The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-02-26
Many Sections of Land Posted
Under Terms of Federal
Leasing Bill
SOME ARE STAKED TOO SOON
Applicants May Hold Four Sections
of Government Lands by Doing
' Assessment Work

Out in the dark reaches of sage
brush coyote howled dismally. A
mile away another answered him,
then another and another until the
yelping chorus shook the silences Of
the night and for the lack Of an echo
cried itself out at the distant rim of
the desert. A jackrabbit scurried
from one sagebrush and sought shelter
in another. Miles away the headlight
Of an automobile bobbed and beamed
niysteriously. Off yonder in the dark
ness motor whirred and somebody
swore as another automobile dug it-
self into the loose sand. High in the
west a youthful moon flirted with
the ghostlike profile of the Rattle
snake Hills. Nearer at hand a group
of shadows followed the restless circles
of a fiashlight out across the desert;
800 PAGES east, 500 north etc., until a
voice said, "put it there" One of the
shadows with a shovel started to dig
treasurer searchers on the trail Of
Captain Kidd? No not that, for the
shovel stops and another shadow.
swings from his shoulder something
which curiously resembles wooden
cross. A midnight burying party
marking the last resting place Of a
comrade?
Around sagebrush fire men dozed,
or smoked, or lightly swore, or dream
ed that out of the sagebrush roots
myriads of derricks grew and sprout-
ed arms which beckoned the dreamer,
oh, so enticingly, or now he
swan and struggled and battled for
life in seething, Shiny torrents of oil
which spouted from thousand wells.
The shy moon had fled and the coming
sun was painting the eastern sky with
prodigal hand. Off on the side of
Gable mountain the ribs of weather
ed derrick took outline-monument Of
a Delighted hope. Nearer at hand the
rising sun caressed the top of newer
and higher derrick-testimoni Of
budding hope. Off on the slopes of
Rattlesnake Hills other derriclss came
to view and signalled the eye to scar
on the hillside where flows five million
cubic feet Of gas daily.
Approach the wooden cross and read
for it is daylight now "and thou canst
read:" "Notice is hereby given that
within thirty days of the date of this
notice the undersigned John Doe will
make application to the secretary Of
interior for an exclusive prospecting
permit to prospect for oil and gas
and the following lands, etc., etc.,
So it was that the silence Of the
desert were outraged Tuesday night
by midnight rush because somebody
got 1T into his head that the federal
Gil leasing bill would become operative
at midnight Tuesday providing the
president did not sign it sooner and
no information had come over the
wires that he had signed.
He did sign, however, at o'clock
Wednesday afternoon and there was
another rush to make locations on
government sections. In all probably
100 sections of government land have
been posted as provided in the new
law. Under the terms of this law
any citizen may stake out prospect
ing claim Of four sections of govern
ment land provided that such land is
not within the known geological struc-
ture of any producing oil or gas field.
By so doing the applicant is given
preference right for thirty days over
any other applicant for the same
lands. After the prospecting permit
is issued the claimant has six months
in which to begin drilling operations
and one year in which to drill to
depth of 500 feet and two years to a
depth Of 1000 feet. If gas or oil is
struck on the land the holder Of the
permit may then select one Of the
four sections for lease to him on a
royalty basis.
Locations have been made in this
field upon the assumption that the
two gas wells are not sufficient to
bring the field unto the producing
class.