The Lakeside plant had a bad fire at one time, entailing a loss of many thousands of dollars and an additional loss of time at a period when potash was bringing good prices.

More recently there have been two fires at Antioch in the potash works. The latter practically destroyed the American plant, which was owned by the Western, or generally referred to as the Sharp interests. The American plant has turned out more potash than

Sheridan. A number of the mineral leases issued by the state were for oil prospects in the northern part of the county. The question of fuel, and the presumed submerged deformation in the vicinity of the potash plants, brought forth the agitation at one time of putting a test well down in that part of the county, but the plan never materialized.

The northwestern part of the county has appealed to oil prospectors for many years, although within the county the drill has never penetrated below strata needed for water. The Midwest company has done some drilling in the county of Dawes only a few miles from the county line, and at present the Big Chief company is drilling just over the South Dakota line. This company is operated from Rushville, and is owned in large part by Sheridan county people. If this well becomes a producer, well number two will be put in on the

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

Nebraska side of the state line, for the rocks encountered indicate the best prospects are to the south of the present drilling.