The Hays Daily News from Hays, Kansas • Page 34

TWO HAYS DAILY NEWS, HAYS, KANSAS, SUNDAY, NOV. 12, 1950 "Midnight Oil" Burned On Hill When Hays Men Were Sure They Had Struck It Rich But, Alas! Strike Turned Out To Be Disappointment i i I -i. i ve.i! i conniy I lea in had merrial well, i had been befcie in the veil- but not i eiuniit to mal-e bers nf 'be ul'i fv.il monly re f(" to The 1 new veil on William Shun- e-ast of Hay- i- the Phillips I Yi i oli nin eomiiaiiy. In One rcsiier! new Shntts well had iii e'ommon with tin- "Mcrmir- Md prise- well" (loi ham I be I e-asem it bael been regarded as hopeless foi' a imiiiih or mme beli're the' bit unexpectedly hit into i known tiie "(iorbam deep horizon after the strain' hud failed to produce 1 The exact oate of i lie in of the now Nov. 15.

11I28. had been found i several (lays in and the hole filled up in an e-ncenn'aging manner but the' same- thine; had happened other in Kills' county so it wasn't until a swab- bing test proved there was ade-J quate production that the well; ivould be said tei have been "elis- covered." Drill Many Oil Tests Now a word as to other attempts to find oil in Ellis county. "Jim" Brennan was the pioneer driller- contractor here who poked two holes into the ground in the hope of finding oil near Catherine. Three years previously i'rennan and his associates accumulated several thousand acres eif land believed to he "on structure" six miles northeast of Hays and aficr overcoming one discouragement after another they succeeded in getting together enough money to spud in a well near the town of Catherine. The well wus em tin- Charley Polifka farm.

Hays business men farmed a company tei help drill the well. They subscribed generously for stock anel their subscriptions together with "dry hole" money furnished by a number of major operating oil companies made possible the test. To be sure Brennan put in money of his own and another group business men helped by 'buying a small interest in the well. The development was watched with the keenest interest. Hays motorists beat a trial over roads formly little traveled to keep tab on proceedings.

Then one day came word of the "strike." Oil rose feet in the hole and a swabbing text made the well look like sure enough commercial production after being drilled a few feet further into pay. Brennan, accustomed to formations in areas, thought all he had to do was clean out the hole, drill it slightly deeper, get enough tankage on the lease to hold the oil from swabbing tests anel lu- would have anywhere from a 300 to a 500 barrel well. So elid most of the other scouts representing other companies who come post haste from Oklahoma and Southwestern Kansas to give 1 it the once over. And why shouldn't the well look like a good bet? Twelve miles to the east as the nowadays the airplane tin- Oswald pool of Northwestern Hussel) county where abuiit three years before the first proeluction oil we'll of western Kansas bad been brought in when a wildcat test plunked into an stratum that was enriching its elis- coverers with a high gravity oil from a depth of about feet. There seemed every likelihoeid that the new field would prove another great eiil strike for the- formerly discredited Western Kansas area into which only a few of the- bijz companies had had the courage to come.

But the elrillcrs were 1 seion to discover this lime formal ion was treacherous and disappeiinting. Brennan and and the the Hays enmnany that had put money the- venture, got. busy and lie-gun accumulating aelelitienial acreage-. Ten days were spent in buying up leases and royalties. The night of the day it Railway 3,000 Feet Lonq land midway between Victoria and Walker.

It was a failure and three miles southeast of Munjor yet an; other test proved a fizzle. Down the southeast corner of Ellis county, almost on the county line adjoining Russell county, a wildcat that looked promising for a I while, the way of fco many I other wildcats and ended in a deep test without any Seven Wiles south of Victoria cm' the IMian iland the Labette Oil Company. 1 after an encouraging showing of failed to find oil. Up oh the i Robert Dickinson farhi in the northeast part of the county a -Jvell drilled by El Dorado interests also was dry. The satfie tompany put a vyell five years ago oh the Smith land one and onei-half fni'Ies i northeast of its second test'and obtained a fine showings-rated a SO-barrel well, in it, was ion the strength of this'showing I that the second Well was drilled.

The first test, despite the near- I "Midnight Oil" to Page. Seven) II. R. Howard, of Puenle High school, Los Angeles, inspects a railway with eighty pieces of rolling stock he built in his spare time. was made sure the hole was filling with oil, to get events into their chronological order, there was a "midnight party" at the well and a happy time was had by all.

A member of "Jim's" crew sloshed a pail of eiil on the ground and somebody touched a match to it. A great flame leaped into the sky and in its weird unel flickering light was reflected on the faces of those encircling the bonfire, most every human emotion -cxcupting that of sen-row or disappoint. It undoubtedly was the one big moment in the lives of most, of those present. Millionaires, if you please, every one of them. Potentially, at least.

Hoy, howdy! Ten Days of Suspence A special edition of the News the following day told of the big find. Then there was the'interim suspense until additional acreage had beon secured. Finally "Jim's" crew resumed work and the drill bit deeper into the shale formation that had yielded its precious fluid. Hut what w-as this! The hole failed to fill after being drained of its oil. Desperately the crew worked and operations speeded up.

But the deeper the drill went, the "dryer" if that were possible, the strata became. And then slowly, sickeningly, the ghastly truth forced itself into the dull minds of the "oil boosters." Tin- new well that was to have made all of them rich overnight was just a plain "bust," as they have it in oil parlance. And nothing in particular really happened except that about $150,000 of Hays' money had been expended to elrill just erne more dry wildcat well, of which the total number is countless here, there and everywhere. What followed is inconsequential but it wouldn't be fair to let the story end here. These pioneer boosters, for that is what these men were who aided in financing the county's first wildcat oil test, paved the way for further development that has really enriched the county to the extent of many Security Too Secure For General's Query ('amp Cooke, Nov.

---They teach every buck private that "loose lips can sink ships." This one learned the lesson wt-ll. One nielli a unit was drilling in the 1 dark. A stranger passing by asked, "what unit "None of your business," promptly replied the soldier. And Hrig. (leu.

lloiher'O. Eaton, assi-lant commander of the recently activated -KHh National guard division, ceiiiliuued his walk, imapprised of the name, but perhaps ciins.ejled thought he- was bossing a i iiisi'ions ouil'it. thousands of dollars, And all this with only two producing pools. But the fact a good showing of oil had been discovered was interesting news to the. major operating companies and while Hays was "through" in its own special oil activity as applied to drilling wells was concerned, the big companies, taking their own time to things, slowly began assembling blocks of acreage here and there for future tests that within three years were to result in the discovery of genuine pools that today are yielding very well with their products being pumpo-d into pipelines that converge here at loading derrick where from three to a half-a-dozen cars of oil are being loaded daily ami shipped refineries.

Big Companies Drill Again this story has preceded itself so to speak, for a lot of things, of course had to happen in the meantime. After eighteen months or two years the Marland, Derby Transcontinental, Empire and Phillips companies, leaders in development over the entire- Midconlinent area of the United States, to say nothing of numerous smaller companies, drilled tests of their own, most them being on a high ridge, eir "hogback" 'midway between Hays and Ellis and all of them 'but one failed tei produce oil in paying quantities. And just like one would find it in a story, the first four were dry and the fifth, apparently the least promising of them all, struck oil when it too, virtually had been given up us a forlorn hope. The surprise well was that of the Phillips company the Sophus Johnson farm eight miles northwest of Hays and six miles northeast of Ellis. There are now four producing wells in this area and the outlook is promising much development when further increase of production is wan-anted by market conditions.

Of course the Phillips-Shutls well preceded the finding of oil on the Johnson farm by six or seven months. That, makes the Shutts well the first commercial producer and the well No. 2 in the order three offset to the wells have been drilled at the Johnson as the Sophus No. 1 well nei direct offset to the Shutts No. 1 has as yet reached the pay altbemgh the Shutts No.

'2, a half-mile- distant from the. first test on his farm, is now nearing the pay horizon. Three miles to! the south a we-11 on the- Joseph Schmcidlcr farm is on the pump but it. is not a preielucer in "its own right," "yielding only fifteen barrels daily. Many Dry Holes Hack again to oilier tests preceding the discovery of the first commercial well.

Two we-lls were drilled north and east eif Walker anel both were dry. The same' thing happened to a we-11 two mile's south Wins First In 'Jam Can Derby n- Han 1 ejf 11 in but). due nftld, i jnany, grinds wutenvheel eng-ine to win Ger- many's "Jam Cun" Derby Wedel. liout.s are made irom di.scurded jam containers, Tiny Letters Knack Means Good Business aMtonii, Nov. 12 (XP) A knack for printing tiny letters has opened a new world for Bernard D.

Jacoby, retired former city-employee. Forty-six years ago Jacoby first made tiny silver hearts on which he engraves the Lord's Prayer in miniature but, readable letters. It all started as a challenge when Jacoby was a lunberjack years ago in Michigan! A crew member handed him a dime ami asked him to engrave the Lord's Prater on it. "I couldn't do it," said Jacoby. "He was terribly disappointed, so I kejit trying until 1 was able lo Jjrint it pri a little heart." Jacoby forgot all about the incident Until he discovered the scraps of paper he had used to practice printing the small loiters years Then he began making them again.

Films To Show Williamsburg Story Williamslrurg'," (fP) pictures will soon show the history of this restored center of American Scenes are being irpade using the authentic reproductions of colonial structures. About 300 citizens of the community, many o.f them in costumes from before the American Revolution, are taking part in the dpcu- mentary presentations. An important part of the filming has centered around the Josmh Chewing tavern. Between scpnes the cpiistiimed actors and modern visitors often sat side by side at the tables.and were served by costumed waiters. PERENNIAL CROP? DelbuniOj Nov.

In 1948, a barley crop was sown and harvested near here. Last year a good volunteer crop came through from seed accidentally scattered the year before, although the land was due to be summer fallowed. This year, another volunteer crop is under way, and looks as though it may be the heaviest of the three. Chinese Deplore English Schools Singapore, Nov. 12 community leaders, concerned at the "migration" of Chinese students to English schools run by the government, are considering the establishment in Singapore of a multi-million dollar Chinese university, to help preserve Chinese language, culture, arts and science.

Prime mover of the scheme is millionaire Tan Lark Sye, who told the Singapore Hokkien Asspcia- tion Chinese university in the colony would solve the problems of Chinese middle school boys and girls who ure unable to proceed to China for a higher education. Private Ocean Grows "New York, ''Nov. Since Colonial days, Long Island, New York, has been one of the few places where the ocean can be owned. As a result the bays around the island have an important place in the oyster industry. Oyster farmers grow their crops in their private ocean.

It takes five years to grow an oyster. Emphasis is on quality. When the crop is "ripe" it is harvested. Some of the oysters are shipped fresh, often by air to distant points. Others are canned.

COPS RESCUE STEW Chicago, Nov. Mrs. Mary Huekshold had double She had locked herself out of her third floor apartment. And a stew was cooking on the kitchen stove. Two policemen rode or, rather, climbed lo the rescue on a long ladder.

REDISCOVER YOUR HOME TOWN! Read the Hays Daily News with care the ad- vertising as well as the news columns to discover the freedom of choices that promises you a happier, more abundant life, right here in your own home town Hays! We wish the Hays Daily News many more prosperous years and congratulate the "News" on the fine service it has performed fpr Hays and all Western Kansas. THE DRIVE IN THEATRE Home Owned and Operated Mr. and Mrs. Wade Renick MAKE THE HAYS DRIVE-IN YOUR FAMILY THEATRE-- Enjoy Movies In the Family Car One TQ turti You Just Come As You Are! 7 i All Kiddies Under 12 Admitted Free! Bottle Warmers For the Tiny Tots! Modern Snack Bar Ready for Your Use! Play Ground for the Young Ones 'till Showtime! Films Selected Which We Feel You'd MostEni Ushers To Park You And Serve Yqu! Large, Brilliant Screen for Clear Pictures! Yes Sir-MAKE THE YOUR.