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Show DIXIE OIL FIELDS The readers of this paper and of all other papers of Utah were long since made acquainted with the fact that in the extreme southern part of the state we have real oil fields which arc being rcally.workcd and arc producing pro-ducing real oil; in which important respects there is a variance between "Dixie" and other parts of the state and of all other states in this latitude where finds have been made. But how many have heard, read or know anything about the discovery of oil, the circumstances leading up to such discovery or the persons by whom the discovery was made? None at all, we take it; or at the most, very few. It was because of this fact and the interest centering in the subject on its own account, that Truth has taken upon itself the pleasant task of telling the whole story, being aided in so doing by the parties themselves. A few days ago there came to Salt Lake City a prominent attorney of St. George in the person of George R. Lund, and W. J. Smith, one of the most thorough-going and keen-sighted prospectors in the whole western region, which means in the world. Of course they were on oil business, the latter having in hand a deal with Snyder Brothers, who arc becoming heavily concerned in Rio Virgcn land which Smith declares will never ton-' tain a dry well. However, the first locations were by the Virgen River Oil and Development Develop-ment Co., a Nevada corporation of which A. L. Rcmick of Rhyolito is president, C. E. Bush of the same place is secretary and Mr. Lund is attorney. The first named gentlemen gentle-men reached the ground in Jamtary of last year and at once entered into negotiations for land, which they had but little trouble in obtaining concessions con-cessions for. Dr. J. T. Affleck, along with Messrs. Smith and Lund, themselves them-selves the owners of certain ground, acting jointly with certain other owners own-ers made a deal which embraced actual act-ual development; and as the rhyolitc people meant business they soon had the necessary machinery on the ground and at work by July I of this year and on the 14th their enterprising labors were rewarded by striking oil at a depth of 610 feet. They went through the oil-sand encountered thirty thir-ty feet further, and for fear of striking strik-ing a flowing well at greater depth, which their facilities at that time would not have enabled them to control, con-trol, boring was then suspended for the time being. They have new drilling dril-ling machines now on tin. ground and these will be at work within the next twenty days. Mr. Lund is also icsi-dent icsi-dent attorney for other companies; seven drilling machines for which arc now on the way. Now as to the discovery which preceded all this: Prospector W. J. Smith is a native of California and graduated as metal prospector, a field in which lie has covered a tract extending sinuously from Arizona to Alaska and been conspicuously successful. The detection and location of hy- ' dro-carbons was not, however, omitted omit-ted from his curriculum or practice and he invariably kept his "weather eye" out for anything in the line of valuable deposits which might lurk beneath the earth's upper crust. lie Iwgan by looking for cinnabar in California in 1892, incidentally keeping keep-ing a lookout for oil. After a series .. of experiences with varying results embracing a sojourn in the far north, he went to Nevada and at Searchlight received from T. II. Hewlett a sam- ' pic of oil from Virgen City, Utah. Smith immediately put the packs on his burros annd reached that place October 14, 1004. After seeing the oil streaks and not being sure about the indications, he inaugurated an eight months' campaign, extending from the Virgen to the Pahrcah rivers riv-ers and from there to Panguitch, from which he dropped into Cedar valley, where he found an antiklinc or hogback on which he began to pick up oil streaks, these being traced through an unbroken chain to St George valley. The seeps extended from cast to west, connecting with the present oil site at Virgen City. Having thus undoubtedly discovered and determined the oil belt, he started out to enlist capita! for its develop incut, a movement which has met with success. He has no hesitancy about making the broad assertion that the locality in question contains one of the greatest oil belts on the i Pacific coast, and adds that in Virgen ' valley, in an area of thirty miles, it would be impossible to bore out a , dry well. He has the look and manner man-ner of a master of his calling and his ' opinion along with his works is entitled en-titled to much consideration. He is chiefly concerned with what is known as the Williams group of claims, in which the Snyder Brothers as stated are interested and which are known to be fine property; but he has only J words of praise for the other com- ( panics and says stock in them will 1 be if it is not already a great paying fj investment. The whole situation" has a genuine, wholesome look about i- and means that another addition to Utahs wealth-producing resources has come to stay. Mr. Rcmick of Rhyolie, president of the Virgen River Oil and Develop- ! mem company, wh0 drilled the first well in that region, was met in company com-pany with Messrs. Smith and Lund, he being here on the same business as themselves. Also from Milford J came J. II. Keate, formerly engaged in business there and Mr. Hill, conducting con-ducting a real estate and general agen- -fr . cy, who wns or controls land in v every part of the Virgen field. He has had ocular demonstration of a personal and thorough character, and has but one regret to ofTer in connexion con-nexion ivn the Dixie bonrnza that Salt Lakers are permitting so many holdings, now considered among the choicest, to go out of the state but more particularly to Nevada which of late has been giving us. such a hard run for mining supremacy. This uocs ' not say that the opportunities arc altogether overlooked here, for they are not; a considerable number of our local capitalists and a goodly bunch of Utah money arc already hitched up in the Southern country, but not to the extent there was and is a J chance for. However, the business J goes steadily along and there is no question that a goodly share of Virgcn (4 oil dividends will fall within the borders of Utah. |