Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1920-02-19
OIL FIELD
IS A Conner
Abilene Center of Development
Says Editor of Oil News.

The wonderful prospects of the
Abilene oil field are graphically de-
scribed in this weeks issue of the
oil & Gas News whose editor, G. b.
Marsh spent few days here re-
Gently. His story which is publish
ed under the title: millions go Into
Development in Dickinson County,
Kansas-Abilene Center of Big
Producing Companies Activity
follows:
The biggest wildcat play In the
history Of oil IS being made right
now in Dickinson county, of which
Abilene IS the county seat.
OF hand. that may sound like an
extravagant statement An inyestf
cation of activities in Dickinson
county. however proves the asser-
tion is well within the truth.
In the first place, practically every
Dig company and many of the
smaller ones have "drawn cards" in
the big oil game which is being
played here. That is, they are either
engaged in drilling test wells or
have purchased acreage within the
county. Some of those companies
are:
Sinclair Texas, Emerald Oil Co,
White Eagle O. & r., Carter, Brans
dali, Empire. Marland. w. G. Skelly.
Phillips Petroleum. Producers & Re
finers.
In the second place. the wildcat
play in Dickinson county is no
piker's game. Anywhere from = y
million to million dollars are GO
ing in the pot Just how much no
body can estimate. But. for eX-
ample,-25 wells are drilling or will
be drilled in the hunt for oil. Those
wells each will cost on the average
$4,000, perhaps $4,000 One Of
them, now down more than 1000
feet. will cost something like $780,
600 because of n lot of hard luck
which has been encountered. In
other words, the oil men say about
one million dollars will go into the
wells located or drilling.
To that million dollars, add one
and one-half, two, or perhaps, three
million more dollars which are being
paid for leases, for big prices are
nov being obtained for Dickinson
county acreage Most of the land
was under lease from the owners
several months ago. Only now and |
then can an unleased farm be found. /
OF course, the farmers did not get |
high prices in most instances. but !
now leases are selling from $5 to
$50 an acre. And it is the big COM !
panies which are paying those rates.
For instance, one of the best known /
oil concerns, a few weeks ago. paid 4
$40 an acre for some offset stuff to 4
drilling well 1t is said that the
Sinclair interests alone have 100, II
900 acres under lease
Such high points" as those just /,
mentioned give one an idea Of the
extent of the development work un- 7
der way and the faith that oil men n
who are familiar with the situation. u
pin to their belief that oil certainly '
will be found within Dickinson i
cour Y. t
OF course. widcatting is always
taking a chance" but when the
large producing companies are ready f
to spend imemnse sums in wagering v
that their opinion Of a prospective f
field is sound it is better than an #
aven money wager oil will be found
in the area under dis fl
,ussion. Iii
For these reasons. Abilene is pre- II
laring for the more than possible IS,
from a prosperous la
business and residential community Ig
o a hustling. throbbing oil city
And Abilene is ready for the change "
n its civic life which many of the q
most influential and substantial &
'itizens believe is coming. 7
At that, the transformation will NJ
,e no more striking than other u
.hanges Abilene has seen in its mu- IC
licipa history. Once upon time 7
Abilene was known as about the "
toughest" cowboy town in all the dl
.reat West. That was back in the ~
ate eos and earlier '70s when the
lace was an "out and out cowboy
own" That chapter in Abilene's Iht
istory begins with the coming If hi
he Kansas Pacific railroad in 1866 10
hen it was that Joseph Mccoy, fiji
ioneer western cattle shipper. ar tn
wed. He had money and much ex- Al
erience and conceived the plan of 50
laking Abilene the shipping point qu
n Texas cattle. And to quote from 7.
local historian: wi
Satisfactory arrangements hav- @
lg been made with the officials )f ~
le Kansas Pacific road, circulars Al
ere printed and distributed ali over soi
exas. setting forth the advantages sol
1d benefits drOvers would derive SCI
ON driving their herds to Abilene po
lille the cattle trade made Abilene in
lite a business point, it did not add TO
lything to the morals Of the place lan