MEMORIAL OF C. W. HAYES 115 



"Potrero des Llasso Well Number 4," probably the greatest oil producer 

 in the histor}^ of the industry. 



One of Hayes's first tasks in his new position was to organize a corps 

 of young American geologists and to set them the task of finding oil pools. 

 This problem had previously been investigated by a number of English 

 and American oil experts and geologists. These investigations had not, 

 as it appears, yielded very practical results; for, as Hayes expressed it, 



"What the company needs is more common sense and less geology," 



a statement he explained by adding : 



"Careful distinction must be made between actual facts and untried theories." 



Though Hayes recognized the discovery of oil as his first duty, he also 

 well knew that this could only be accomplished by detailed geologic sur- 

 veys. Therefore he formulated a broad plan for these investigations that, 

 had it been completed, would have yielded very complete knowledge of 

 the stratigraphy and structure of the Mexican Coastal Plain. 



Besides the geologic survey the drilling operations commanded his at- 

 tention. He imported American drillers, and his bent for mechanics led 

 him to supervise and direct much of the work in person. One of his 

 assistants writes : 



"Doctor Hayes endeared himself to the drillers by his happy faculty in deal- 

 ing with them. He would visit the rigs, pat the drillers on the back when nec- 

 essary, talk to them about geology in terms they could understand, tell stories, 

 and in general act in a very human manner." 



While giving attention to these details he was also handling many diffi- 

 cult administrative problems. He reorganized the force of technical men, 

 supplanting the inefficient and promoting the efficient. Under his man- 

 agement the company for the first time made a very marked financial 

 success. Lord Cowdry, the head of the company, writes of him : 



"As vice-president of the Mexican Eagle Oil Company and general manager 

 of the exploration and exploitation department, he contributed in a large de- 

 gree to the marked progress achieved by the company during his tenure of 

 office." 



His technical leadership among the many oil producers of the Tampico 

 field was recognized by his being elected to the presidency of the Mexican 

 Oil Association for two successive years. 



The first two years of his Tampico residence were among the happiest 

 of his life. His family, except for some of the older children, were with 

 him, and he was associated with a number of men to whom he was 



