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Ei^-i 1 J. j.: t 1 ? v" * rA Grand Canyon Marvel ' Where the Grand Can, . ' yon la Grande at World's Premier Scenic Beg ion ? Suddenly Produces a Neu) Development of the Grea I est Economic Interest to the Entire Nation. <*24^ VR2 U. 8. Senator Cameron " Just Room for th* Derrick By JUD60N C. WELLIVfcR r=HHB Grand Canyon of the Coloi | rado Itlvor, widely regarded Lon en the world's most Imposing / WHEW natural wonder, has suddenly t&ken on a new and startling Interest. A few years ago, when it was as inaccessible as the North Pole, John Wesley Powell won fame by making the first trip through it. A little iatef another adventurer conceived opening a trail from the canyon's rlpi down to the river, a mile below. It seemed grotesque, but the impossible was accomplished, and Its nccompMshmene has made the canyon's Innermost won ders accessible to thousands of tourists each year. They?come f-rojn-WH-quarters of the world every season In gTeater numbers to traverse the | Bright Angel Trail. That trail is truly a monument to the daring and devotion of its "builder, lie worked; at It for ten years, almost without help : or financial backing, at one period spending almost half a year alone In the vast gorge. Hut today Ralph Cameron, builder of the Bright Angel Trail, occupying a seat in the United States Senate voted to him by the people of Arizona, has htsN reward. Greatest Artificial Lake But the conqtfffl of the canyon had , hardly been realised when the engineers discovered a new use for It. At , Boulder Canyon, Arizona, the greatest , da?n In tho world, a third of a mile high, should Impound a lake which, | spreading over a great area in Arizona and Utah, would he, next to Lake j Michigan, the largest fresh water body | entirely within the United States. | Harnessed to mighty turbines, the wa- | ter, falling hundreds of feet, would | produce a power greater.than Niagara, and Irrigate an area several times that | of the Nile Basin, wlrich served for < uncounted centuries as granary of the j ancient world. - I The Boulder Canyon dam has not < yet been built, but the peoplo of the i Southwest are as confident of its con? I struct ion as that the Colorado will i continue to flow between Us giant i 1 walls. I < Now comes a new chapter in the < romance of the Colorado. The In- I tropid "wildcatters" of the oil Indus- i try, scouting for new sources of petroleum, have brought In an oil well right tn the canyon! Drilling front a narrow shelf at the gorge's bottom, they ' , have overcome unbelievable obstacles. Perpendicular walla of rock grimly forbade construction of road or trail to transport machinery and supplies. 1 Prom the river a succession of rock 1 walls rise tn gargantuan terraces to a * height of 3,000 feet. The "Great American Desert" The little Mormon town of Moab, | eighteen miles up-stream, is the near- ? est supply base. But Moab Is not a J railroad town; a drive of forty-miles le { still required to reach the Denver & Jtlo Grande railroad. Salt I^ake CUjr * Is 25Q miles away, to the northwest. Standing at the foot of the derrick ? which marks the site of the new aMl well, <?ne> hark 1s fairly-against arT 800 foot clUT. which is matched by an- j J other Immediately across the river. ! looking up, one imagines that if he j [ conld climb one of these walls he : . would be "outside." But, trying this.; hs finds himself on a plateau or ter- ^ race, with another cllfT a little way ahead. To climb this, In turn, would >pnty bring'nim face to face with still,! r another cliff,-and so on till he had!' tnaanted full S,000 feet from the river. Vj Not only must this suecuaalon of tt cliffs be mounted, but to traverse the" 1 rock terracoa, gashed and torn, is only t loaa difficult. And finally, thp ascent 1 to the outer rim accomplished, one confronts a wast* of ridged, a earned I and boulder-strewn desert, endless save for dtptant mountain peak*. jsrstjii j^ /f flat-bottomed boat ahd floated down from Moab. it was a daring perform* anoe, for the stream twists constantly; unseen rocks and shifting bars add to Its difficulties, and the canyon's per* pendicular walls threaten instant wreck. But it was done. Materials were brought, a derrick reared, machinery Placed, a camp built and drilling begun. Now, with oil flowing from a depth of 2,035 foet. the Crane Creek well is suddenly the woflder of the wholo intermount-ain country. A Maze of O1 faculties J"ust about a year from the beginning of drilling the well begun to flow, with every indication that when the drill goes somewhat deeper Into the producing sand it will he an Important producer. For the present, drilling has been suspended, awaiting provision for taking the oil away, ft is doubtful if in all the history of the 600,000 wells that have been drilled in thl3 country, largely in regions difficult of access, any one has ever pre*sented such a category of obstacles as this canyon well lit Utah. How the"11 will ho transported to a refinery is still sheer guess work, but a way will be found, for the ingenuity and resources of the oil engineers have never failed. The "bringing In" of ftiis well lllus trates the difficulty of petroleum development, Convinced that the geological structure was particularly favorable, the projectors determined to gamble $75,000 on drilling. Before they got oil they had spent more than twice that. v o Fo^ years wells have been drilling In various parts of the stato?fully 200 in all?at* a cost of probably 15,000.000, and this canyon well is the tlrst real producer! It is only by dint 3f such persistence in coping with mtural obstacles and financial hazards :hut the country's supply of oil is maintained. The fl>st oil well in fVestern Pennsylvania became a prolucer Ht the depth of 69V4"feet, Nowaiays wells a mile deep are not uncommon. and they have gone down as far is a mile and a half. Every Well is a Gamble A large proportion of wells produce nothing whatever and represent total loss, it was recently estimated that In the last twelve and a half years H,200.000,000 was sunk In wells which were failures. Despite every effort of icience, engineering and long experience, and notwithstanding the stupen1ous depths now reached, 25 per cent )f wells last year were dry. The "wildcatter" is the Columbus of >11. He is to petroleum, to gasoline, o the fuel supply of the country's 10.000,000 automobiles, what the old inie gold prospector was to building h-> empire of the far west. He Is esicntlally a gambler; good loser or ? rood winner. The lure of enormous vlnnlngs keeps him tirelessly searches. and sometimes he finds his recard, Ft* in theuig^regatc. offsetting ill winnings against the total cost of his engros*?g gamblo, It Is not Improbable that nil the oil that has been aken from tfle soil of this country rom the beglnninc cost more than its rodueers got for it. * + A World in the BiQ Game But their huge gamble Is the basts >n which the whole industry rests The ice-bound Arctic and the fever estertng tropic Jungles alike attract he hardy "wildcatter." To them the world owes Its newest and beat In transport by iand, sea and air. They help light Ite homea and street a. proride an astonishing share of Its power, furnish an endless Ilat of necessaries which are by product* of petroleum. The "wildcatter* . Is well nigh tfia _ Atlas of thta laodera meckaalsed ' ~ world. ? ' r / -rv : f_ - Tliffifyvtfifif Judge Smith Will Not Make Race. ? r , . w .' .f ' ' * i r It will be a source of regret to hla? many friends throughput Kershaw county and the state to learn that Former Judge Mendel L. 'Smith has withdrawn from the race for the House of Representatives from this county. The decision to retire came yesterday after a long deliberation. Judge Smith has a growing practice And he does not feel that he is doing himself and family justice to sacrifice the time usually taken up by the long drawn out sessions of that body. This does not mean that he will retire completely from politics and his friends will he glad to Know that he may in the future offer for some of the larger offices of public service. His statement given to the press yesterday addressed to the Democratic voters of Kershaw county follows: , V 1 ' ? i I , 'I I. in I ~ ' 1 1 t " ' t ? ?~7 "As was understood at the time I made my announcement a* a candidate for the House of Representatives by my friend* who suggested the same, it was with the reservation that a more serious consideration would have to be given to the matter before a final determination^ XL is needless for me to delay such decision longer as it will be practically impossible for me to make the race "in justice to myself, family and busU ness. My engagements .are such that I could only witji difficulty attend some of the county campaign meetings and in these late years, if elected, the sessions of the legislature are so long drawn out as. to deprive me of about one-fourth of the year's work at a busy season. As I am alone dependent on my practice I do not feel thaf I can make this further sacrifice and it is extremely gratifying to me to know that my friends duly appreciate my situation. For the past twenty-five years TFTmuT been my greatest pleasure to serve the people of the county when they de* sired it, and no one can appreciate more deeply than I this constant esteem and confidence. j J?i?. , m i u j-"It ia not my nuraowe a* I now fee), to retire from public life and if health and circumstances permit I hope at some time in the fatare to offer for a more. responsible public service if the people of the state think rae capable and wish it." _ ' ' - ' Attention, Fanners ' We have on hand about fourteen tons of Sulphate of Ammonia. This can be used in place of Nitrate of Soda, except that it is about 25 per cent stronger in Ammonia. We will be glad to dispose of this at less than market price. Call at > * . .. . c Redfearn Motor Co. ' ' -Ford Dealers Camden, S. C. I I " Vacation Timel TRY THE COOL PLACES I ."In the :/ I SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN % MOUNTAINS I WESTERN NORTH CAROUNA EASTERN TENNESSEE l i AND I NORTH GEORGIA "THE LAND O OR THE POPULAR BEACHES M On the SOUTH ATLANTIC COAST* ;5 REDUCED FARES | TO SUMMER TOURIST RESORTS | TICKETS ON SALE DAILY, BEGINNING MAY loth GOOD UNTIL OCTOBER 31st - r T-. T"; g 1 Write for < i Summer Vacation Folder 1 Consult Ticket Agent# | I a SOUTHERN RAILWAY SYSTEM I i l^i-do down | AUGUST SALE jti.no dowh| 1 | Will Start SATURDAY, July 31, 9 a. m. j| i I I Entire | Slock I J On I Sale! I ' ^ 9 Si Now! I WO W \ A ' j~ 7 . * ^ I I Here is an opportunity to ibuy anything you need for |j % your home with , a cash payment of only One Dollar. J"1 I Take advantage of this opportunity and buy the things % j 4 you need to make your home more comfortable. Read % \ | our BIG HERA.LDS being broadcast over the county, i |j and then come early and bring your friends. | j