The Frontier
VOL. LX O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1940 NUMBER 51
LIFE FROM WHICH OIL EVOLVED
ONCE INHABITED LARGE INLAND SEA
Which Covered What is Holt County and O’Neill
Area, Millions of Years Before the Advent of Man.
Fossil Remains of Sea and Plant Life Found In This
Part of Nebraska, Gives Evidence that Oil is Here.
Exclusive to the Frontier by
Ray E. Colton, D. Sc., Oil and Gas
Science Writer.
NOTE
In another article of this series,
the writer pointed out the visible
evidence which appears in Holt
and adjoining counties, which
makes the potential recovery of
crude oil under proper drilling op
erations, possible in this part of
Nebraska. In this article, informa
tion rarely revealed to the reading
public is presented for your en
tertainment and education. Facts
given here are based on actual
field research of major oil produc
ing companies, and from findings
of the American Petroleum Insti
tute. Republishing of any of the
wording of this article by any
other newspaper, is prohibited.
RAY E. COLTON
WHAT IS OIL?
Until six months ago, the true
origin of crude oil was not known,
but recent laboratory and field
scientific research work on the
part of the staffs of major oil
companies coupled with findings
of the American Petroleum Insti
tute, have clarified this mystery,
which has existed ever since the
ancient Persians and Greeks dis
covered the ‘‘dirt that burns” as
they termed it. The term petroleum
as applied to crude oil is derived
from the Greek words Petro mean
ing petrol, and Oleum, meaning
rock, in other words “rock oil”.
The theory held by some laymen,
namely; that oil was evolved from
the remains of giant dinosaurs
“terrible lizards”, which roamed
Nebraska and elsewhere during
-the Triassic-Jurassic periods of
the major Mesozoic geologic era,
or from colossal whales and other
mammals which swam the long
vanished seas of Paleozoic geo
logic times, about three hundred
million years ago, is decidedly un
likely. In the first place there was
not sufficient of these form^ of
reptilian and mammal life on the
earth at any time to cause any
large accumulation of oil, and sec
ondly, as it has been established
by field work, that fossil remains
of these forms of prehistoric life
are usually found in terrestrial or
land formations, it certainly ap
pears that this theory would be
blasted, as these formations are
unsuitable for any commercial ac
cumulation of crude oil.
The findings of science in re
spect to the true origin of crude
oil, are as follows;
The inorganic theory of oil’s
origin.
This theory is based on tne
fact that chemical reactions re
sulting from gases buried deep in
the earth, which, when cooled at
the surface, result in petroleum,
especially the action of deep-seated
water upon deep-buried carbides
of iron and nickle. The gaseous
emanations from volcanoes ap
pears to bear out this theory, but
the geological evidence of com
mercial oil occurences fails to sup
port this theory. So we will elimin
ate this theory, which while hav
ing some merit, yet fails to fit
into the recent findings as to oil’s
true origin.
The organic theories as to oil’s
origin, have recently been accept
ed as ’final by the field petroleum
industry of the world.
These theories fall under the
three following classes:
1- Origin of oil from marine veg
etable material.
2- Origin of oil from marine an
imal material.
3- The combination of both mar
ine animal and marine vegetable
material.
The word marine is used as the
occurence of oil is closely related
to sediments which carry marine
fossil remains. Evidence of oil’s
evolvement from organisims of
marine and vegetable matter is
plainly shown by the minute mar
ine diatoms, seaweed, and other
sea life, which appear during test
well drilling for oil. *
During the drilling of the Paw
nee Royalty Company’s R. H. Boice
No. 1, located three miles west of
Falls City, Nebraska, and which
is now producing commercial
amounts of crude oil, which are
taken to the refinery of the Searles
Refining Corporation at Omaha,
numerous fossil remains of mar
ine shell life, appeared as further
evidence that marine life must
have caused the formation of the
crude oil in prehistoric geologic
times. Until new evidence, having
concrete basis is presented, the
marine-vegetable matter as caus
ing oil, will continue to be ac
cepted by the petroleum industry.
HOW OIL FORMED
Oil formed first from the dying
marine and marine veietable matter
into what are termed as “source
beds”. Finally, after lying dormant
for countless centuries, during
which time the organisims of the
dead marine and plant life fer
mented, the petroliferous mass, i.
e. crude oil, began to migrate to
what are termed as “adjacent por
ous" rocks. The movement which
caused this migration, as has been
determined by recent field work
in producing oil fields, was prin
ciply one of hydrostatic pressure of
concealed gases, however, such
forces as earth movements and in
duration and dehydration of the
oil mass, could also have been con
tributing factors to the migration.
ROCKS MUST BE POROUS
In order that the rocks attract
ing the oil from its source beds
be able to hold the matter, they
must be porous as well as perme
able, and such reservoirs must be
encassed in what is termed geo
logicly as impermeable strata, that
is rocks having the physical at
traction of perosity, such as lime
stones, sandstones and shales. This
is necessary, in order that the at
tracted mass may have freedom of
movement within the strata, but
have no escape from it. From what
can be determined by surface stud
ies made in Holt County and area
radiating from O’Neill, this fav
orable condition no doubt exists
beneath this part of Nebraska.
GEOPHYSICAL TEST IS PLAN
NED FOR HOLT AND ADJOIN
ING COUNTIES
Information recently reaching
the writer, who is in close touch
with major and independent oil
operators in Tulsa, Oklahoma
City, Dallas, Houston and othef
oil centers, is to the effect, that
several of the operators will take
advantage of South Dakota’s re
cent request that exploitation for
oil search be started west of the
Missouri River, and that these op
erators will seek acreage in Boyd
and Holt counties, Nebraska for a
field seismograph test using the
gravitational system of geophysics.
The seismograph is a very delicate
scientific instrument, formerly us
used for the purpose of registering
earthquakes. It is now used along
with succesive charges* of dyna
mite, which create an artificial
earthquake, and register the re
flection of echoes coming from be
neath the earth, which in turn are
carried to a revolving cylinder lo
cated inside of the seismograph.
Thus the correct position of under
lying strata which may contain oil
“pools” are located, and acreage
believed suitable for test well drill
ing purposes, are selected from the
area which has registered the best
reports from beneath the surface.
The whole system is based on re
flection of sound, and it has been
instrumental in developing some
of the largest oil fields of Texas,
Kansas, Oklahoma and Illinois. A
test of this type was responsible
Resolutions Adopted At
Republican Convention
At the republican county con
vention held in this city the follow
ing resolutions were adopted by
the convention.
We. the duly elected delegates
of the Republican party in Holt
County, Nebraska, in convention
assembled at O’Neill, Nebraska,
this 25th day of April, A. D., 1940,
with a full realization of the many
serious questions confronting the
nation and state today, hereby
adopt the following Resolutions.
I. Resolved: that we hold the
Republican party to be the party
of peace, progress and achieve
ment; the party best suited to lead
the country out of the present mor
ass of debt, unemployment and
bureaucracy. The only party that
has and will protect the country
and its constitutional liberties.
II. We condemn the failure of
the present administration to re
duce the costs and functions of
government, as promised, and call
attention to the enormous increase
in the functions and cost of gov
ernment. We direct attention to
the historical fact that in our
whole history Republican admin
istrations have paid the debt in
curred while the Democrats were
in power.
III. We condemn the great in
crease in bureaucracy and in com
missions, boards and bureaus cre
ateo and fostered by the present
State and Federal administrations;
we condemn the vast centraliza
tion of powei in Washington and
in Lincoln fostered and encourag
ed by the present democratic ad
ministrations; we condemn the
vesting of legislative and judicial
powers in administrative boards,
bureaus, commissions and agencies.
We advocate a decentralization 01
gcvernment and a return thereof
to the people, together with a re
turn of legislative power to the
legislature and judicial powers to
the Courts.
IV. We endorse the candidacy of
all Republican Senatorial and Con
gressional nominees, together with
all of the Republican nominees for
State and County offices and Rec
ommend them to the voters as ca
pable and economical and devoted
to the American theory of Govern
ment and we pledge them our
hearty support.
V. We heartly endorse the can
didacy of Dwight Griswold for
Governor. We direct attention to
the fact that he is a resident of
northern Nebraska, thoroughly
familiar with the troubles, prob
lems and needs of the entire State
and its people, including those en
gaged in farming and stock rais
ing. His many years experience in
the Legislature, together with his
business experience, particularly
qualify him for this office at this j
time.
VI. We recommend our candi- j
date for the United States Senate,!
Hugh Butler, and heartily com- j
mend him to all voters. He has been ;
farmer, laborer and merchant and
is familiar with and sympathetic
to all the many problems of each.
VII. We condemn the present
primary system and advocate its
amendment so that a convention
of the party may, prior to the pri
mary, examine the qcalifications
of the several candidates who as
pire for the offices to be filled, and
by vote recommend to the party
those most qualified and capable.
VIII. We affirm our belief in
the American tradition which lim
its the tenure of the President of
the United States to two terms.
IX. We invite all citizens who
believe in the American system of
free democratic government, ad
ministered with honesty, efficiency,
courtesy and economy, to support
the Republican candidates.
Arthur J. Runnels,
Frank Nelson,
G. E. Moor,
H. L. Barita,
Ira H. Moss,
Julius D. Cronin.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Sauers en
tertained their bridge club at a
seven o’clock dinner at the Bakery,
followed by cards at their home on
Wednesday evening.
for the location of the producing
oil well near Falls City in south
eastern Nebraska.
Standard Oil Company of Cal
ifornia appears to be most inter
ested here, and it is the opinion of
the writer that if any test wells are
drilled, this company will be the
one which does the drilling. The
scouts of this company have been
very active in western Nebraska
this year, and also in northwestern
South Dakota. They have also been
here in Holt County, as stated be
fore.
Yes, Oil and natural gas are now
believed possible of recovery from
beneath this part of Nebraska, and
seeps and shows which have
been found along the Elkhorn Riv
er in Inman township, Holt County,
are influencing factors in coming
activity.
The Weather
The weather the past week has
been very cold with exceedingly
high winds blowing practically
every day, and some moisture fall
ing on Saturday and Sunday, bring
ing the total for April to 3.26.
Small grain is in good condition
and most of the farmers are gett
ing ready to plant corn, the ground
being in a better spring planting
condition than for several years.
A comparison between the years
1939 and 1940 is shown below:
1939 1940
January . 34 .29
February .._... .99 .69
March .99 2.50
April . 1.47 8.26
The weather chart for the past
week follows:
High Low Free.
Thursday .48 39
Friday .48 38
Saturday ..60 46 .51
Sunday .69 50 .03
Monday ..69 42
Tuesday .5>1 35
Wednesday .68 31
Special Music Program
Next Tuesday Evening
A special music program will be
presented by St. Mary’s and O’Neill
High students on Tuesday, May 7,
at 8 p. m., hi the new high school
auditorium, with a new stage and
curtains just installed. The ad
mission will be 10 and 25c. The
proceeds of this program will be
used to help send music contest
ants from both schools to the Na
tional Contest at Kansas City.
Following is the program:
Trumpet Trio, Howard Graves,
Dorothy Lowery, Dorothy Yocum.
“The Golden Trumpets” by Egy
meyer. „ ,
Saxophone Solo, Robert Schu
macher. “Danse Hongroise", by
Hagar-Weidoeft.
Vocal Solo, Gisievieve Graves.
“Ich Liebe Dich" by Grieg and
“Ho Mr. Piper” by Curran.
Bass Solo, Philip Yarnall. “Beel
zebub” by Cartozzi.
Clarinet Quartette, Keith Vin
cent, Lydia Halva, Marion Olson
and Jerry Toy. “Country Dance”l
by Krenek. „ , .
Trombone Solo, Robert Parkins, j
“Thoughts of Yesterday” by Clay
Smith.
French Horn Solo, Roy Lund
gran. “Friendship” by Gottwald.
Vocal Solos, Davene Loy. “Rose
In Bud” by Forester and ‘‘The
Nightingale has a Lyre of Gold
by Whepley.
Clarinet Solo, Alma Wallace.
“Caminando” by Endresen.
Combined O’Neill High and St.
Mary's High School Bands. March.
“Monarch” by Olivadoti and a
novelty march, “On the Mall by
Goldman. . , ...
Combined Bands and Mixed
Chorus, “Onward Ye Peoples by
Sibelius. . ...
Every student appearing on this
program has qualified to partici
pate in the National Regional Con
test to be held at Kansas City, Mo.,
on Mav 9, 10 and 11. Every number
presented by soloists or small
groups is from the National Con
test list for 1940.
Vocational Ag. Students
Make Good Showing
Wednesday morning, twelve vo
cational agriculture students and
Prof, and Mrs. Mathis left for the
Vocational Agriculture contest at
Lincoln.
This was the largest contest ev
er held in Lincoln, as there were
over 800 boys from 65 schools. All
of the boys had very keen compe
tition.
The students, when not working,
went sightseeing in Lincoln. They
went through the state eapitol
building and many other places of
interest in the eapitol city of our
state.
The results of the contest were
announced at the close of the ban
quet Friday evening. In the egg
grading contest John Schmidt re
ceived a ninth place ribbon; the
dairy management team, Clifford
Burival and George Hendricks won
a sixth place ribbon; Maurice
Grutsch received a second place
ribbon in judging hogs.
The boys from this city did very
good work, considering that this
was their first year in Vocational
Agriculture. Several schools have
been in it over ten years. The boys
hope to do better next year.
C. E. Jones made a business trip
to Kearney on Monday.
4-H Leaders Meet
With the 1940 4-H program well
under way in Holt county, leaders
training meetings in home econom
ics clubs will be given by Miss
Verna C. Glandt at the Stuart Li
brary on Wednesday, May 8, and in
the assembly room of the court
house in O'Neill on Thursday, May
9. The training meetings will start
at 10:00 A. M. and finish at 3:00
P. M.
All home economics 4-H leaders
are invited and they will receive
material which will be very help
ful in cycle projects.
This year promises to be one of
the best girls 4-H club years the
county has had and leaders will
profit by attendance at these
meetings.
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to take this means of
expressing our thanks to our kind
friends and neighbors for their
help and sympathy during the ill
ness and death of our mother.
The Hynes Family.
O’Neill Drug Company
Opened For Business
The O’Neill Drug Company op
ened their doors this morning,
ready to take care of the medicinal
needs of the people in thiB section
of the state. While we have a new
drug store, in name as well as lo
cation, it is still owned by Charles
E. Stout, who has been engaged in
the drug business in this city for
over a quarter of a century. He
will be assisted in the store by John
V. Sullivan, an O’Neill boy who
started in the drug business under
Mr. Stout a good many years ago
and since then has worked in many
of the classiest drug stores in
Omaha and Chicago, having been
for ten years in the latter city.
John will be the manager of the
new store and he and Charles will
make a team that are bound to go
places in the drug business in this
section of the state.
Their store has been redecorat
ed, and its shelves are stocked with
goods, of various brands, making
one of the most complete stocks
that was ever brought to this sec
tion of the state. If it is supposed
to be found in a drug store, you
can find it here and their constant
aim will be to please. The Fron
tier extends congratulations to the
O’Neill Drug and hope that their
fondest dreams will be realized.
NOTICE
Bids will be received by the City
Council for a man to work on the
streets. A man only. No team. Bids
will be received on or before May
7, 1940, at 8 p. m., and opened at
the Council meeting on that date,
at the City Council Chambers.
Turkey Raisers Meet
Here Last Friday
About fifty turkey raiserg of
this county were in O’Neill last
Friday and attended a meeting at
the Golden Hotel, sponsored by the
O’Neill hatchery, which was ad
dressed by staff members of Dr.
Salsbury’s Laboratories of Charles
City, Iowa. The meeting started
at 10 o’clock Friday morning and
continued until 5 o’clock in the
afternoon. Poultry dealers here
say that it was the most successful
meeting ever held in this city.
It is estimated that there are
about 250,000 turkeys in this
county, so it can readily be seen
that the raising of turkeys has
become one of the prominent in
dustries of the county and it was
only a few years ago that 5,000
turkeys could not be found in the
entire county. Those in attendance
at the meeting Friday were high
ly delighted with the program pre
sented and extended their thanks
to the O’Neill Hatchery for mak
ing the meeting possible.
Mrs. R. R. Smith and Mrs
Harry Clauson entertained their
bridge club at a dessert luncheon
at the home of Mrs. Smith on
Wednesday evening. Mrs. C. J.
Gatz winning high, Mrs. Edward
Gatz winning low and Mrs. O. M.
Herre, the traveling prize.
One of the Real Pioneers
Passes Away Thursday
Mrs. Catherine Hynes died at her
home northwest of this city last
Thursday morning, after an illness
of several years, of cancer, at the
age of 68 years, 2 months and 16
days. The funeral was held last
Saturday morning from the Cath
olic church in this city, Rev. Father
Parr officiating and burial in Cal
vary cemetery, at the side of her
husband who passed away in No
vxember, 1904. Notwithstanding
the condition of the roads, which
were made almost impassible by
the heavy rains, the funeral was a
very large one, practically all of
the people in the northern part of
the county, braving the muddy
roads to come to O’Neill to pay
tribute to this old pioneer and
friend.
Catherine Kelly was born at
Morristown, N. J., on February 9,
1872, and came to this county with
her parents in 1878, her family
being among the pioneer settlers
in the northern part of the county
and she grew to womanhood in
this county. On October 18, 1886,
she was united in marriage to
Austin Hynes, the ceremony being
performed in this city. Nine child
ren were born to this union, all of
whom are living and are left to
mourn the passing of a kind and
affectionate mother and advisor.
The children are: Mrs. Louis Sulli
van, Pasco, Wash.. John Hynes,
O’Neill; Dennis Hynes, Atkinson;
Mathew, Austin, Bernard, Mrs.
Pearl Engelgan and William, of
O’Neill; Mrs. P. J. Dillon, Grand
Coulee, Wash.
Mrs. Hynes was one of the real
pioneers of the county, having been
a resident of the county for sixty
two years, in fact all of her life
except six years, as she was but
six years of age when her parents
came to the county. She endured all
the hardships and vicissitudes of
the pioneers, but persevered and
finally won success. She was a
remarkable woman. Her husband j
passed away thirty-six years ago,
leaving her with a family of nine
children, all in their teens. Others
would have quailed at the task of
raising this family, but not Mrs.
Hynes, she kept her family togeth
er and brought them up to be good
and useful citizens of the commun
ity. Shortly after her strenuous
life of taking care of the little
ones was ended she was attacked
with an incurable illness and short
ly passed away. A noble mother
has passed away and she will be
mourned, not only by her immed
iate family, but by a host of friends
in the county.
Time About Up For
Taking Of Census
In a letter received from Mrs.
Ina B. Bosse, district supervisor,
bureau of the census, Norfolk,
Nebr., under date of April 29, she
states that the time for completing
the census is nearly up, and that
as it is the wish of the census
bureau to enumerate every one,
man, woman and child, anyone who
think that he has not been counted,
will please drop a card to the dis
trict office of the census bureau,
Norfolk, Nebraska, and arrange
ments will be made to have some
one call. We think that O’Neill
has grown considerably in the past
ten years and as it is to the best in
terests of the community to have
every one enumerated, if, for any
reason you haven’t been counted,
or think you haven’t been, drop a
card to Norfolk.
Mr. and Mrs. Orley Straney, of
Garden City, Kansas, left for their
home Tuesday morning, after visit
ing here at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Flora Lewis and Mr. and Mrs.
Ray Eidenmiller.
Mrs. John Grutseh received word
Saturday that her aunt, Mrs. Chas.
Allen, had passed away that morn
ing at the home of her son-in-law,
Dr. C. E. Mickel at St. Paul, Minn. |
Mr. and Mrs. Allen were residents
of Holt county many years and
made frequent trips back to the
old home town. Mrs. Allen was
a charming lady and had many j
warm friends around O’Neill, who,
will be saddened by her death.
SOUTHEASTERN
BREEZES
4k
By Rommine Saunders
If you are inerested in the statis
tical figures of debt and expendi
tures here is the picture: In 1932:
the national government yearly ex
penditure totaled four and a half
billion dollars with the debt stand
ing at nineteen and a half billion.
In 1940 the debt stands at 43 bil
lion with a yearly expenditure of
nineteen and a half billion. One
billion a year is the interest bill.
The New Deal’s “more abudnnfe
life.”
A linotype slug got lost from
this column last week, rendering
one paragraph something of a
jumble. Printers have such calam
ities overtake their compositions
daily but if it is not involved in a
costly commercial job they are
lucky. In the paragraph mention
ed I quoted a doctor of philosophy
as saying “ western civilization is
doomed.” The correction, “west
ern civilization” as it is out here
is not doing badly.
If my memory this last day of
April is reliable—and I think it is
—there was rain practically every
day during April, 1894. And there
never was a worse summer in Holt
county. A soggy, wet day in April
of that year a small group of men
were at the old E. M. Ward barn
on East Douglas street complain
ing about the weather. The late
Joe Hunter prophetically spoke up:
“It will be dry enough this sum
mer.” Came May, June, July— a
summer of furnace heat and with
ering winds. And on into August
and early autumn and then winter
and still no moisture since those
wet days in April. And years after
with abundance of rain when some
were again disposed to complain
of the weather, Dan Cronin saht
that no one who had seen the
drought of '94 should kick about
too much rain.
The sale of a 32-acre ranch in
Sheridan County reminds me of
a Lincoln citizen who came here
after disposing of his ranch in
Thomas county to try his hand at
business in the city. lie found it
more work than profit and has en
deavored to buy the ranch back at
an advance in price, but the own
er declines to sell. Somehow when
one has lived out there in the cat
tle country he finds himself a mis
fit elsewhere. And ranchers who
come into the state capitol look
with envy on the magnificent
growth of grass at the state house
grounds. The dense carpet of deep
green spread around our matchless
state house is itself a fascinating
scene in the fresh beauty of early
spring.
A 33-year-old as the keynoter
and one under forty as the likely
nominee at the G. O. P. National
Convention bespeaks for vim and
vigor as the republican ranks form
for onslaught on the New Deal.
Our primary is not so much a
system for the selection from the
j conglomerate mass the best timber
for public office, but rather »
means of expressing personal likes
and dislikes for our neighbors.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Martin and
! son, Allen, entertained 16 guests
at dinner Sunday at their home to
celebrate the birthday of her
mother, Mrs. Charles Wrede. Those
present were Mrs. F. J. Lansworth
and son John of O’Neill; Mr. and
Mrs. Clarence Wrede and family,
of Opportunity, Nebr.; Mr. and
Mrs. W. R. Easton and son Charles
of Fremont, Nebr.; and Mr. and
Mrs. Earl W'rede and family of
O’Neill.
Matt Ernest, one of the pioneers
of this county, suffered a paralytic
stroke while in town yesterday af
ternoon and is quite seriously ill at
the home of his daughter-in-law in
this city. Matt's many friends hope
that he will speedily recover.
Edward Quinn left Sunday for
Grand Island, to resume his stud
■ ies there after spending the past
I week here with his parents, Mr.
1 and Mrs. E. F. Quinn.