Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-03
WELL GUARDED
UNDER ORDERS
Of ROOSEVELT
No Trouble as Devil
Dog" Take Possession
of Oil Reservation.
Action Result of Dis
pute Between Mann
moth and Mutual Co.

Casper, Wyo. Aug. limited
States marines. in command of Cap
tain George Shuler. at noon Wednes-
day stood guard over a well on section
20 of the Teapot naval oil reserve, 40
miles north of here, having carried out
orders of Assistant Secretary OF the
Navy Roosevelt to GUST drillers for the
Mutual Oil company, who were said to
have continued operations in defiance
of interior department orders. No
friction of any kind occurred between
the marines and the drillers in carrying
out the department mandate.
Captain Shuler and four non-com-
misisoned officers. who arrived at
Casper Wednesday morning and were
rushed to the field by automobile with
out stopping to breakfast. approached
the rig a few minutes before 10 o'clock.
q. H. ODonnell. Casper representa-
tive of the Mutual Oil company, met
them at the gate of a small wire en-
closure erected around the rig during
the night and was informed by Captain
Shuler that orders given the marines
made it necessary for Mr.. ODonnell
and the drillelrs to vacate the property
as soon as the tools could be pulled
from the well and a property inventory
taken. A lengthy discussion of the
suitable time allotment followed in
which United States bureau of mines
men participated.
All Out by Noon
BY noon all movable tools had been
removed in a large truck. the boilers
were cooling off. and the government
seal vas placed on the rig by Captain
Shuler, who pronounced it shut down
for all further operations. An inven-
tory was taken of all stationary tools,
heavy pipe and well rigging.
When asked for a copy of his order
the marine captain. who arrived here
with the title Of c~ommandant Of naval
oil reserve No. 3. replied that his in
as given by Secretary
Roosevelt had been verbal and conf
but had been carried out to the
letter. He will remain several days.
anticipates no trouble of any kind.
and will probably return to Washing
next week.
Marines who accompanied Captain
Shuler and who are doing guard duty
at the well as a matter of form are
Sergeant Harry Hutton, Gun
merry Sergeant Ollie Cooper. Sergeant
Boren and Corporal Victor'Tor-
kalab. all of whom made the long jour
ney from Washington, ID. c., to carry
cut the government orders. Others
present at the Ihutdown were A. W.
Ambrose. Washington ~technologist of
the bureau of mines: Matthew u. Nc
chief of the field division Of
the Denver district. and w. B. Hurt, /
charge at Cheyenne for the bureau.
Mutual officials claimed the right to
lrill on section 20 by virtue of a loca- !
ion which they allege was made under
he miner placer law prior to the naval
withdrawal The Mammoth Oil com
to which the navy and interior
awarded the lease in a
program covering the en-
ire withdrawal, is the other Interested
and protested to the interior de-
,artment against operations by the
No Sign Of Injunction
No sign Of rumored Injunction PRO
'eedings developed in connection with
he marine occupation and sofar as
no reply has been made by
President Harding to the protest made
Governor Carey TO the entrance of
he marines into Wyoming. the Wvo-
ming executive having advised recourse
o the courts. inasmuch as no law
essnesS' existed.
Reports from the field state that a
wire fence was erected around the
veil site during the night. this i'm
'rovement having been authorized
for the purpose of raising
legal technically which will later
In the contest over the lease.