The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1920-03-18
SUMMER TELLS
OF MARLBORO OIL.
Only Analysed Submitted Sample.
Quotes Report OF state
GeOlOglst Taber.

To the Editor OF The State:
In the advertisement of the Marl-
boro Oil Developing company which
was published IN the State Sunday,
March IA, there is a statement to the
effect that the agricultural depart
ment analyzed sample of this oil.
This statement is correct, but this
was merely a submitted sample, the
department having no record as to the
source, and simply reported as sub
mitted sample.
In the meanwhile, Prof. Stephen
Taber, state geologist, made thor
ough investigation as to the possibil-
ity of oil in Marlboro county and sub
mitted the following statement, which
was published April /, 1917, in The
State.
stephen Taber state geologist, has
returned from Marlboro county where
he inspected the place on the jack
son farm, four miles from Clio, at
which an alleged discovery Of oil has
aroused much excitement. DR.. Taber
is decidedly of the opinion that those
who have dreamed of riches to flow
from a Marlboro oil field have dis
appointment in store.
He said yesterday that a careful
investigation on the ground has con-
vinced him that such oil as was in
evidence had percolated downward
from Above, perhaps from nearby
engine. He inspected number of
wells-bracketed the target, as an ar
tilleryman would say-but could find
no indications of natural oil flow,
and the geological formations do not
encourage expectation of discovery
of oil. He said that a scum on the
surface of adjacent wells was not of
oil but of oxide of ipon, formed by
the action of air on water impregnated
with iron. The ground water table
lies close to the surface, but a test
shaft driven between the supposed
oil well and the creek, in the line of
the ground water drift, showed no
traces Of oil.
There was no doubling that the
neighborhood was agog over the al
legged discovery, DR.. Taber said: Real
estate nearby is held at prices the
owners would not have dreamed of
asking a month ago and large num-
bers of persons visit the locality each
day."
Also a copy of his letter of Novem-
Der 6, 1919, to insurance commission
er w. A. McSwain is as follows:
"W. A. McSwain, Insurance Commits
sioner Columbia, S. G.
Dear Sir:
I'm reply to your letter of Novem-
Der referring to the Marlboro OIL
Developing company. On March 30,
1917, l examined piece of property,
owned by C. H. Jackson and located
near Clio, 8. c., on which mineral oil
was reported to have been discovered.
I found a shallow we'll containing
water with little oil on top. This oil
had evidently percolated downward
from a point On the surface in the i'm
date vicinity of the well, for no Oil
could be detected in other wells or
holes although several were dug with
in about so feet of the well contain
ing the oil. After careful search l
could find nothing that would indi-
cate the presence of oil in commercial
quantities.
81 am of the opinion that it would
be a waste of time and money to drill
for oil on the property of Mr.. jack
son near Clio, S. c., until some evi-
dence of it's presence in commercial
quantities is discovered in that sec
tion of the state.
VERY truly yours
(Signed) Stephen Taber,
State Geologist.'
November 6, 1919.
(Signed) A. C. Summers, Chemist.
Department of Agriculture Of South
Torolino