The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1922-04-27
HATFIELD SPUDS
IN WELL IN SAN
SABA co., TEXAS
BY Grace Brown

a INV
Fort Worth, Texas, April 49,
Well, I am just back from San Saba
! county, where I attended thai spud-
ding-in party, I told you about some
time ago. 1 am going to stop right
here and explain the term '%'spudding
in" because I have found out lately
that a number of u citizens have it
confused with that most cherished
oil phrase blowing in
Now of all things that are differ
ent, it is those two terms. When an
oil well is blowing in, there is a
feverish excitement all about the
place; money is changing hands
hourly; everyone talks in terms of
millions, for when a we'll blows in.
it has been drilled and has proven
itself to be a producer.
Which brings us to define the term
s%pudding in. S%pudding in a we'll en-
braces much the same activity evil
dent at the laying of the corner stone
of the new church or college which
you attended back home a short time
before you embarked for the big city.
They have good things to eat, which
causes the whole countryside to be
present, and the mayor or some other
important citizen of the community
takes off his coat, gets a pick and
digs a little hole in the ground where
the well is to be drilled. After the
soil is broken, the driller lowers the
drill bit into the ground and the we'll
is spudded in. A number of other
things take place such as ceremonies,
and etc. But the idea l wished to
pass on to you was the difference be-
tween blowing in" and ''spudding
in"
The San Saba county we'll is purely
a wildcat proposition. This we'll is
being drilled on the 1%O12-acre tract
of the Texas-Mexia Drilling Syndi-
cate. Col. B. M. Hatfield, sole trus-
tee of the company, and one of the
worlds greatest biologists, made the
location. This location is at the in
.tersection of the Strawn and Bend
structures-the Bend underlies the
Strawn. 1t is believed by the geolo-
gists that this structure contains oil
at a shallow depth. The true state
of affairs will be determined by Col.
well within the next few
This we'll, as all wells in a
new territory should be, is being
drilled with a cable rig. This is not
so rapid as the rotary rig, but far
safer for validating.
We found San Saba county very in
.eresting. 1t is wonderfully rich in
resources; its soil is fertile,
there is ample water supply for
There is 10000 acres of
inc land in the San Saba river val
ey, all subject to irrigation. A dam,
which would conserve the river water
S under consideration, and, / may
i'd, has commanded the attention of
Henry Ford.
And speaking of pecans-you've
seen anything to beat the pee
ms raised down there, both in guam
and quality. Fifty per cent of
he worlds supply ome from San
aba county, and they are of that
she'll variety that sells for
LOO per pound. But as fine as the
ecans are, the trees may some day
e supplanted by oil derricks. Col.
-atfield is very enthusiastic over the
respects of his first well in that
)unty. He expects to drill a num-
more on his lease. The water
lpply l spoke of is quite an asset
drilling.
The city of San Saba is only six
lies from the Texas-Mexia derrick
note that l give the derrick first
ace). The chamber of
l~tertained our party in the evening
letting most of us make them a
TX, which we all enjoyed. After
e talks, we had a banquet, and w.
I. Watson's orchestra, composed
In1zv ~ --An@lE
res appeared to range from about
ne to fifteen years, furnished the
usic. The orchestra was not only
novelty, but an unusually good one,
lich reminds one again that talent
everywhere.
The Texas-Mexia will spud in their
ane county we'll in the latter part
this week.