V0L LX O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1940 NUMBER 50—
NATURE IS BELIEVED TO HAVE LEFT
BASIS FOR CRUDE OIL HERE
“Seeps and Shows” of Oil Appearing On Surface of
Elkhorn River in Inman Township, Together With
Fossil Remains Found of Life From Which Oil
Evolved, Furnish Sufficient Evidence To Petroleum
Geologists, That Commercial Recovery Is Possible
In This Part Of Nebraska
Exclusive to the Frontier by Kay
E. Colton, L). Sc., Oil and Gas Sci
ence Writer.
NOTE
During the past three weeks
field petroleum geologists, some of
which represent major oil com
panies, have been studying Holt
and Antelope counties, together
with the south portion of Boyd
county, for topographical and oth
er surface evidence, which might
influence a geophysical test for the
purpose of defining the crest trend
of buried anticlines and other oil
bearing structures, now believed to
lie beneath this area of Nebraska.
As activities of this nature would
naturally have the tendency to
bring additional wealth into the
O’Neill trading area, and further
more, would mean, if oil were
found, that a new industry would
have come, the pertinent factors
influencing this activity are dis
cussed in this article. Geologic data
contained herein, is gathered from
Nebraska State Geologic Survey
records, and from personal find
ings of the writer, skilled in oil
field operations. Republishing of
any of the wording of this article
by any other newspaper, is pro
hibited.
RAY E. COLTON
FUNDEMENTALS WHICH IN
FLUENCE SEARCH FOR OIL
BEARING STRATA IN HOLT
AND ADJOINING COUNTIES
OF THE O’NEILL TRADING
AREA.
There are many fundementals,
the principal one of which is the
visible geologic factors, which are
at the present time, causing oil op
erators from Oklahoma and Texas,
to cast “eyes” on this part of Ne
braska.
While outside of the one pro
ducing oil well which is now pro
ducing about 60 barrels of crude oil
each twenty-four hours near Falls
City, in southeastern Nebraska, no
other oil has been located in Ne
braska of the commercial produc
tion category, yet, there are certain
indications, topographical of
course, here in Holt county, which
have again brought the possibility
of commercial recovery of crude oil
from beneath this part of Nebras
ka, to the front once more.
Four major fundementals are
visible here in the O’Neill trading
area, and these are as follows:
(1) To the west of O’Neill and
lying midway between O’Neill and
Atkinson, tnere ues ai aeveiai Hun
dred feet beneath the surface, what
is termed geologicly as the BART
ON ARCH, which also represents
the western terminus of the north
Salina Basin, of which Holt county
■occupies a very prominent part.
Thus a basin, carrying as its com
ponents, several porous limestones,
sandstones and shales, coming un
der the names of Pine Ridge Ter
tiary Sands, Dakota, Lance Creek,
Niobrara, etc., is represented here,
and the strata herein enumerated,
possesses the physical attraction
of perosity necessary, in prehistor
ic times, to attract and to hold
imprisoned within their stratafolds
the crude oil which after evolving
from decayed marine and marine
vegetable matter, migrated to ad
jacent rocks of these types.
(2) The known geologic and ge
ographical factors of the O Neill
area, such' as position of porous
strata beneath the surface of Holt,
Antelope and Boyd counties, seeps
and shows of crude oil which have
appeared from time to time, along
the Elkhom River in sections 4, 3,
2, 11, 12, and 1, of Inman township,
Holt County and other evidences,
are influencing factors in reviving
oil activity in this part of Nebraska.
(3) Fossil remains of such pre
historic marine (sea) life, i. e.
cephalopoda, crinoids, anionites,
tvilobite and other species of Mol
lusca (shells) which have been
found in Holt county, principly in
the areas between O'Neill and the
Niobrara River, and south from
O’Neill near Martha in'Lake town
ship, Holt county, are themselves
good indications of possible recov
ery of cn.de oil onder proper drill
ing operations. These forms of pre
historic marine life, as revealed in
a recent bulletin of the American
Petroleum Institute, created crude
oil. Therefor the very finding of
evidence of this nature, would have
a strong influence in causing leas
ing and later drilling in such areas
as produced lossil remains of these
types.
(4) The state of South Dakota,
through the Rural Credits Board,
has issued orders, to invite major
oil companies to conte into the state
as soon as possible for the purpose
of exploiting the areas lying west
of the Missouri River as to oil and
gas possibilities. Under contracts
which the state of South Dakota
has drawn up, the companies doing
the geologic work and drilling, will
be able to obtain land at 10 cents
per acre. This order will directly
affect the area north from O’Neill
in the vicinity of Butte, Spencer,
Bristow, Lynch and other towns, as
if oil companies take advantage of
this offer, and it is believed that
they will inside of six weeks, they
will include in their field opera
tions, northern Boyd county. Lease
blocks already held in Gregory
county, South Dakota which ad
joins Boyd county, Nebraska,
would be extended to include tfe
Nebraska side. This will have the
tendency to bring any “play" right
up to the back door of O’Neill.
In the fundementals enumerated
and discussed here, it can be plain
ly seen that all evidence points to
activity in the field of petroleum
category for this part of Nebraska
within a few weeks.
TESTS MADE OF SAND IN IN
MAN TOWNSHIP SHOWED OIL
CONTENT.
It might be interesting to know
that on three occasions during the
past two years, that confidential
tests have been made of oil filiment
appearing on the Elkhorn River in
Inman township, and quantities of
sand taken from the sui-face of
sections 4, 3, 2, 11, 12, and 1 of said
township. The sands re-acted fav
orably under a carbon-tetrochloride
test, and revealed about twenty to
twenty-five per cent crude oil, with
parafin base. These findings, how
ever, are not to be mis-construed
by the layman. The location of
“seeps and shows” of crude oil in
areas unproven as to having pos
sibilities of commercial production
Of crude oil, are no indication them
selves, that large amounts can be
found. These “seeps and shows”
merely tell to investigating geolo
gists, that if the surface and sub
surface structural arrangements
are such as to indicate possible re
servoirs beneath, then the “seeps
and shows” are indications that oil
may be located under proper scien
tific drilling operations.
O’NEILL AREA CONSIDERED
GOOD.
The area which radiates from the
city of O’Neill, presents a very
favorable section as to potential
commercial mineral bounties lying
beneath. The topographical plane
of Holt county especially contains
numerous “gas domes” denoting
large amounts of cubic feet of gas
beneath, and lying as it does in the
north Salina Basin, which is now
producing large amounts of crude
oil in Kansas where the southern
area of the basin is located, Holt
county, is believed by investigating
petroleum geologists and represent
atives, to offer one of the best
“bets” for test well drilling as can
be found in Nebraska.
Scouts of major oil companies
have been in the O’Neill area for
the past two weeks looking over
Crippled Children’s Clinic
Will be Held Here May 11
” i
The Crippled Children’s Division
of the State Department of Child
Welfare in cooperation with the
Elks Lodge will hold a Diagnostic |
Clinic in O’Neill in the New Gym
nasium at the High School on Sat
urday, May 11th from 8 A. M. to
4 P. M.
The Clinic is open to any handi
capped child from birth to twenty
one years of age. The local doctors
are urged to refer any cases for
consultation. All reports are re
ferred back to the local doctor.
There will be three specialists
from Omaha and Lincoln to exam
ine the children and make recom
mendations for their care. Miss
Regina Mendel, Medical Social
Worker, will be in attendance al
so to advise with the County Di
rectors and parents on Medical
Social Problems.
Mr. Thad Saunders, Director of
Child Welfare Services for Holt
County, Miss Catherine Gehrman,
Public Health Nurse Consultant,
and Mrs. Lila Graves, Field Super
visor, are making preliminary ar
rangements for the clinic. Children
will be invited from Cherry, Keya
Paha, Brown, Rock, Boyd, Holt,
Knox, Cedar, Antelope, Wheeler,
Garfield and Loup Counties. A free
lunch will be served at noon to the
children and their parents by the
Home Economic Department, un
der the supervision of Miss Lois
Giles.
Further information may be ob
tained from. Mr. Thad Saunders,
Director of Child Welfare in
O’Neill. It is hoped that every
child, whether from a poor or a
wealthy home, with any sort of
medical disability will have the op
portunity to consult specialists in
children’s medicine at this clinic.
Saturday, May 11th is the date
when unusual facilities will be
made available to children of this
district.
Mrs. Catherine Hynes
Dies this Morning,
Funeral Saturday
Mrs. Catherine Hynes died at her
home northeast of this city this
morning at the age of 68 years.
She leaves nine children to mourn
her departure. The funeral will be
held Saturday morning at 9 o’clock
from the Catholic Church. Obitu
ary next week.
The Weather
Soaking rains have visited
O’Neill and Holt County in gener
al the past week, a total of 1.13
having fallen up until seven o’clock
this morning. This brings the to
tal for the month up to 2.63, one
hundredth of an inch above normal
for the month. The rain has been
general all through this section of
the county, and all predictions for
a really wet year seem to be com
ing true with farmers and stock
men much encouraged with the
prospects for a good year.
The weather chart for the past
week follows:
High Low Free.
Thursday. 68 29
Friday - 73 43
Saturday .-.70 49
Sunday .—68 50
Monday - 68 45 .66
Tuesday . 54 34 .10
Wednesday . 48 33
Thursday .. *37
Funeral of John L. Quig
Held Last Friday
The funeral of John L. Quig was
held last Friday afternoon with
services at the residence, Rev. V.
C. Wright of the Methodist church
officiating and burial in Prospect
Hill cemetery. The funeral was
quite largely attended, many of the
old timers of the county coming in
to attend the funeral of this pion- j
eer. I
the country.
NOTE: The origin of crude oil
has recently been ascertained by
studies made of bacteria and other
evidence which is contained in the
core drillings taken from test wells
in producing Illinois Oil Fields.
This information, highly education
al, will be discussed in another ar
ticle appearing exclusively in the
Frontier.
SOUTHEASTERN
BREEZES
By Romaine Saunders
Edwin Markham's classic, “The
Man With the Hoe"—taken up as
a battle ery by labor, has a sort of
majestic beauty and Eflbert Hub
bard’s "Message to Gracia", a
subtle and one-sided bit of piloso
phy. Neither of which seems to
have amounted to a whoop in eas
ing the capitol and labor tension.
Testifying at a congressional
hearing the junior Mr. Ford says
his company can make a good auto
mobile to sell for $500. Why don’t
they?
Maybe those New Yorkers mean
Franklin D. is among the greatest
of American spenders.
Profiting $2.75 by a robbery, two
gents get 25-year sentences. In
some instances we are extremely
zealous in punishing crime.
Bearing the honored title of doc
tor, a gentleman addressing a re
cent session of the American Phil
osophical Society adds his voice to
an ever swelling chorus that
western civilization, as exempli
fied “out where the west begins”
and on to where it ends, is not do
ing so badly. Prairie dwellers per
sue their peaceful walks of life in
friendly cordiality, while the ac
cumulated hatreds, greed and lust
of the ages wields its diabolical
force throughout the older haunts
of culture. If “civilization” goes,
what matters? We still have the
wind-blown prairie stretching in
endless miles, the blue and gold of
bright days, the stars of cloudless
night and God in heaven above.
According to published accounts
a 35,000 acre tract in Custer county
is embodied in a bird-nesting re
fuge to enhance the native bird life
of the state. The promoters of the
plan have the cooperation of land
owners. One of the cherished hopes
is the multiplying of prairie chick
ens. If this is realized, old timers
like John A. Robertson will be mak
ing occasional trips to Custer just
for the thrill that comes when you
are startled by a flutter of wings
as a covey of prairie chickens rais
es in flight.
Forming a passing acquaintance
with those met with on the streets
who are disposed to “talk it over ’
perhaps is a news gathering hab
it. A lot of them around Lincoln
know about Holt county or some
of its people. W. H. True is a pleas
ant gentleman whom I recently
met who inquired if I knew Dr.
Gill at Chambers when he learned
my home is in Holt county. He has
known the doctor for many years
and regards him as one of God’s
noblemen. I told Mr. True we all
felt that way up home.
One, two, three, four, five, six
six of the notable citizens of O’Neill
passed from the scene within a few
short months. And so those who
for forty, fifty, sixty years budded,
flourished, held places of social,
business, political prominence or
moved only in the humbler spheres
came at last into that tragic period
of the aged, gasped briefly and
life’s fitful dream was over. When
I read of one whose acquaintance
friendship- stretches across the
long years of half a century going
to a city hospital it is ominous. The
place to be born, the place to live,
the place to die—home.
CARD OF THANKS
We take this means to express
our sincere appreciation to all the
kind friends an 1 neighbors who
assisted us in any way during the
,I ness and death of our loving hus
band, brother, anil also for the
beautiful floral offerings.
Mrs. Lulu M. Quig, Mrs.
Hattie Bartlett, Mrs. Ella
Mayher, Mr. Issac Guppy.
Mrs. F. J. Barrett and Mrs.
Marie Welsh and son of Greeley,
Nebraska, left Friday for their
home after spending a few days
here visiting at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Larry Barrett.
| Enthusiastic Republicans
Meet In Convention
The republican county conven
tion was held in this city this
morning, convening at 11 a. m.
Notwithstanding the almost impas
sible condition of the roads, there
was a fairly good attendance and
it was an enthusiastic gathering.
The convention was called to
order by D. H. Cronin, county chair
man. Upon motion Mr. Cronin was
elected temporary chairman of the
convention and Ira H. Moss sec
retary. The call for the convention
was read as was also a letter from
Hugh Butler, republican candidate
for United States Senator. Com
mittees on credentials and resolu
tions were then appointed and the
convention adjourned until 1:30 to
permit the committees to perform
their duties.
The convention convened at 2:15
and the report of the credentials
committee was received. The tem
porary organization was made
permanent. The committee on res
olutions made their report, which
was adopted unanimously. The res
olutions will be printed next week,
as the hour was so late when the
convention adjourned that we are
unable to get them into this issue.
D. H. Cronin was re-elected
chairman of the county central
committee and Ira H. Moss secre
tary and members of the county
central committee were chosen
from the several townships after
which 19 delegates were selected to
attend the republican state con
vention to be held in Columbus
next Thursday, May. 2. Walter G.
Sire was called on and made a short
talk to the convention, after which
the convention adjourned.
Congratulations to Music
Teachers of O’Neill High
And Academy
The Frontier joins with the citi
zens of O’Neill in expressing their
appreciation of the work done the
past year by Ira George, band in
structor of the O’Neill High school
and St. Mary’s Academy and to
Miss Marjorie Greybill, vocal
music instructor of the O’Neill
High and to Sister Constance, vocal
and piano instructor of St. Mary’s
Academy.
Concrete example of their work
was furnished last Friday and
Saturday at Fullerton, in the dis
trict music contest, when all of
the students entered in the various
events received mention, and n
total of twelve superiors, fifteen
excellent and six good ratings were
received by the students of both
schools.
O’Neill is justly proud of
its band and we think that it is
the best junior band in this part
of the state, and we hereby extend
congratulations to Mr. George.
Dr. Kubitschek Joins
Hole-In-One Club
While the social season of the
O’Neill Country Club does not start
until the opening dance the latter
part of May, Dr. F. J. Kubitschek
officially opened the golfing sea
son on last Saturday evening, when
he made the fourth hole, the “Bull
Pen” in one, thus becoming a mem
ber of golfdom’s most exclusive
club, the “Hole-in-One Club.” The
shot was, according to witnesses, a
perfect drive, but several minutes
were spent searching for the ball,
until some one thought to look in
the cup. Congratulations Doctor.
American Gear Company
Sponsors Oil Show
The American Gear Company
were sponsors of an Oil Clinic for
independent garage men, car deal
ers and service station owners held
at the Golden Hotel last Monday
evening. They were assisted by
William liackenholz of the Lion
Oil Refining company, who con
ducted the meeting. Despite the
condition of the weather and the
condition of the roads thirty were
in attendance. They were present
from Spencer, Butte, Bristow, At
kinson, Page, Orchard and O’Neill.
After the meeting they all enjoyed
a luncheon.
ST MARY'S ACADEMY AND O'NEILL
HIGH STUDENTS WIN HONORS
The Citizens of O’Neill Have Reason to be proud off
The Record Made By Students From Both Schools
The annual music contest in
which St. Mary’s Academy com
peted was held at Fullerton, Nebr.,
this year on Friday and Saturday
of last week, when the band, under
the direction of Ira George won a
superior rating, which entitles
them to compete in the national
contest, which is to be held at Kan
sas City the second week in May.
The St. Mary’s band was organiz
ed last September by Mr. George,
and the wonderful progress made
under his direction is plainly evi
dent from the rating they received
from the judges in this contest, in
which they were competing against
bands which have been organized
for several years.
In the contests, which were held
at various points in the state, four
ratings were given by the judges,
Average, Good, Excellent and Su
perior, and a superior rating entit
led any of the contestants to enter
the National Contest at Kansas
City.
Following is a list of the other
awards won by the students of St.
Mary’s on both Friday and Satur
day:
Superior Ratings: Robert Shoe
maker, Saxophone Solo; Robert
Parkins, Trombone Solo, and Alma
Wallace, Clarinet Solo.
Excellent Ratings: Lorene Mains,
Saxophone Solo; Jack Morrison,
Baritone Horn Solo; Jack Harty,
Bass Horn Solo; Catherine Finley,
Girl’s high voice; Darleen Weber,
Piano Solo; Verne Coyne, Girl's
medium voice; Eileen Kelly, Girl’s
low voice, and George Hammond,
Boy’s low vbice.
Good Ratings: James Golden,
Cornet Solo, and Lois Kamp, Piano
Solo.
Junior Class Play
Next Monday Nijfht
The Junior Class of the O’Neill
High School will present “Early to
Bed—Early to Rise” April 29 by
special arrangement with the Dra
matic Publishing Company of Chi
cago. “Early to Bed—Early to
Rise” is a comedy in three acts.
CAST
Abbie Fuller Marion Olson
Bobbie Fuller Ted Sirek
Marion Fuller Eileen Robertson
Everitt Fuller Lloyd Snyder
Spanky Minuti Eunice Hunt
Jim Griggs . Lawrence Kirwin
Patsy Fuller La Vern Borg
Daisy Fairfax . Ava Jones
Otto Kirshmeir Maurice Grutsch
Laura Montgomery Edith Lienhart
Here is an All-American family.
Dad is forever inventing contrap
tions like an unbreakable egg crate
that won’t work; Bobby, the young
brother, hates to study but loves
cars; Spanky, the girl across the
alley, is all for steering Bobby in
to marriage—she’s eighteen but
already considers herself to be an
old maid; Marion, the older sis
ter is hopelessly in love with her
boss Mr. Griggs; Aunt Abbie is
frantic, trying to be a cook, moth
er, and general cleaner-upper;
there is the younger sister, Patsy,
who is crazy about pets and has in
her menagerie a skunk and a white
rat, is a staunch friend of the pet
shop owner, old Otto.
Life in general becomes very
complicated when Patsy holds the
lucky ticket for a model house be
ing raffled off, only to find that
her pet parrot has eaten the tick
et. But the parrot hasn’t eaten the
J ticket, and Patsy is ready to move
| her whole family out in the eoun
j try. There Laura, a girl friend
from the South tries to get Mr.
Grigg, old Otto is about to lose his
shop because of no income, so Pat
sy sells her house so she’ll have
j enough money to save her family
from unhappiness. In a mad-cap
I scene she tries to put the Southern
beauty out of the running and to
put Marion back where she belongs
!—with Mr. Grigg. And in a final
scene of furious fun and laughter,
Patsy gets her house again and all
the family is happy again.
I
The O’Neill High School rauaie
department, under the direction
of Ira George and Miss Marjorie
Graybill went to Fullerton, Ne
braska last Friday and Saturday
to compete in the music contest
held there those two days, and
emerged with honors.
Eight superior ratings were a
warded contestants from O’Neill
High and these ratings entitle the
winners to compete in the Kansas
City Division of the National Con
test, which will be held the second
week in May. While at this time it
is not definitely known whether or
not it will be possible for the win
ners to go to Kansas City, it is
hoped that some provision for the
winners of the small groups and
soloists to make the trip, will be
made. The band and the mixed
chorus composed of about sixty
five members will not be able to
So.
Following is the list of superior
ratings won at the contest:
Band, competing in Class B.
(Class is determined upon the en
rollment at the school); Mixed
Chorus; Cornet Trio, Howard
Graves, Dorothy Lowery and Dor
othy Yocum. This comet trio
was the only one competing to win
a superior rating. Clarinet Quar
tette, Lydia Halva, Keith Vincent,
Jerry Toy and Marion Olson; Vo
cal Solo, Girls High Voice, Davenc
Loy; Girls Medium Voice, Geneieve
Graves; Bass Horn Solo, Phil Yar
nall; French Horn, Roy Lundgren.
Excellent Ratings: Clarinet So
lo, Keith Vincent; Cornet Solo,
Howard Graves; Boys Quartette;
Girls Glee Club; Boys Glee Club;
Vocal Solo, Boys Medium Voice,
Donald Bowen; Saxophone Solo,
Robert Mitchell.
Good Ratings: Alto Saxophone
Solo, Bonnie Kurtz; Girls Sextette;
Girls Low Voice, Eileen Robertson;
Clarinet Solo, Lydia Halva.
Inman Students Win
Honors at University
Patricia Watson, junior in the
teachers college, Marjorie Moore,
freshman in the same college and
Gerald Sobotka, sophomore in the
college of business administration,
all of Inman, and students at the
University of Nebraska, were 3 of
the 632 honored for high scholar
ship at the twelfth annual honors
convocation Thursday morning in
the Coliseum. All their averages
placed them in the upper 10 per
cent of their respective classes, and
Sabotka won a William Gold Pri2e
Key in Bus. Ad. Judge Florence Al
len of Cleveland, noted jurist, ad
dressed the group on “The Consti
tution, an instrument of Freedom.”’
E. M. Gallagher Elected
President First National
At a meeting of the Board of Di
rectors, Edward M. Gallagher was
elected President of the First Na
tional Bank of O’Neill, Nebraska,
to fill the vacancy caused by the
death of John P. Mann.
Joe A. Mann was elected a di
rector to complete the Board of
Directors of the bank, which now
is Edward M. Gallagher, H. J.
Birmingham, Ed T. Campbell, Mrs.
E. F. Gallagher and Joe A. Mann.
M. A. Whaley Wins
Award As Safe Driver
M. A. Whaley of O’Neill has won
an award from the Travelers Mu
1 tual Casualty company of Des
Moines for safe automobile driving
for the last year.
The award, which consists of a
shield that goes on the windshield
also carries with it a reduction in
the cost of the insurance for the
next year. If the winner succeeds
in driving another year without an
accident, he will get a two-year
award, with a still further reduc
tion in premium from the Travel
ers company. The policy was writ
ten by G. C. Robertson of O’Neill.
1