The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-12
hiid.Continent-

Penn. ------ 400 Somerset ---- 2.55
Cabeu - 2.73 Ragland ----- 1.2O
Corning 49, 2SO In5'los IL'51'oS 1oS
North Lima 20S Princeton PIP
South Lima 2OS Plymouth ---- 2.O3
PetrolA (Canadian) ------------- 2.48
independence Wan) Reporter: The
purchase by the Prairie OH and Gas
Company Of a half interest in $4,000
acres of fee and 1000 barrels oil pro
duction in Eastland Palo Pinto and
Barber counties in Texas, from the
Texas and Pacific Coal Company for a
consideration said to range all the way
from $6,OOOOO0 to Sl0,0OOO00 is easily
the outstanding feature of the past
month in oil circles in the Southwest
The fact of the sale has been semi
officially confirmed.
For long, long time, Standard sub
sdiarics have been having a hard time
in Texas. The Magnolia Petroleum
Company is at this time operated by a
trustee appointed by the state so far
as voting the stock is concerned. The
estate of John j. Archbold, which owns
majority of the stock, votes nothing
and so with other stockholders. For
this reason the Prairie oil and Gas Com
pany, the Carter Oil Company, ant
other Standard subsidiaries have stayed
out Of Texas. But the purchase by the
Prairie and the payment Of the money
shows that there has come a day when
the Standard subsidiaries believe that
in Al
demonstrates that they are willing to
take a chance, and that is something
that has not happened for many a day
in the oil country of the Lone Star
state.
The same authority which confirms
the sale of the Texas and Pacific Coa'
Company interest to the Prairie Oil and
Gas Company, announces that the ter
ritory will be thoroughly developed at
once. I'VE believe" said a minor Off
cial of the company, that somewhere
in the latitude covered by the holdings
of the Texas and Pacific Coal Company
there is an oil pool as prolific as that
at Beaumont. According to the re-
ports of men who should know all about
il, the portion of Texas between Cisco
and Weatherford, east and west, and
Jacksboro and Brentwood north and
south, is going to be the territory from
which we will get our future supplies
OF oil. This is just a surmise, but II
is not a surmse that the whole area
just mentioned is going to be thor
oughly tested within the next year, so
that within twelve months we will def
nitely know something. In the mean.
time don't be surprised at anything that
happens"
Ii is reported on reliable authority
that p. ]. White of New York has also
acquired a large acreage in the neigh
lborhood Of Eastand and Ranger
amounting to something like $1,000
acres and proposes to start several
strings Of tools at once. IL is also
stated that the Producers Oil Company
which owns a large acreage west Of the
Texas and Pacific Coal Company's
holdings, is getting right in the game
and is looking for territory in Palo
Pinto, Parker, Eastand and Erath coun.
ties.
One Of the attractive features Of deal.
ing in land in the section mentioned is
that the transactions are all for fec.
And there is no question of depart
mental approval 1T is state patented
land, granted the Texas and Pacific
Railroad in aid Of the construction of
the line to FL PasO from TeNarkaua
and there is just one transfer between
the state and the present owner. The
confirmation Of the sale Of the half in.
terest to the Prairie Oil and Gas Com.
pany has had the effect of running q
whole host of oil people from oklahoma
to all Of the towns within the territory
covered by the acreage.
Shelby Downward of this city has an
experimental refining plant Of so ban.
rels capacity at the Downward asphalt
mines, three and one.half miles south.
west of Ardmore The plant was built
for synthetic treatment Of the Wheeler
oils to produce asphalt At present the
expense Of transporting the OH from
the Wheeler field to this city is pro.
hbitive for the purposes designed boy
Mr.. Downward when considered from a
commercial point Of view.
When asked if the Wheeler oil was
superior in any way to other oils Mr.
Downward said The Wheeler oil pro
duces the highest grade Of asphalt to
be found anywhere. Asphalt is hydro
carbon, and by adding hydrogen or oxy.
gen it can be made into different de.
grees Of hardness. l have experimental
in producing gilsonite or hard asphalt
for varnishes and rubber substitutes
and l find these products when made
from the Wheeler oil will command
prices equal to the asphalt products of
Syria and Egypt which bring upward
Of $50 a ton. The softer asphalts Of
III Wheeler production have great &C.
mentitlous properties which admirably
fit il for road building"
Shelby Downward, after graduating in
chemistry at the University of Nchi.
gan, went to Kansas City, Mo-, and
sometime in the year 1900 he was sent
to Ardmore by Kansas City parties to
investigate the asphalt deposits near
Elk (now Poolevile), in the northern
part of Carter County. He became In.
terested in asphalt on his own account,
and has made Ardmore his home from
the date Of his first visit here, in 1900.
and asphalt in its various forms and
conditions has been his hobby and his
business.
AS a result of Mr.. Downard's initial
trip from Kansas City to Ardmore
Kansas City now has twenty-five lilies
of streets paved with Carter County