Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1901-05-01
TEXAS OIL BOOM.
1T is AHEAD OF ANYTHING OF
ITS KIND EVER KNOWN.


Beaumont, Texas, April est is no
longer possible to walk along Crockett
street, between Orleans and Pearl
streets, with any comfort, in fact it
might be said with any safety
Whether or not the oil found in JEFF
ferson county ever becomes one of the
worlds greatest discoveries; whether
the excitement here now and the in
tense business strain continues for
six days or six years, this one fact will
remain that Beaumont today is in the
midst of a boom which out-booms any
thing the most experienced men in
boom matters ever saw. And it is
genuine boom as booms go, 1t may be
error and born of distorted conditions,
yet it is as real as the mornings sun
and as certain to last for some time as
it is that it now exists. Of course,
booms cannot last always; nor can the
present situation in Beaumont continue
for very great time as a boom. If
it continues for six months it will
then become the normal condition and
a new boom will have to be taken from
the chrysalls and waited in with the
dawn of the morning, like a beautiful
butterfly, which comes from an insight
ly and loathsome insect. But the boom
is here today and the present is sulIic-
lent.
Today, like every day, was the great
est yet There were more people on
the streets, more business done map
sellers yelled louder, real estate agents
are getting holder and more venture
some as they mount a box and scream
their wares to the unheeding ear of
the scurrying multitude. When this
thing began deals were transacted with
tho greatest secrecy in the dark recess
ses of doorway or in the parties
rooms in the hotel, if they had one,
and when one man got hold of piece
of land which could be purchased or
sold he trembled with fear lest some
one would find I'll out Now they yell
it into evedyone's ear and make the
streets an unearthly and deafening din
all the day long Telegraph and tele-
phone poles and every conceivable spot
are placarded with advertisements of
lands to sell or buy. Some of these adj
vertisements are printed, some are
handsomely painted, while others are
scrawled on writing paper, but all are
effectual and everybody reads them
One cannot walk block in the res
idence part of the city but there IS a
sign made on a bit of pastebard of
rooms for rent, and they are usually
rented, too The women of Beaumont
are not being left out of the excitement
by any means, and the furniture stores
are besleged all day long by the house
keepers who are furnishing old rooms,
garrets, and even the parlors and
drawing rooms are being fixed up for
sleeping purposes by the housewives,
who are receiving for their rooms any
price from 500 month to 800 a
month. One prominent society lady
asserts that she was offered $500 for
the use of a room for month and
longer at the same rate. while $40 is
the price for an ordinary room. Per-
haps it is unfair to say it is the price;
1t is more properly what is being paid
or bid for the places, The women do
not charge that much, but are forced
to receive it by the ledger.
Space in the business part of the
city is also meeting with the same ex-
perience. Every available place about
the Southern Pacific depot and the
leading hotel where the crowd congre-
gates, is being fitted up for offices and
standing places. Small plazas in front
of the hotel have been rented and car
penters are today at work building
floors and dividing the space off into
small Offices and desk rooms A large
tent has been erected on the open lot
in front Of the opera house on Orleans
street, near the Oil Exchange, and Is
fitted up into restaurant, where they
seem to be doing good business. Old
barns and shanties in almost remote
parts of the city are being reprinted
and used for offices for oil companies.
One company just started into business
has rented dwelling house and set
I'M business there. For these reasons
ii is said the boom is here in genuine
shape. Every feature necessary to a
boom is here, none is absGnt.
There is no news from the oil field