Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-13
OIL BOOM IS
ON AT MlNOT,
SAYS MILLOY
Minot Concern Has Devel.
oped Oil Wells on Blum
Ranch Near Des Laos.
Have Sunk Several Wells at
Depth Of 400 Feet and
Found White Oil.

Within the next hundred days Mi
not and that section Of North Dakota
will be the scene of one Of the great
est oil booms this country has ever
witnessed. is the assertion made by
Jas. s.. Milloy, Minot newspaper man,
who In in the city attending the an
nual meeting of the North Dakota
smile and optimistic reports on bust
ness conditions in that section Of the
tate. The information, made known to
fellow newspapermen by the Minot
pen pusher is the first concerning the
extensive oil operations in the Minot
district as planned by several leading
oil companies. 1t comes as welcome
news to many Grand Forks residents
who have interests in the Ignite coal
areas Of northwest North Dakota:
THE st~ereotyped question, 'How's
the crops has been dropped in Mi
not" Mr.. Milloy declares, and the u.s.
ual greeting now is what do you
think Of the oil prospects," A week
ago the city's greatest was
the failure of the weather man to send
along a timely rain. Today everyone
is talking oil. Crop conditions are
getting secondary consideration. It is
oil talk everywhere. I have visited the
land where the drilling operations are
opO0I ~ OS6A1lS LII "AAds 1 6dW L1AVIO
together with a general knowledge of
how business conditions have improv-
ed. leads me to believe a great oil
boom is in the budding. Some oil en-
thusiasts are declaring Minot will
have a population of $4,000 by Christ
mas. I wouldn't Ear to make any
such assertion but I can safely state
things are commencing to hum in Mi
not"
The oil fever, MI. Milloy declares.
struck Minot all of q sudden. For sev-
eral months the Des Laos Western Oil
company, formed by Minot business
men and farmers of that district, has
been developing oil wells on the Blum
ranch near Des Las, about II miles
from Minot. This company has been
working quietly, making no effort to
boost stock sales and selling just
enough to operating expenses
and cost Of leases. It was known for
some time hat prices Of leases were
side capital was becoming interested.
This s%upposition was substantiated the
latter part of last week when b. III.
Mason dropped into Minot and opened
up offices of h Mason & Company,
which has offices In Pittsburgh, Chi.
cago and Tulsa, Okla Citizens who
had not given the work Of the, DEF
Laos western OIL company much on
sheraton commenced inquiring.s They
learned this company had leases on
10000 acres OF land and large tracts
have been leased by other oil COM
panies. This information soon spread
in Minot and the first evidence of an
oil boom was a boost-of from rs to
SO per cent in rent asked for vacant
buildings and offices. Some of the
more adventurous ones have taken op-
tons on city property.
Yesterday the price of stock\in the
Des Laos Western Oil company jump
ed up SO per cent. On top Of this came
the announcement that the company
would commence drilling operations
Immediately. This company has sunk
several wells to a depth Of about 40o
feet and found white oil. An "a foot
derrick, shaft, boiler house and board
ing houses have been erected and