Mohave County miner., 1917-02-03
K|NGMAN MEN
FAIL To FIND
OIL STRIKE
IFrOm Tuesdays Daily MInsrI

letter days for the practical jokers or
consummate liars of Oatman and Je-
rome. As to whether the hoax origi-
mated in Oatman or Jerome is hard
to determine. However, a number Of
Oatman men who were taken in and
mulcted of few dollars are anxious
to run down the real perpetrators Of
the so-called coil boom" which was re-
ported at Seigman or jerome juno
ton.
1t seems that a number Of oatman
men received advice a week or two
ago that a well being drilled in the
Chino valley about II miles from Sc
ligman, had struck oil sand and were
advised to watch out for a genuine oil
boom. Last week a letter was re-
ceived and exhibited to oatman min
ing men which stated that the drill
hole had filled with oil and to get
busy with locations, as a great oil dis
trict had been discovered, and the rush
was on.
On the strength Of the letters which
were sent from Jerome, several bust
ness men Of Oatman were induced to
part with $3.50 to $500 or more
each in making up location expense
money or grubstakers. Last Thursday
night 80 or 40 men left oatman for
the supposed oil fields. The majority
Of them travelled via Kingman by
train and several automobiles started
on the overland trek. As the hours
wore on and the news Of the strike
spread, the story became enlarged to
great proportions and from oil indica-
tons the well grew to a gusher Of a
flow that covered the ground in all
directions.
Hearing that a number Of Oatman
men had passed through Kingman on
the way to the oil fields (?) number
of Kingman men tried to run the story
down and not being able TO get any
information on the subject from Sc
lgman, figured that there must either
be some truth in it or that it was a
fake, pure and simple. In order to as
certain the truth Of the reports and if
based on facts to participate in loca-
ton Of claims, party composed Of
Charles Granger, C. N. Nickel, D. N.
Stewart, Ray Brundage and E. A.
Cooke left in Mr.. Brundage's King
Eight" Friday afternoon for Chino
valley.
The trip promised to be a good one
and from Kingman to blackberry the
road was excellent and the time con-
sumed was but SIS minutes. After that
point was passed the going also prom
ised to be good and the time set for
arrival at Seligman was three and
one-half hours running time. How
ever, before Peach Springs was reach
ed heavy snow was encountered, as
well as mud and slush, which grew
heavier with every foot Of the road.
Just this side Of Peach Springs two Of
the Oatman machines were found
stalled in the road and the parties hud-
died about a bonfire trying to keep
warm. The King Eight" sped on,
bucking the snow in a fashion that told
Of the immense power contained with
in the giant motor. A few miles east
Of Nelson and about o'clock in the
evening Andy Frazier Of blackberry
and another man were met walking to-
ward Nelson. They said that they had
started for the oil strike and left their
car about six miles further on with a
broken differential in a snow drift
and they did not think that the King
Eight" could pass around their car
even, so bad was the road and the
snow drifts.
Despite the discouraging road con-
ditions, the King Eight" made the
trip through heavy snow, crust and
slush, covered with ice coatings from
two to four inches on wheels and fen
ders, and aside from little tire trou-
bic, arrived at Seligman- Its occu-
pants found, they say, the entire prop
osition a fake and that nothing in the
nature Of oil had been discovered in
the Chino valley, either near Sehg-
man or Jerome Junction, as reported.
The only car beside the King Eight"
to finish the trip to Seligman was a
REQ "Six," driven by T. G. Rainey Of
Needles, who was accompanied by two
Oatman men. They took the train to
Jerome Junction, leaving Mr.. Rainey