The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-09-08
VISIT TO CAT CREEK DISTRICT.

Eultor Gazette; "A great many o.
ny friends having asked me TO write
and give them my impression of tn,
famous Cat Creek oil district, in Mon
Jana, and being too busy at this time
to write a personal letter to each one
OF them, little space in the Gazette
should serve the purpose equally a.
we'll. or better.
Arrived in the oil fields on Monday
August 20, after an uneventful al.
though interesting trip. interesting in
that 1t was the first time / had made
the trip over tne Milwaukee, and Their
the thought that | was nearing the
much talked of Cat Creek oil fields
and, finally. the browning climax OF
the trip, the sight of hundred oil
derricks with oil gushers on every
hand, truly wonderful sight to one
who has never witnessed suca a sight
before. II had been merely on pleas
ure bent ! should have felt well repaid
for the time and money spent in MAX
ing the trip. but being here in the in
terests OF the Oroville-Okanogan Oil
company, and finding the field more
than up to my expectations. to say
that was well pleased would be put
ting 1t mildly indeed.
The first thing that strikes Wis
itor to the Cat Creek oil fields is the
immense possibilities of tnis section
for oil, not only the Cat Creek proper,
but adjacent territory. While one can
get but little information from the
average drilling crew, as they are
paid to work and not to talk. the oil
is here to speak for itself and one
need not ask lot of questions to be-
come convinced that Montana is des-
tined to become one of the greatest oil
producing states in the Union. AL
though in itss infancy one already
hears this field spoken of as the great
est oil field In the country
The discovery we'll, known as
Frantz Charles well No. I, was
brought in little more than two
years and half ago, or to be exact
IN February 10, 1920. Since then 81
wells have been drilled in and nearly
100000 barrels of the highest grade
crude oil in the world have been ship
ped out through Winnett, the nearest
railroad point. Allowing fair price
for its high grade crude, Cat Creek
would at the present time be~produc
ing nearly a million dollars of crude
petroleum per month, and it can be
truthfully stated that development has
only just started.
In view of the fact that there are
now upwards of hundred producing
oil wells-in Cat Creek it is rather
amusing to think that there are still
many who will question the fact that
there is oil produced in Montana. One
can only guess at the possible produc-
ton. as the big companies are not
giving out much information, but pipe
line facilities are inadequate to handle
all the oil and the wells are not being
pumped to capacity. And yet, the pro-
duction of this wonderful oil field is
,lready spoken of in terms of millions.
A rather unusual sight was thresh-
ing outfit in operation in grain field
only a few hundred feet away from
several producing wells. | will have
to confess. however, that I-almost fell
over the threshing machine before
realized that it was there at all as my
eyes were focused on something big
ger tlan threshing machines. Growing
and threshing grain is noble and
necessary calling, and If our farmers
should all go on a strike it would not
be long before stalk of grain would
loom up mighty big to most OF us, but
as a money making proposition the
average farmer is perfectly willing
to admit that farming has its draw
backs. That the oil game also has its
drawbacks no one would attempt to
deny, as it has its crooks and its fall
ures the same as any other line OF en-
! deavor but when conducted along le-
Ultimate business lines 1t is equally
undeniable that it offers some OF the
greatest opportunities in the world to
make fortunes in a short space of
| time.
As an instance of what oil means to
those who are fortunate enough to be
| in on the winnings may be cited the
case of a Mr.. Weldschultz. soldier
homesteader in the Cat Greek district,
who returned from the war wounded
and broke to find that his homestead
was oil land. His royalties from oil
produced on his land is reported to
have netted him $2,70O per month I'M
til the second sand gushers commence
ed coming in and, according to reports
he has not been able to catch up with
his figures since then Too bad all the
soldier bows could not have been lucky
like Wildschultz. then the soldiers
bonus question might not have been
with us to worry our harrassed and
overworked hired men at Washing
ton But then Uncle Sam is said to
have received in ROYALTIES during the
month Of June 100000 from a single
Cat Creek second sand gusher, and
that ought to help som0 toward pay
ing bonuses.
Summing I'D nv observations for
the benefit of possible investors
would say there are wonderful money
making opportunities in the oil game
but one must exercise extreme eau
| ton in placing ones investments as
a great many of the companies floated
are failures in every sense OF the
word. II you are not personally
acquainted with those who may ask
YOU to intrust your money with them
and know them to be men OF inquest
Toned integrity and standing, you hat
better investigate and make sure be
fore investing your money with them