing geology. All of them have left to
do prospecting for companies in the
new fields. One student was paid $3.50
a month from the start by an oil COM
pany. Professor Haworth has opened
a course in oil geology and fifteen stu
dents are specializing in this phase
of geology.
Start Oats Now-Farmers in Mont
gomery county have already started
oat sowing. This is a little early, but
they hope by early sowing to make the
oats crop counterbalance the expect
ed slump in wheat, which, the county
farm advised says, will not be more
than average. If it does that well.
x x x
Peach Failure in Kansas?-E. J.
Macy, county farm adviser of Mont
gomery county, has found that not all
the peach buds have been killed, as
was previously reported. Seedlings
have survived the severe winter
weather, but all budded peach buds
persisted.
Higher Wages for Workmen.-Em-
ployes Of the National Sash and Door
Company, operating a door plant and
window glass house at independence,
have received an announcement by
the company that beginning March Is
their wages will be increased 71z per
cent. The plant is running to capac-
ity day and night.
x x x
SaIina Hotel Burned.-Fire damaged
the Pacific Hotel at Salina recently.
1t was a 3-story frame structure and
for years was the leading hotel in
Central and Western Kansas. 1t was
at one time owned and conducted by
Mother" Bickerdyke, famous as
Civil War nurse.
Train Killed Section Hands. P.
Campbell of Elk Falls, a section hand |
on the Santa Fe, was struck by a pas
senger train and killed two miles east
Of Moline recently.
New High School at coIumbus-The
board of trustees of the Cherokee
county high school have agreed to re-
place the high school building which
burned February 13, with a semi-fire-
proof brick structure costing 100000
and engaged an architect to draw the
plans.
Robbed a Church.-A thief broke
into the First Baptist Church at Sa-
lima some time within the past few
days and stole the big church Bible
and several electric light globes.
Grief fastened Death-Mrs. Ella
Reaser, II years old, is dead at the
family home in New Cambria. Her
oldest son, o. VI. Reaser, died a week
ago and grief FASTENED her death.
The family was among the pioneer set
tiers in this part of the state.
x X
Pioneer Fatally Hurt. K. MELONS,
aged 20, pioneer farmer of Sedgwick
county, is reported to be dying il a
Wichita hospital as the result of a
collision with Rock Island passenger
train near Elbing. Melons was driv-
ing an automobile and did not hear the
train approach.
Community Day for Miners-The
miners Of Kansas viii have big COM
munity day at Pittsburg May II. VIII
liam B. Wilson, secretary Of labor,
and for many years a coal miner in
Pennsylvania, is expected to be- the
principal speaker.
Z X X
Boys Bands to contest--A contest
Of boys bands is a new feature which
viii be introduced for the first time in
Kansas during the festival week to be
held at Kansas Normal at Emporia in ,
April Contest Of glee clubs, choruses
and solos also viii be held.
\ =
StocE<men meet-The third annual
southeastern Kansas live stock con-
ference closed recently at Parsons
Il - =. Y