Rattlesnake Hills Oil Race Draws New Leases

The gas well operators out in the Rattlesnake Hills west of town are getting much publicity from the newspapers in this district. The Courier-Reporter (Kennewick) says, 'It is no longer a question of whether or not the prospective gas and oil fields in the Rattlesnakes are to be developed, but a question of who is going to be the first to strike oil.' The Republican-Bulletin (Prosser) tells of the good work being done by the Yakima Natural Oil Gas company on their new well. On top of this comes the news that another company has taken leases on several thousand acres of land belonging to the Conservative Land Investment company, represented by Herbert G. Harris of San Francisco. Mr. Harris expresses himself as being surprised that so promising a field should have been so long neglected. The sum of $3,500 and a ten per cent royalty was paid for the lease. While all this fuss is going on, the gas well out there keeps steadily on at its job of spouting gas, testifying mutely but conclusively that the deposit is there. Both companies are reported to have sufficient capital to carry through their experiments. The two companies are said to have leased much land on all sides of the present well to eliminate as much as possible any competition in case a large body of oil and gas is uncovered.