, 1921-09-15

drilled 5000 feet hut the tools were
lost at this point and the well
abandoned. During the drilling of
both these wells at no time were
they out of the Steele shale. The
standard rig was then moved to a
point near he south line of Sec.
~35-20-SS. A well was drilled 34OO
feet to the third Frontier sand
where IA ten million cubic foot gas
ser was brought in. This flowed
strong for about two weeks when it
suddenly turned to a water guyser
and the well was slugged and aban-
doned.
The rig vas moved back to a
point about 500 feet north OF the
first well drilled. This we'll reached
a depth Of 4440 feet without "A
showing of oil, gas or water and
with the last 1000 feet an open
hole. Floyd Hatfield, now a res
!dent OF Rawlins and a man by the
name OF Dick did most of the drill
ing on these four wells and Mr..
Hatfield established his reputation
in Wyoming az a successful deep
we'll driller while doing this work.
In the fall OF 1915 the same
people drilled on top of the Grep
Vile structure in 2S-21-86 and at
six or seven hundred fee encOunt-
cred water and quit. In 1917 the
Swingle Oil Co. started another we'll
on top Of the Grenville near the
above mentioned well. This was
finished by the Producers & REIN
ers Corp. A small oil showing was
encountered at 1000 feet but finish
ed in 1918 with water in the hole at
5000 feet. 1t is possible that the
failure to get oil in commercial
quantities was due wholly to a
faulted condition which exists In
the Grenville Dome. The land out
side Of this faulted area is to be
tested soon, hut that is another
story.
In the meantime Rawlins was be-
coming a Mecca for oil men. Most
Of the sheepherders Of the state had
abandoned their staffs for the more
exciting life Of the Rock Hound
and were Don taking on the easy
life of a learned Geologist. Rawlins
was wide open" in those days and
the number of "~gushers' that were
drilled within a radius Of splitting
distance from the bar railing"
would flood the world in no time
a-tall.
| III .AdICu 1910 Billy Arm
strong, accompanied by Mr.. Wisda
as engineer. made a geological in
v~estigation of the Lost Soldier
Dome and located that portion of it
now held by the Bair Oil Co. Mr.,
Armstrong expected to complete
I prospecting in the Lake Valley
region about nine miles southwest
of Rawlins in a short time and
move his rigs to the Lost Soldier
Dome. About this time an oil
stampede was on to the Rock
Springs Dome and the rig owners
decided to move them there. Mr..
Armstrong; attention was given to
other fields n 1t was thought the
Lost Soldier was abandoned and a
lost cause. However. in the spring
OF 1915 outside parties began in
vestigatfng the field and at one
time locations were so frequent on
the LAM located by Mr.. Armstrong
that each section corner looked like
a forest of AKA stakes.
And about this time Lost Soldier
took on every aspect of the frontier
mining camp. Armstrong, backed
by Chas. Bair. a prominent stock
man OF Billings. Mont, suddenly
arrived in camp In May 1916. with
a young army of men. all armed,
erected tents on each original loca-
ton and proceeded to do his assess
ment work and pass out the infor-
nation that he was there to stay. He
stayed. Affairs were finally ad-
'usted amicably and the Bair Oil Co.
through Mr.. Armstrong, entered into
a drilling contract with F.. o. Funk.
who started a we'll on the northwest
quarter of section 1860 and
brought in a 100 barrel well at a
depth Of 265 feet. June 1916.
The bringing in of this we'll
started the excitement and all the
land for fifteen miles south and
east was staked. The Bail Oil Co.
L. S Petroleum, Lost Soldier De-
velopment Co.. Lost Soldier Oil Co,
L Ain4t RnnnaI IAha NIaho.au Il