Show 1 thinks maybe our Cliff dweller ancestors should be given credit for finding local oil field local people who are familiar with the early history of the development of the colorado river oil structures and who know that H W C prommel was the first geologist who gave the river oil domes than mere passing notice have been somewhat amused at the claims of discovery put forth by other geologists they will therefore get a kick out of reading the following letter received by the times inde pendent from mr prommel falls texas march ath 1926 mr loren L taylor editor the times independent moab utah my dear mr taylor I 1 have just received your times independent vol 52 number 8 issued thursday february 1926 and note by the article on page 8 that are other discoverers of the colorado river structures copy of a written by me to mr A J haz att editor of the inland oil index of casper wyoming I 1 hope that you can spare the time to read that letter in its entirety and as far as I 1 am concerned you can publish it in your paper in its entirety As a matter of fact there may have been a score of people who during a hasty reconnaissance or quick noticed the folding along the colorado river there is however more truth than colleys conleys Con leys letter for the party in charge of myself and sir H E crum was the only party which spent more than a day or two in fact nearly three months along ane colorado and mapped the structures in detail ever since 1920 I 1 hae leen and still am in timi tely connected with the drilling of the test well on these structures and it was only through certain sacrifices on m part under considerable duress that the contract of april 26 1924 which assured the drilling of a tet well did not fall through in it entirety I 1 am therefore ready to meet all comers who believe that they are responsible for starting activities in the colorado river country with kindest personal regards very truly yours HAROLD W C PROMMEL wichita falls texas february 1926 mr A J hazlett editor the inland oil index casper wyoming my deir mr in mail I 1 received a letter from mr T C conley of green river utah together with a clipping of your article cane creek has two more papas mr con leys letter is so interesting and amusing that I 1 am quoting t herewith denver colorado feb 1926 dear tel see the attached article it might be well to advise mr E B amrick that when it cornea to being the REAL PAPA of structures on the colorado river for emrick not to lose sight of the fact that certain pictures exist from days of 1907 to 1908 when excursions were run on nver from green down green river and up the grand colorado to and that many comments vere made those days in regard to rainbow up on walls of grand river also T C colleys conleys Con leys first visit via horseback in august 1918 through region mentioned waa made of structure conditions and H L rath and fred strong talked of it joe Biddle corob cattleman with headquarters at robbers roost utah told T C conley in august about arches also E J wolverton M E wrote about the arches or structures in general region in the fall of 1903 so when it conas to REAL PAPAS we better consult navajo george chief of the navajo indians who probably learned of the arches from the cliff dwellers as one can see plenty of hieroglyphics on th canyon walls but the fact remains that prommel mapped the structures put the deal over and got a well best wishes prommel yours truly T C conlea I 1 hereby wish to gracefully retire from the honor of one of the discoverers of the colorado nver anticlines anti clines and believe with roy friend conley that this honor should be bestowed upon our antediluvian ancestors I 1 understand that the national geographic society is to start an expedition into southeastern utah its members will no doubt tell us the whole truth after ciphering the indian writings on the canyon walla and give us the version of the earliest geologists regarding the arches in the colo rado river country gratefully yours HAROLD W C PROMMEL |