The virgin character of Sioux county soils are being exploited at the present time and it may be that valuable minerals, such as vanadium, thorium, and mica may be found in quantity to mean mineral wealth to the count}-. But the mind of her people has lately been drifting towards the great probability that oil and gas underlie a considerable portion of the land. This is emphasized by the steadily approaching discoveries, now just over the line in Wyoming and South Dakota. So close has this come to the border line of Sioux that there is little doubt but that the same oil producing conditions obtain within the county borders. Geologists have located a number of favorable structures, at least two in the vicinity of Agate, and two north and west of Harrison. The drill is steadily going down at Agate on one of these structures, and has reasonably favorable indication at twentyfive hundred feet. While the matters are not given out concerning what the well has developed, it is believed that paying sands have been reached, although the promoters are going to the deeper and more productive sands.

A group of Columbus parties, including lieutenant governor Edgar Howard, are arranging to put up a drill on Cottonwood about ten or twelve miles northwest of Harrison, and geologist G. W. Harris has been upon the ground for some weeks past. The prophesy is rife that the first commercial oil

produced from a well in Nebraska will be in Si< iux count}-.