Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1919-01-31
Virgin Dome Oil Co.
Drilling in Good Shape


Ss6{y Flat.
The editor went out to the fiat Sun
day afternoon to see what was being
done. He was little surprised to find
such nice, neat buildings erected by
the company, they being of a super
Tor class to the editors notion of what
such buildings generally are; he hav-
ing got his ideas from visiting mining
camps.
The buildings erected for the shell
ter and comfort Of the men employed
at the we'll site are Of the bungalow
type with very wide overhanging
roofs and plenty of open air space.
The bunk house has a large screened
sleeping room into which the. bed
rooms open. The bunk house is very
homelike and comfortable and is fit
ted with every modern convenience
including hot and cold baths and
shower bath; it is electrically lighted
and heated.
The cook house is wonder of a
place to find in the desert, where one
would hardly look for such neatness
and cleanliness as distinguishes this
eating house. The house consists of
large dining room opening into
large screened dining porch either of
which may be used according to the
time of year; splendidly equipped
kitchen with electric range and other
appliances opens onto screened
porch, another door from the kitchen
leading into the bedroom of the cook;
electricity is used for everything,
lighting as well as cooking and heat
ing.
Determined to have the best of
everything, the company has secured
the best cook in this section to have
charge of the eating house Miss Mary
Conger, formerly proprietor of the
Conger house, this city.
With such a pleasant place to live,
the men employed by the company
should find life very enjoyable.
The rig has been previously de-
scribed. 1t is a standard rig, one of
the very best and heaviest and has
been erected by competent workmen
so should stand the racket.
While we were there Sunday the
drillers struck an exceedingly hard
limestone Gaping at a distance of 60
feet and the drilling has been mostly
through this hard formation since
making progress slow and hard or
drills. This hard Gaping was fore.
told by the geologist employed by the
company, it being found three feet
deeper than stated by him.
The Dixie Power Co. is furnishing
electric power for all purposes at the
camp. Supt. Thompson has put in
everything in first class shape and
everything works smoothly and with
out hitch. The large rs horsepower
motor was running like a charm,
handling easily the string of tools
which weigh over 1000 lbs, the stem
alone weighing 1900 lbs. One un-
acquainted with the fact would have
no idea that blow of considerably
over 1000 pounds was being struck
each time the drill rose and fell, it
moves so easily and lightly.
The crew working there is said to
be the best that can be obtained
They have never yet failed to bring a
well, says Mr.. Graham, and they
know exactly what to do of anything
goes wrong. Claud Hegler has drill
led in nearly every field in the u. s..
and Charley Jordan has also drilled
in South America. T. o. May is the
superintendent, Claud Hegler and
Charley Jordan, drillers, Paul Hotch-
kins and Billy Baldwin the tol dressers
George Amesbury and Dan Sullivan
are the other employees at the rig
w. j. Graham, the president of the
company ha not overlooked sin
gle thing that would aid in the devel
oping of the field. Everything put in
is of the best, which his long exper-
fence as an oil man has taught hin
is the cheapest in the end. The total
for everything when ready to drill
had been $4,000, which included the
pipe line conveying water to the camp
Mr.. Graham has been a resident OF
st. George for over two years, coming
here from Taft, Cal. where he is still
>1ntGested in the Elkhorn Oil Co. He
Wrought in the first well at Maricopa
Cal, the Occidental, now owned by
Clans Speckles, the sugar magnate
He is an oil man of experience and
has unlimited faith in this field, be-
heving the well now being sunk will
prove his theory that this is one of
the best oil fields on the continent
and will be rapidly followed by the
sinking of hundreds of others all over
the territory. His attention was first
attracted to this field by the govern