The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1926-05-14
Continued from page one)

tOOnLluueQ from page OuGl
somebody threw a carload Of crude In
the well, or that the old man has a
secret hose line with which he feeds
the well oil, or that some other con-
traption is used to fool the public.
They view the barrels of liquid
pumped from the well and the pals
that stand around everywhere but
they are still skeptical. Then some
body unlocks the chain from the
pump handle and starts to pump pail
after pail from the well. At first the
LIQUID resembles pure water. As
each succeeding pail is emptied the
water gets darker until about the
fifteenth pail when the liquid from
the well resembles dark sea water
in appearance. The water continues
to get darker and more greasy until
the well is almost pumped dry. The
last five pals are not thrown away;
they are allowed to stand. Inside of
fifteen minutes a brownish scum
starts to form on the surface of the
water. The skeptics dip their fin
gers through it, put the same fingers,
coated with a film resembling the
oil in a King Oscar sardine box, to
their noses and pronounce it OIL.
The skeptics, who set forth to curse
like Balaam of old, remain to pray.
They light the oil on sticks and per-
form other tests and then exclain:
ct is oil all right"
When the News reporter reached
the well, a crowd like that described
above was hanging around the well.
1t was composed of people from
Plentywood and Scobey, Glasgow and
MinOt and from many towns in be-
tween. Judge Paul of Plentywood, E.
H. Battleson of Scobey, Herman
krOgman Of Butte, Sam Mickey of
Medicine Lake and many others were
on the ground. The well was Just
pumped to satisfy the curiosity of
Mr.. Battleson of the Westland Oil
Company and pals full of the liquid
were scattered around.
Hans HendrickSon, on whose place
the well is located was celebrating
his discovery. John Hassler, who
constitutes himself the information
bureau of the City of Whitehall told
the News representative of the find
ing of the well.
now IL happened
81 drilled this well myself three
years ago." said Hassler. ct is for
ty feet deep and is lined with tileing.
People always noticed that there was
something the matter with the water
from the well. 1t affected the cof-
fee IN the restaurant. But it was
good for washing because it was
soapy. Last Friday afternoon a lot
OF water was pumped out for wash
ING purposes. 1t was noticed that
the last water in the well was very
oily and people from all parts Of
town came and saw the evidences of
OIL. The 500 line agent at once sent
2 telegram telling of the discovery
to his boss in Minneapolis and I
hear he has a word back that some
olnclals are coming out on a special
tram. Meanwhile the pump is pad
locked. 1t was with some difficulty
that the News representative pre-
vailed on Hassler and Mrs. Hendrick-
son to remove the paddock and pump
some more liquid after Mr.. Battle
son had gotten his samples an hour
earlier. Finally HasSler pumped out
the well with the results already
stated. Herman Krogman tested the
liquid with a match and it burned
with cracking sound and a bright
blue flame. The curiosity of the
large crowd was satisfied.
Inc general opinion of bvstanders
seemed to be that there was seepage
INTO the well from a distance. About
two miles away there are outcrop-
pings of shale and the contour of the
country generally denotes an oil
structure. The anticlines resemble
those of the Greybull district in Wv
ming and oil authorities saw that II
IS part of the Big Muddy Dome which
extends from Medicine Lake. throuob
Sheridan county into the Moose Jaw
district IN Canada. The theory that
the oil in the well is seepage from
an electric light plant which was To-
Gated close by is discounted. Some
say there is an underground fissure
from nearby undiscovered oil pool.
Much of the surrounding country
has been leased and it is expected
that prospect well will soon be
drilled to test the Big Muddy dome.
Dick COughlin Makes Test
Dick Coughlin, president of the
Westland Oil Company, visited the
scene Wednesday and took a sample
with him to Scobey which tested as
follows: Gravity SO per cent; Recov-
cry 40 per cent kerosene; 10 per cent
dlsullate and the rest of the 100 per
cent was composed of lubricating oil,
sulphur and other substances.
Samples have been sent to geolo-
glsts IN various parts of the State
and the results viii be made known
at an early date.