The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1921-08-11
0H AT ATTALIA
LOOKS PROMISING.
rolumbia Basin Oil Company
Nav Bring in First Gusher
at Alfalfa Soon
(Contributed)

Eldorado, Ark, received its name, it
!. presumed, very much in the same
..tural way as did Alfalfa, some years
.,o long before there was even a
mole thought that some day it would
.,sunv a position on the map on
.a,eh the eyes of this continent would
!. centered and the legend of its name
-.r;fied in reality by the liquid stream
: rs wealth production, if not by
~ much coveted yellow metal in its
,.t;ve form, from which the name is
derived.
r1dorado, Ark, until three months
.so was a quiet, unpretentious,
d,samy little village like Alfalfa is
.oday, when-presto! during quiet
,our there came into existence, right
n their very midst a mighty three
tAousand barrel oil gusher and the eff
,,ct was truly electrifying, for his
.my had again repeated and the in
FINK Of live, red blooded men, from all
,.rts Of the country, far and near,
NJ on in earnest before the dreamy
,rd astonished "natives" awoke from
.Aeir accustomed lathargy of the past
into realization of the opportunities
hat had been knocking at their very
doors without recognition, just as, in
many instances, the cold timers" of
W,Ia Walla and Benton counties are
rirht now failing to observe seriously
the handwriting on the wall that is
being written by the oil devopment at
Alfalfa thru the operations these de-
tsmined pioneers have been conduct
ing during the past year against the
seatest difficulties, discouragements
md odds imaginable, but which now
hears every encouraging earmark of
success that could be even hoped for.
The writer visited the Columbia Ba-
sin well last Tuesday and was amazed
It the progress that had been made
dnce the occasion of his previous Wis
iaweek or ten days earlier, when the
Aowing Of oil on the water that is
carried up to the surface by escaping
as was considered very promising at
that time, but now has increased to
such an extent as would quicken the
pulse Of the most skeptic and leave
him wondering what would happen if
some "teen" hundred feet of water
PRESSURE was removed and the oil Civ
n a chance unhampered, to liberate
Itself.
How deep are they? Well, every
one who visits the we'll introduces him
xf with that very question right off
ne bat and are most politely inform
ID Of their privilege to make as many
guesses as they wish, for that is re-
aly the only interesting information
which their otherwise amiable drillers
refuse to divulge.
They will light the gas at the cas-
ng-head for your amusement, show
you the big new seven-eighths inch
anlllng cable that has been snapped
TWO couple of times just recently,
savlng the heavy tools in the bottom
u the well to be fished out from un-
aerneath tons of water. This they
nave accomplished in the Incredible
space OF about thirty minutes time,
expert are they. But you can't
0udge them an inch on the depth
Testlon, so just stick around until
uey run the tools, which they will
siaciously do most any time you ask
uem. When you see that cable
wound up for a distance of what
Nems like mile, but probably is not
@Ore than seventeen or eighteen hum
@eo feet, you will be satisfied that
~ey are down at least far enough to
sach the oil, even if you did not see
covering the water like a blanket.
Mnen one realizes that the weight
mat column of water is equivalent
= ABOUT 750 pounds to the square
I'n at the bottom of the well -
AereVer that is-and that very often
: other oil fields where no water is
,ueOuntered after the casing is set,
aOn TWO to three hundred feet of
i er Is introduced just before drill
IS INTO the producing sands for the
n slpose y Of holding back gusher un-
y. uey are ready for delivery, it does
!. ~ require much of an imagination to
ssssS s that these fellows know their
business.
,,s.. Maen they get ready to write the
torv -; page in Washington's his
cidsnsamce ss.ice she became a state and in.
her y ay make few millionaires OF
have most most enterprising citizens who
70 hal. assessed foresight and courage
will ral; .nelr gambling instincts, they
sure tIsieve tsv the enormous water pres.
IN d;.as d;as Is now apparently a blessing
ntphtv ulse use and bring in the first
susher in the state at Alfalfa