Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-09-11

DEVELOPMENT of sensational production
on the w. Schmidt farm in the high
gravity pool of KeVin-sunburst field, west
OF Kelvin is the rebound" of practical
Joke that provided the biggest laugh of
pioneer lease hounds. This is a story
that has never before been printed.
The Schmidt farm of 800 acres Is To-
Gated not far from the great sandstone
wall known as the rim" of the Sweet
grass Arch. It is about two miles south
and west Of the Campbell discovery well.
In the early days Of the field this West
area was regarded as the oil field and
the district East of the town of Kelvin
was known as ram pasture" with no
other value than for sheep grazing. That
idea was erroneous but until so proven
the west side leases were In great oe-
mand.
Schmidt was one Of the few ranchers
in the Kelvin country who refused to
lease to Gordon Campbell. Campbell had
SO many thousands Of acres under lease
that he did not hold mp his well because
of Schmidt's refusal to lease and when
the Campbell well came tny every man IN
the country rushed to see Schmidt.
Schmidt had his own ideas about oil
land and oil land values. Although his
land earned him a pretty slim living. he
was not willing TO lease or sell his, LAND
or royalties ON amy basis such as accepted
by his neighbors. He demanded $500
per acre. cash bonus, and wen WITHIN
two weeks OF the date of the lease.
Continuous drilling operations should be
carried on, he required, until the entire
half section would be entirely drilled
out.
Many a lease hound argued until ne
was sblack I'm the face" but Schmidt
refused to consider any other PROPOSE
ton He lived alone I'm the bleak. bar
nd han 81
over by himself I'm the quietude of the
lonesome prairie. He dismissed any pos
sibiIity that it might not be oil land.
sI KNOW ft is the best oil land I'm the
field" ne would say.
''How do You know that IL is the best
oil land in the field?'
'sThere Is a lot you do not know" ne
would reply. II get my Information
from a much higher source than any OF
your biologists"
Tho lease men swallowed their grins
and had fought out this argument to
q point where they knew it was useless
- avgue longer. When that peculiar
light came into Schmidts eyes. they
said. they knew that the argument was
ut an end.
Then Il became the popular Joke OF the
fraternity that whenever a newcomer
came to town, a lease man would take
him aside and ''cOnfide" to him that there
was 'fine half section available" and
send him out to see Schmidt. Every
lease man,every operator, every EeolOgtst,
every royalty buyer, every real estate
man and a lot of Others were given the
confidential tip" and they wore a
deep-rutted road to SChmidt's door. He
was unable tn get any work done during
dav and could get no sleep at night
He gave each one the same proposition
and each one concluded that he was
insane-and fheY nearly drove Schmidt
insane with their constant pranfzs. Fin
eTv he is reputed to have ordered every
one off the place and threatened TO get
ont n shotgun II the lease men persisted.
Whether Schmidt ever knew that he
was being plaVued. we do not know. 1t
was one Of the few things 90 do Of
the country at that time. The result was
that none would pay him the bonus de-