The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-10-12
'O|L PROSPECTORS . LOOK ID ALABAMA
Recent Reports Have Given Encouragement of Theory
 That Oil Is Here

Is Alabama and the Tennessee valley
 about to obtain the development neces-
 sary 10 prove to the world. as eminent geologists have tried for years, that oil
 and gas in paying quantities can be found in this locality? It would appear that
 the answer to the above question will
 be found in the fact that northern and
 Texas capital is angling for lease acre
 age and making for the first time on rec
 ord plans for an intelligent survey of
 the situation.
 Ever since my trip of investigation through Kentucky several months ago became convinced from conversations
 with numerous geologists in the employ of the largest petroleum producers in the
 country that the pay oil" strata passed somewhere in the northwestern part of Alabama, coming through eastern Ten nesSee. This opinion is verified by the recent reports of geologists. s. S. Gorby, for instance, a former state geologist of Indiana, has just completed a ''cruise'
 of Putnam and Jackson counties, Tennes- see, and reports excellent structures and all the surface indications of a good shallow field The deep drilling theory is not indulged in to any great extent in Tennessee. However, it is reported one of the big companies is making a 'deep test" but the reports are so guarded
 in character that little definite infor- nation can be obtained
 In northern Alabama, however, eminent geologists are of the opinion oil can be obtained at 140o feet where the Hart selle sands can be reached and at 2S00 feet where the theory is held the Knox dolomite sands will be found About year ago at Atwood Ala, the Atwood well showed an excellent saturation Of
 a clear crystalline oil of the best Penn | lr-w~l lwr~n .rz IL rt,f-s -HN
 was drilled only a few miles from what is known as the Hobson dome, a very handsome geological structure named after Geofogist s. A. Hobson who dis covered 1t. There are now plans under foot to interest northern capital in the development of the Hobson dome where according to Geologist Hobson oil will fe found at 5000 feet, and of an excellent grade, and with the possibilities of a | very great strike.
 | It is estimated that in the past 9 1 years something like a half million dol l lars has been mis-spent in oil well drill | ing in Alabama It has been mis-spent through the fact that no well has ever
 been intelligently located in Alabama Investigation has always shown haste and "buliheadedness' in not following
 out the ideas of the geologists with the results that Alabama finally got "a black eye in the view of the oil pros pectors
 | However, the continued increase price of petroleum and the fact that the known
 fields of the world are rapidly becoming ] exhausted has once more turned the at ! tention of 'widcatters'' towards Ala balna. It must be remembered that it is
 1 the 'wildcatter." the fellow who takes
 8 chance. who really develops new fields l Conservative ca pital follows after the dis
 coVery and pays well to take over what
 the pathfinder has
 From Albany yesterday came dis
 patch that a young business man was or ganizing syndicate to drill in Ala
 the Hobson dome. A few weeks age
 a representative of the Clark interests of Montana was in Birmingham lool1ine for acreage. but he found local capital ists so imhued with cold feet that h. departed for Louisiana. where the bis rush is now on to take advantaee of th, latest big strike at Homer However \ the fact remains that the eeoIoeical fact { concerning oil in Alabama have neve 3 been disnroved and as one eminent geol ogist stated: 'The moment monev anC brains get together in Alabam tn, world will see new oil field that vii take the lustre out of the rest of them At least let us all hope so, and work tt that end
 At the present time South Carolina anC North Carolina capital. also sorne fron Nirginia. is makipo a hig rtav for Ten 4 nessee acreage. oil and gas leases il Putnam and Jackson counties, followin. tho Gorhv report, have brought some eX cellent pri~ef arNngst out of the stat buyers. The bringing in of a 100- barre we'll in Sumter county indicates what de velopment will do for Putnam and Jack son counties which are adjacent. The feature of the week was the repor that Ike R. Stephens. secretary of stat of Tennessee. was to resign his office t. . Lead "a million dollar syndicate to de ve,Np oil and oas leaTes in Putnam ant Jackson counties Whether that is true or not it is d well-known fact that Mir Stephens owns or controls thousands O acres of leases, and that he is greatl, interested in the development of his state Oil is now the talk Of tNA day I is crowding old King Coal aside. and thu I dawn of successful development in north ern Alabama is about at hand. It vii ! follow the advent of northern capital il tha field