The Glenwood post., 1918-04-20

had any greater opportunity or more
responsibility thrust upon him in shap-
ing the future welfare of his own home
county than l probably have resting
upon me at this time, as regards the
future wealth and development of this
county. | refer to the possibilities Of
the oil shale deposits in this county. |
While many of us have been travelling
up and lown the Grand river from here
to Grand Junction for thirty five years
we have never realized until Just re-
Gently that nature has lavished upon
lis one OF her richest and choicest
gifts. DO you know that today the use
of oil is becoming universal? 1t is |
being applied in thousands of new di.
rections. Railroads are changing from
the use of coal to the use of oil; the
American navy and all other navies Of
the world, as fast as they possibly can,
are changing from. the use of coal to
the use of oil, and the millions of aero
planes that are just beginning to be
built in large numbers, must all use
oil. 1t seems as though we are almost
coming to an oil and electrical age.
By strange perversity of nature our
oil wells are commencing rapidly to
diminish. The actual and imperative
demands for the use of oil in this
country this year will be fifty million
barrels in excess of all our possible
sources of supply. And if our supply
from Mexico is cut eff, and it is seri-
ously threatened, our shortage will be
at least eighty million barrels this
year. Just at this psychological time in
our country's history we have discov-
cred that an all wise Providence has
provided and stored in our own home
county sufficient oil to supply ths
world if necessary for generations to
come. And while it is going to take
time, unfortunately longer than we re.
alize, and going to cost much more
than we realize to successfully handle
the oil shale industry, yet if 1 can pre-
vent adverse legislation by congress,
with which we are now very seriously |
threatened, and can, as 1 am very
earnestly trying to do, prevail upon
congress and the administration TO
adopt a fair, liberal and workable poll
cy towards the opening up and devel-
opment of these oil shales, Garfield
county will, aside from the big city
counties, be actually the richest county
between the Mississippi river and tue
Pacific ocean. Upon my request State
Geologist Russell D. George and n
number of other prominent citizens OF
our state came to Washington, and l
secured for them very exhaustive
hearing before the public lands commit
tee, of which ! am vice chairman.
the facts they disclose will be revc-
lation to the entire country. All of
you should read those hearings as
matter of county pride. But even
though we may be confronted with some
temporary obstacles, it will be only q
question of a very short time until
Garfield county will rival the rich oil
fields of Oklahoma, California and Wy
oming, and this county will be the cen
ter and richest community of the entire
west, because our supply will continae
for generations after theirs is all ex
hausted. And if I can aid in some
slight way in bringing about that mar
velous development, it will be one of
the proudest acts of all my efforts IN
behalf of Garfield county during the
past thirty years.
Garfield county's commercial asso-
citation of boosters several years ago,
at Rifle adopted the motto of "Grin
and Go To It:' and if the future in
habitants of this county follow that
sentiment with the same activity, cour
age and determination that this gener
alton has done there will be no limit to
the development and the wealth of our
splendid home county.