The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1922-06-22

With the beginning of operations on
the Smitherman block southeast of
town the oil business in the Arcadia
territory takes on new impetus, de.
spite the fact that some seek to dis
credit the favorable reports that have
been made by various biologists on
the Smitherman holdings and the
| property surrounding mis- territory. 1t
Is true that Messrs. J. N. and J. E
l4ummuS made two tests on the south
east border of the corporation line of
Arcadia about two or three years ago
and it is also just as true that these
wells were not abandoned because of
an unfavorable showing, but as all
men know who are familiar with the
oil game. it is a wildcater's luck not
to make producer out Of the first
well, the second we'll and very seldom
the third well. The log of both
I.ummus No.. l and 2 was just as fay.
Orable as that Of any oil we'll ever
drilled in wildcat territory, and Mr..
Snyder, geologist, who made the
Smitherman location, is not only a
geOlogiSt of note but a man Of unques.
tiOnable character, and it Is his faith
in the territory that has prompted Mr.
Smitherman and his associate to spend
thousands of dollars mere prospecting
for oil.
The we'll drilled on the Anderson
tract about two yers ago could not be
termed a test due to the fact that it
was abandoned at depth Of over 1000
feet without a test being made, and
was never completed. But yet the
showing in this we'll has been the
cause of much lease trading in this
territory since the date of its aban.
donment. The we'll was drilled on a
contract and not by the people hold
ing the lease on the property, and
while this hole is abandoned the terri.
tory surrounding same is far from be
ing abandoned.
At present it is almost impossible
to buy leases or royalties in the terri
tory southeast of Arcadia and to our
CERTAIN knowledge as high as $4,000
per acre has been paid for acreage in
this territory this week. This Is not
only a matter of record, but a matter
of fact.
The derrick isrpractically completed
on the Smitherman No. location, and
the easing is being unloaded. The rig
that drilled the discovery well in the
Haynesville field will be used on this
test and has already been shipped from
Haynesville. We quote the following
from Thursdays issue Of the Shreve
port Times which contains some fact
regarding the activity in the Arcadia
territory:
To Drill in Bienville
"The rig that drilled the discover!
we'll on the Taylor farm, the man tina
drilled the well; the man that brough
. it in, the individual who wore tn
green shirt on that memorable d.
and the same green shirt will be ship
ped to Arcadia and function in tn
first well we will drill in Bienylll
narish, two and a half miles south
), east of Arcadia"
u The above was told the Times repre-
sentative today by one Of the leat
ers of the Smitherman group who hav
Il blocked out 1000 acres in Bienvlll
parish and are about to inaugurate
vigorous drilling campaign.
b "We are not superstitious," the il
$, formant sad, "but we just can't bel
T. having a bunch that the same rig, tt
same drillers and the man and tt
,e green shirt will prove powerful ia
ID tors in our new venture. One OF o.
$. drillers we know was born with
$. veil but whether he is z seventh s(
of a seventh son we do not know. v
al do know, however, that, besides {
il. almost infinite knowledge Of drillin
9 he is also, in oil parlance lucky al
ID so with the gren shirt, the man vi
n wears tt, belieces in 1t and we belle
in the man, and so he is going to