The Fuel Resources of Colorado. — Lakes. 1 7 
creek, four miles east of Canon Cit}', where it makes its appear- 
ance on the surface of the water of the creek. Rumor has it that 
it was known for years to the Indians, who used it for medicinal 
purposes. In 1861 Mr. A. M. Cassidy, who was the pioneer in 
the development of oil in Colorado, erected a small still on the 
bank of this creek, sank five or six wells in the neighborhood, 
getting fi'om the entire development about three ban-els of crude 
oil a da}', which he refined and sold in Canon City, Pueblo and 
Denver, at prices ranging from $1 to $5 per gallon. From this 
small beginning the present industry has evolved. 
This field now supplies every gallon of refined oil used west of 
the Kansas and Nebraska line, including all states and territories 
to the Pacific coast. 
The present total consumption of refined oil in the territory 
tributary to the Florence oil fields is 4,500,000 gallons per an- 
num, representing in value to the producers about $300,000. 
There have been in all about sixty-five wells drilled in this field, 
with a record of about forty-five producers. Of these there are 
now about twenty-five wells being pumped. The remaining twentv 
have gone dry. The average production per day of these wells is 
forty barrels, or a total of 1,000 ban-els daily. 
The territory is what is called an uncertain one ; there is no 
guide by which producers can be governed. Oil has been found 
in depths from 1,000 to 1,800 feet. The drilling has developed 
the fact that there is a body of shale 3,000 feet thick at least. 
Seven miles northwest of Florence, on Oil creek, and back of 
the penitentiar}^ at Canon Citj-, ten miles west and north of Flor- 
ence, the outcrop shows oil-bearing sandrock. This sand rock is 
the supposed original oil receptacle from which the oil has, by 
pressure, been forced up into the shale above. 
The character of the drilling is fairly good, the shale being soft 
and easily penetrated, but owing to frequent caving, necessitates a 
knowledge of the territory by the drillers. 
The character of the oil is what is termed a heavy petroleum, of 
a greenish cast of color, and weighing about 32 degrees. The 
amount of illuminating oil produced from the crude is 33.^ per 
cent. The residual or refuse oil is used for lubricating and fuel. 
The life of the wells is about two years. The territory- marked 
out and supposed to be oil bearing, is about sixty thousand acres. 
Evidences of the existence of oil are to be found in Conejos, 
Archuleta, Rio Blanco, and Routt counties. 
