The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1917-01-26
THE Great OIL field
IN ESTILL COUNTY
MOST REMARKABLE SHALLOW
DEPOSIT OF OIL EVER DIS.
COVERED.

The following interesting article COW
ering in general may the great oil
field OF Estill-co. is from the pen of a
special correspondent OF the Courier
Journal;
Irvine KY. Jan. 13.-Unwittingly the
early mountaineer who put the still
IN Estill-co., KY. overlooked q bet. AS
he stirred corn mash In the moonlight,
he little dreamed there was beneath
his retreat in the foothills enough PEE
troleum 10 convert the worlds into a
ball Of flame.
Forgotten now the lure OF his white
lightning" for there is flowing daily
from the+Shillsides surrounding this
historic little town thousands OF gall
Ions OF crude ola 'black lightning
with 'ldck" sufficient to drive motor
lars throughout the length and breadth
of the continent.
Estili-co., OF which this booming
town is the hub. leaped into the hall OF
commercial fame during the year Just
ended In the nearby steep hills and
picturesque valleys. men have found a
new FL Dorado, Mountaineers OF this
county who could boast year ago OF
naught save n few wooded acres,
couple OF goats and dozen or more
children now have bank accounts rum
ming into six figures oil operators
lured TO this section when reports OF
the Irvine oil pool leaked out have
developed tho field sufficiently to know
they are working in one OF the great
est shallow sand oil fields In the world.
In the inner offices OF Wall street
kings OF finance, New Workers., are
talking OF the Irvine oil field. On the
curb they are Offering and selling stock
IN companies organized during the past
ak months TO collect from mother earth
the only treasure she has secreted In
n reservoir OF limestone beneath Estill
and adjoining counties of Eastern Ken
tucky. The market value OF wells al
ready developed has lod to coinage OF
TstiIl countys title, "the nifty million
dollar oil feld"
IL is all n question OF development
as TO how soon and how rapidly the
oil An this field will be converted into
money. nay operators here. Already
The county Ia as well drilled as a bat
talon OF West Point cadets In Esuii
county alone there were completed last
vear more than 500 wells and In 30 per
cent. OF them "pay sand" was struck
The Cumberland Pipe Line company a
branch organization OF the standard
OIL company. has put down TWO OH
mains leading from the Irvine Held TO
reflneries In Pennsylvania But these
mains, taxed 10 capacity, are able 70
take only about 10000 barrels OF cruoe
oil a week from the field.
Thirty thousand barrels week ana
the wells in the hills about here bup-
bling production approximauns loo,-
mo barreial And each barrel worm
1918 per-is Il any wonder the OIL op.
erators and simple mountain toK Oh
EstiIl county are excited?
There are several things needed TOT
further and better progress In the ir-
vine field, however. according 10 OIL OPP
orators and business men OF the town
Either n convenient refinery or more
pipo lines are needed. they say, TO take
care of the production already develop
cd. Allied with this need. there are Al
so urgent hopes OF ''nayigable' roads
IN Fstill county and more mnchlnery
for further development OF the heiu,
Akin TO the commercial phase or the
nav oil field, which has come as an :
other Indication OF tho almost limit
iaaa wealth OF Eastern Kontuckys ma
"a
tural resources, Is tho story OF what =.
ALI means and has meant to Esuil-c co.
Irvine has withstood the shock OF uh-
expected wealth remarkably We'll Inc
town IA not the least "puffed up at tne
nrominence Il suddenly has achieveu'
the aasiduous court paid her during
the mast year by oil operators ana m
voatora has served In no measure 10
turn TO Indifference the native nosp,-
tality OF the people. They hguratiVeiy
hive opened UP their arms ana WEI
coined the oil experts. attracted 10 hs,
iii county from all corners OF the ma
ton. h.
AZ quietly and serenely as ever bus
,naas In the little town continues on
DO merry way. II IL true the popun.-
tIon OF tho town has grown during .,,e
rast vear from about 75O to nearly
900 persons Building develop'hei'
has about kept pace with the increas'
N population, but the town Is ~ no
.anae of the word mushroom city,
scarcalv n trace OF the "boom, ana
..rusb" elements Ia to be found. Prices
have Increased only In Keeping WIN
tha advance In other sections Oh tne
country. The good people OF the coun-
A., aeern not at all greedy hhey naNe
made no effort to gouge persons WIZ
have come here to share In the NO"
wealth. aas-
probably this is due in large meas
ure TO the fact the native residents ~
themselves getting large slices OF 'ne y
on melon that is being divided -
coraeryatively estimated by ioca'
banker that 200 farmers OF this county
Who until a year ago were very poor,
are to-day enjoying all royal1ies Oa eNN
a,'so,,nt,nr az to from $4,000 to 100000
as the individual cases may De- Inese
sarmers ~ too, have expended not one
nickel IN money and not one ounce IN
assort--the chance has been taken On, .,
s,.o,v sno bv outside operators who backed
.hs,, labor and their dollars agains,
the % oil possibilities under the iarine,s l'','
roc,ey roc acres. It is these operstors a wnu
navs fo1n, taken the chance and Il Is they 2
rho Who arc reapins the bulk OF the mar
vest. ,-,ane,a popuiation
has been gradual during tho pass soA1