Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, April 7, 1917, Page 1

T VOLUME ONE Individual Effort Chief Factor in Success of Meritt Oil Company [weeks later. The first well started off at 1,600 barrels a day seven months ago and, after producing 160,000) NUMBE GOVERNMENT MAY FORMER RESIDENT “© ¢ Casper the City, Wonderfut USE RADIO STATIONS GREATLY SURPRISED Outfit of Major Ormsby May /|Returns to Find Casper Noth Be Used As A Relay Sta- ing Like It Was Ten Years tion Between Casper Ago and Regrets That i and the Coast He Did Not Stick “4 That Central Wyoming is destined to be- | come the greatest attraction on the conti- nent to the followers of the oil game this A persistent fallacy in the public mind, especially in Eeastern centers, is that Standard Oil controls, directly or indirectly, the entire petroleum in- dustry, and that the business no long- er offers much room for individual effort. Without reference to other fields, the Mid-Continent alone has plenty of evidence, in the presence of Cosden, Sinclair, the McMan Oil Co. barrls, was drilled deeper ten days ago and raised to sixty barrels an hour again. The wells can hold this heavy flush production only a short time, but, after they have settled a few weeks, develop much more steadi- ness of output. The two wells are, problem whi et al., to prove the error. It is pro-|at this writing, good for about 2,400 bable that individuals have made/barrels, As the Duluth-Oklahoma | nore money in the oil business in the/acreage is almost all on structure, last three years than in any other!and as the pool is yet without limita- period of time since the Drake well/jation or dry hole in the direction of struck pay sand. the Duluth-Oklahoma holdings, it is There is fio business so easy to | impossible to estimate their value— break into, if the newcomer has cour-|S¢veral million dollars, or more. age and intelligence. Practically all| The Humphreys Petroleum: Co. is the great Mid-Continent individual|4 third corporation, organized by Mr. producers started on “shoe strings.”|Humphreys. It holds 7,000 acres of Nor is it necessary to have held acre-|leases, on a large structure in Noble age in the Glenn pool, Cushing or| County, Oklahoma, and is now drill- Butler County. ing two deep tests. Neither of the A signal example of what is done| holes has yet struck auything but gas, by individual effort may be illustrated | 24 oil is not expected until they are by the story behind the Merritt Oil | Several hundred feet deeper, but the Corporation, which was organized in| importance of the operations may be New York City in December and|<stimated by the fact that other com- whose stock is now quoted along with/ Panis paid the Humphreys Petroleum . ' few years. progressing can push it, bonus to the gain on cont show house help construct the new city. | The enlarging of the Midwest Hotel is! most active curb offerings. In March, 1914, there arrived in Oklahoma a gentleman_named A. E. Humphreys, a man of considerable) means personally and with plenty of financial allies, but absolutely without anything but the most general infor- mation as to the Mid-Continent oil fields, Mr. Humphreys, whose home is in Denver, Colo., owned interests in Colorado mines, West Virginia coal mines and Minnesota iron mines, but his experience in producing petroleum has been confined to a small flyer in West Virginia. After a few weeks’ study of the general situation Mr. Humphreys elected to play the role of wildcatter, electing territory within a trend of petroliferous possibilities, but in dis- tricts thought by the oil fraternity generally to be either condemned or too far off, The Denver capitalist adherent of the geological n upon well *de- ctures, tions of the Hum- hTeys syndicate were in the southern nd of the northeas€ern Oklahoma fields, about twenty mi southwest of the city of Muskogee, in a territory which other producers had held in contempt for five years. The syndicate operated here as the Merritt Oil & Gas Co. Before the drills had touch- ed the Boynton oil sands, the syndi cate, thru othe bsidar: had begun ta a and at Blackwell, Okla. then was in sad disrepute, as B. B. Jones was just winding up his gigan- tic wildcat operations ata cost of $350,000 and with only one very doubtful and very deep well to show for his troubles. | The first test in the Boynton field, | southwest of Muskogee, got oil. Be-' fore the field had fully developed and while the syndicate was having expen- éive trouble with a Blackwell test and drilling two dry holes in Kansas, Mr. Humphreys was looking for other fields. A test was started upon a great dome in New Mexico; another test was started in Kentucky; the syn- dicate began acquiring acreage in Wyoming (fifty miles from the near- est oil pool) and began leasing up one or two big structures in Noble county, Oklahoma. Two or three lesser tests were being made in Muskogee and Wagoner counties, Oklahoma. All of these explorations, it must be remembered, were remote from oil production. All of the operations were carried thru in precisely the Same manner, directed by Mr. Hum- phreys from his temporary headquar- ters at Muskogee, where he divided his time with Denver, Colorado, from March, 1914, to June, 1915. All acreage was taken upon'the best geologceal advice. geologists employed by the phreys syndicate has become rich thru its connection and percentages from this source). Two or three of the important operations begun by the syndicate are yet in the drilling stage but three “out of the seven different matters started by Mr. Humphreys in the six- teen months he was actively engaged in the Mid-Continent have got im- portant rsults. These are as follows: The Merritt Oil & Gas Co., after developing 1,200 barrels daily produc- tion at Boynton, Oklahoma, was sold to the Carter Oil Co. for approximate- ly $500,000. Mr. Humphreys receiv- ed individually and additionally more than $500,000 for royalty and other ingArests he bought before the field sarted producing. Altogether more than $1,250,000 was'taken out of the Boynton. district, i The Duluth-Oklahoma Oil Co., with. 8,000 acres of oil rights no the Black- well dome, has: drilled the two biggest: wells in the Blackwell pool. One of these wells ing the sand in the first week in De- cember, and coming in with such a large initial Production that it sent a tremor thru the Mid-Continent crude oil markets. It started off at the rate of 185 barrels an hour and was mak- ing. seventy-five barrels an hour two \ ‘sand in the Big Muddy district, drill- oil accumulation, and all of * (The firm of Tulsa| Hum-' is a late acquisition, gett-| Co. $103,000 for 1,030 acres of the block. The Wyoming venture has been brought to a highly successful con- clusion, culminating in the Merritt Oil Corporation. The Humphreys syn- dicate, after developing a new shollaw ed on down to the famous Wall Creek | sand, prolific at Salt Creek, striking it at 8,155 feet, with a good well esti- mated at 200 to 400 barrels. This well touched the deep sand in No- vember, the well being started May 1, and opened in November. Some of the Big Muddy acreage was held by the Merritt Oil & Gas Co. the same Humphreys subsidary which developed the Boynton pool; the re- mainder of the acreage was held b: individual members of the Humphreys y A shallow well, started r ught in June 15, 1916, were started on December 8, in 1915, but they were not finished, In the month jus tion of this acreage was Ohio Oil C (Standard Oil Subs iary); the Merritt Oil Corporation was or d to take over the re- mainder, the Ohio Oil Co. and the Merritt Oil Corporation each getting an undivided one-half of the acreage. Oil camps are spring up al The Merritt corporation includes sev- to say that by the ume the sno eral members of the original Hum- wil] look like the punctured end of phreys syndicate; New York capital-| knows but that Casper is situat s took a large block of the stock, M: pth es arts are claiming and the Midwest Refining Co., the big| * Tany oil experts are claiming t Wyoming independent, also took a! © r5 . large Bisa ‘The shares of the new right on the edge of the city lim corporation were listed on the ecurb/Mmany that ere long Casper will late in December and at once sold at which has every back yard dec $14, or $4 above par, tho falling back slightly in sympathy with the general the decline of all stocks following the German peace move. Credit for the discovery of the Big <7: ‘Muddy field belongs to V. H. Barnett, Millions of dollars will be who made a favorable report on it to development work, and many n the United States geological survey, tured and drained to supply t the north across the Platte river |capitalists have about completed plans to sink a well th season, there seems to be no doubt. } Already Casper is overwhelmed with} business and thts feeding of the newcomers this Spring is a |ment had taken over fifty-six wireless visitors, and the housing and, ich the city must face. | as rapidly as men and brains and W. F. Henning, owner of! the handsome building, is offering a cash! contractors for every day they ract time. Three shifts are at work on the remodel- ing of the Iris Theatre, which, when com- plete, will be by far the largest and finest in the State. The weather having moderated during the last week, the paving contractors are to begin the work of finishing paving on Cen- ter street and Second avenue, which will give the city a completely paved business, district, putting it far ahead of Cheyenne, the capital of the State, which does not yet boast of a single paved street. Houses are springing UB over night, and it is now estimated that t ere are between 150 and 200 under construction | at the present time, and con- tracts have been let for as many | more. ] around the city, and it is safe ”* w flies again Central Wyoming a pepper box. And who ed right on top of an oil pool? hat it is, and one party of local spring its, and it is freely predicted by rival the famous Oil City, Pa. orated with an oil derrick. Almost every foot of land between the City of Casper and Big Muddy field has been taken up and validated, and to , only two and a half miles from the city, is a veritable beehive of activity. spent in this State this year in ew treasure pools will be punc- he country with that valuable but who died before the first well was fluid which has become such a necessity the world over. brought in and his forecast proced to be correct. F. Julius Fohs, a geoloist who achieved remarkable success in Casper is the home of mo re oil companies than any city in the State, has five oil exchanges, numerous brokerage houses the Oklahoma oil fields, was brought &Nd before long will be a serious rival to Denver as the finan- to Wyoming by Mr. Humphreys and Cial center of this section of the great West. he confirmed Mr. Barnett’s report, in levery way. n spite of the fact that . 3 several eminent geologists had made. terprise. We welcome capital adverse reports, Mr. Fohs insisted that character—if they are honest a cil would be discovered in the field, . Casper welcomes within its borders every legitimate en- and labor of every kind and nd legitimate. There are thou- s Interviewed *today regarding the} A Rip Van Winkle returned to Cas- announcement that the Navy Depart-|per today in the person of Henry Commercial stations and would take Casper has become almost as_well|over more, Major Ormsby sajd that known among the oil men as Tulsa, and bids|he had received fair to become a city of 15,000 in the next} no notice to that effect. word from Washington, tho they wrote they would posibly make use cf the Casper station in relaying mes-} sages from coast to coast.’’ When asked what use he was mak- ing of his wireless apparatus at pres- ent, Mr. Ormsby said he had not list- ened for a long time, and had really made no use of itd uring the entire winter. Denver is the nearest com- mercial station to the Casper one. ee OIL QUOTATIONS (Furnished by Otis & Co.) Bid. Boston Wyoming 10 a1 Elkhorn --.----- =e: 83 Glenrock Petrol. _... 2.90 3.15 |Grass CreekO & G___ .50 -56 Hallieese ccs ace S19 1.05 Outi West’ oS: = sso 20 3 United Petrol. 37 Sapulpa -__--.--- 10% Metropolitan Petrol. 02 International 13% Petrol. o oO Travelling Is No Joke W. B. Howland and a party of oii men made a trip the last of the week that wins laurels in the realms of travelogues. The roads seemed tco rough for motor travel; so W. R, Woelfert sent the party out with | wn wago 1 team. Their destin- was Oil City, and the forty-five consumed four days of time. hubs of the wheels was 1 in seve place to the urve vill be in camp some Oo Oo O. H. Cook Joins Brokerage Firm O. H. ¢ who has been stenog rapher at the National Supply for the past six months has succumbed to the lure of the oil game and has transfer- ook, red his alleg e to the M - |Wyoming Public Brokerage Co. harge of th respondence and office and his friends are hoping that it will exceed his best expectations as a promotion. (om fe) Interstate Official Arrives |. The secretary and treasurer of the Interstate Petroleum Co., Hugh E. Miller, arrived this morning from Jamestown, N. Y., and will open an cffice here. Clayton M. Jones is another officer of the company who has been on the ground for several weeks. Oo Oo C. F. Clay, attorney for the Merritt Humphreys interests, arrived in Cas- jper this morning in company with A. |E. Humphreys, ir.» who has been in {the south for the past several weks. oo and Mr. Humphreys accepted his ver- sands of acres of farming lands within a few miles of the city) 1... Wetherill of the National dict saying “Go ahead; I'll back your) which can be homesteaded, and residents of the congested cen- Supply at Basin, is returning home judgement with all the money it! ters of the Bast are invited to come to Natrona County and this evening after a business visit to tkes.” 2 A Sums received by the Humphreys start life anew. syndicte for the Wyoming properties have not been made public; it is re- Oil company. Mr. Merritt gaye his ported that the total paid by the Ohio name both to the Merritt Oil and Gas Oil company and the Merritt corpora- company and the Merritt Oil corpora- | tion for everything, syndicate and in- tion, and, of course, has a consider- dividual holdings, was around able interest in each. $5,000,000, | A Denver man who has made large Associated with Mr. Humphreys in| profits out of the large syndicate is all of these operations were two very L. B, Mrown, a “movie” magnate of ‘prominent Duluth, Minn., million-| that city. i aires, as well as Dnyer, Colo.; Tulsa, Frank Woodman and Frank Cox of Okla., and eWst Virginia stockholders. Charleston, W. Va., weré heavy parti- ,. Thomas <A. Merritt of Duluth, 'cipants in the syndicate“operations. ,Minn., of Mesaba iron range fame, At least htree Tulsa; Okla., men and R. B. Whiteside of Duluth, multi- were among the fortunate share- ymillionaire lumber and timber owner, holders: N. J. Gubser and John B. were the two Duluth capitalists. Mr. Means of the firm of Gubser and | Whiteside is reported to have taken Means, attorneys, and F. Julius Fohs, /out approximately $3,500,000 to date geologist, each haying a considerable | from the operations of the Humphreys interest in the Wyoming deal, as well! syndicate, and has a big interest left|as holding other syndicate shares. i in the very valuable Duluth, Okla.,| The Humphreys syndicate, espec-. ially A. E. Humphreys and Thomas A. Merritt, by no means confine their operations to oil. On the same trip to New York which resulted in the organization of the Merritt Oil cor- portion, they secured control of the Consolidated Copper Mines company, a large corporation owning great bodies of copper ore around the Ne- vada Consolidated mines at Ely, N The Consolidated Copper Mines well known curb stock, but the com- pany has not been heretofore very successfully operated, Messrs. Hum- phreys and Merritt gave the under- writers a bond til the money is returned. t is said that it took them only one week, after they first heard of the opportunity to close this deal. __ issue of $2,500,00;, | they are to control the operations un- this branch of the company. OiOr 3 Ben M. Wood left this morning for a trip to Worland, Basin and Cody in the interests of his oil business. James M. Fast is here from Basin attending to matters of oil business. Thomas Kenney Oe the Illinois Fipe Line has come down from Basin on business connected with the new line. OMe H. A. Rispin has gone to Denver on 2 a brief business trip. GERMAN ARMY OFFICER GETS PEN. SENTENCE NEW YORK, April 6.—-Capt. Al- fred A. Fritzeri, a German army of- ficer, has been sentenced to 18 months in the Penitentiary on a plea of guilty of attempting to blow up the Welland ‘Canal. “Two months ago the Government, More moderate-priced dwelling houses|sent me ab lank with a number of are needed to accommodate the workers |questions to Le answered, showing who will come to the city this Spring to |just what points I could reach and all! |the details of my own private station. Since that time I have had no further! ,| interests of the Tolman, who 10 years ago left the city to seek his fortune after various mis- fortunes in this locality, for lower California. Mr. Tolman arrived this® morning from Denver, Colo., where for the past month he has been attend. ing to business for the Southern Cali« fornia Fruit Growers’ Association, of |which he is the secretary. While in | Denver he learned of the oil boom that has taken Casper head and heels, and reports of what seemed to the for- mer resident as most improbable im- provement, finally compelled him to come and see for himself, Mr. Tolman, talking in the lobby of the Midwest Hotel this morning said: “Just as soon as the train stopped at Casper I realized that this city had gone ahead. That Burlington Rail- way Station was my first eye opener. From the depot I saw the city, and I could scarcely believe my eyes, Since my arrival I have had one surprise after another. It does not seem pos- sible that it is the same place.” Mr. Tolman lived in Casper for three years until about ten years ago. Asked, |He says that at that time one might 3 | have counted the business places on one’s hands. He says that now he has but one regret, and that is» that he did not remain here and be a part in ' Casper’s upbuilding. Asked if he meant to remain in this city for any length of time and as to whether he had any intention of enter- ing the oil game, Mr. Tolman replied that in the past five years he had be- come such a busy person that sixteen jhours of every day is devoted to the ociation of which he is the secreta return to Denver on Monday. however, that from today his of Casper change in text entirely, since what he as had to say of this ty and thi lity in the past years is without knowledge of what igs Tolman is ¢ iam H ompanied by 1 Tolman, his who is in Cal. Professional Jealousy Stirs Champion Whittlers of Chanute, Kansas By the United Pre CHANUTE April 9—Pro- fes ial jeal 3 s stirrec bilities of the two ack cracker-box champion whittlers of Kansas. It came about thus A. B. Parker, an old soldier of this city, has been a famous whittler all his life, but until the past yeur had never had occasion to prove his right to the state championship. It was his by default, according to his er emies, by consent, according to his friends, But last year another old soldier- whittler, John Barker, came to Cha- nute. He believed he was mor adept at the art than Baker and did not hesitate to s o. ' Furthermore, he whittled out several unique articles to prove his contention. “Old Man Baker snorted in disdain and set about to show the outsider a few wrinkles in what could be done with « pocket knife and a piece of wood. He scorned such soft wood as pine and used oak or walnut when he could get it, The contest now is near- ing the close of its first year. Baker's friends now claim the championship for him from the fact that from a thick walnut board he has whittled out a picture frame made of 104 small pieces and joined together so adeptly that no one can tell where the joints are made. Baker and his friends, as you might say, pause for reply. > JUDGE WINTER GRANTS NATURALIZATION PAPERS This was Naturalization®Day, as set by Judge Charles E, Winter the opening of the April term of Court last Monday. There were but few ap- plications for naturalization papers which would point to but a small for- eign population in Natrona County. There were several who were granted their second papers which make ‘them fTullfledged Americans with all rights and privileges. It was expected that the number of applications for naturalization papers would be much greater than it really was. It was further expected that there would be some’ complications arising upon the application of this class presented themselves. Ss llbne sccaamabaee Miss Roxena Bowen Merried NEW YORK, April 9—Mis Roxena Wentworth Rowen, daughter of Mr. ‘and Mrs, Clarence Winthrop Bowen of this city, today wi 3 married to Wil- liam Stephen VarRensselaer, the New York society mea who is an at- tache .of the Amcric.n Embassy in Rome. 2