, 1921-10-01

er mining Laws. and attempted to keep
their claims alive for many years BY
annual Assessment thereon TO the
amount Of $1,000 a claim. This a.
easement work consisted mostly q
o and bridge building n sinking
discovery holes with spring poles and
drills. which was all right and suffici'
ext TO show good faith. but was no
calculated TO develop the productivity
Of he field TO any appreciate degree.
II was not until about 1903 that any
real steps were taken along lines
looking toward the permanent develop
menr Of the field and the building up
OF the oil industry. 1t was about that
time Werner z. Reed OF Colorado
Springs became Interested in the Salt
Creek oil fields. ind formed h Md.
west OIL company. built an up to date
refinery. and a pipe line connecting
the refinery at Casper with wells at
Salt Crock. n distance OF about As
mIles- It was then that Casper was
pinced on the map as an oil center.
and the town began TO look forward
Then the old timers. who by their
pioneer spirit had kept Wyoming from
entombing Casper In san and sage
brush, began TO realize that their little
town was n permanent propagation.
and hoped hat some day 5000 peo-
Pile would be housed within the clty's
modest limits. As a rolled by
old hopes began to lag. bright visions
grew dim. and that period OF mark
ing time. out OF which u come
progress or oblivion. ssemes at hand.
The coin was tossed and fell in
Casper's favor. The Midwest plant
grew somewhat and In 1914 reached
that point in capacity which made II
desirable for the Standard OH cop-
pany Qndianal. in the interests OF
finance and conservation, 10 bring the
Burton process to casper, and force
wyoming crude 20 give UP all its gaso-
line content instead OF only 15 or 20
percent as formerly. In that year
this company started and completed
Its initial plant layout OF 20 pressure
stills. six cokes and six continuous
stills. a boiler house. n mechanical
shop. and a few storage tanks.
The sites, Of the Standard and Mid
west r~efineries. were they privileged
to speak, might relate a history. I'm
teresting. romantic and more or less
militant, for upon this ground Indians
had established their camps, n this
area, together with much OF the neigh,
boring country. was tho scene OF many
bloody encounters before nj early
day pior(,crs were finally able to
wrest the country from them. and
transform It to n safe range for theii
cattle and sheep. These hardy nation
builders. could they cast an eye over
| this once familiar bit OF river bottom
the valley Of the Platte. where oncs
they were wont to lead their herds Il
water n shade from the noon day
sun. and where a fording of the river
for entry into the town for supplies
was n more or less hazardous task al
most seasons OF the year. would see
an industrial perspective astounding
In detail. II gigantic in size. h &C
complishment of which has probably
not been equaled between the Missis
sippi river and the Rocky Mountains
It is a perspective OF which even the
men who put through the initial plant
layout treated as more or less of o
fairy tale whenever the subject OF ex
pansion came into conversation.
The old days of watering herds and
seeking shade in the river bottom are
passed. Where once the pioneers ford
ed the stream on the old country road
now stands a modern concrete arch
bridge. On the downstream side OF
the new bridge may be seen the ole
country bridge which stood for year.