Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-29
HOW AN OIL TOWN GREW.
Beaumont, Tex, Makes Phenomenal
Growth,

Beaumont has grown so rapidly and
80 steadily within the past few months
that the stages of that growth have al
most escaped public notice. The pres
ent boom is not like that which occur
red when oil was first discovered. 1t is
not boom of speculation. but a boom
which has material evidences behind 1t
to vouch for its strength and reality.
To properly understand the growth
which Beaumont has attained at the
present time it is necessary to revert to
it's condition at the time oil was first
discovered and during the few months
when things We're in such confusion that
man turned not his attention to practi-
cal upbuilding.
At the time oil WAS struck Beaumont
was thriving lumber town. being the
center also of q large rice district 1t
had a few hotels of very moderate ca
pacity, a barn Of an opera house, in
which the science of acoustics had not
been applied. and a goodly scattering OF
stores and dwellings. During the spec
ulative boom. few more eXtempore ga
looms were erected. but the large influx
of strangers had to content themselves
mainly with the existing facilities. as
buildings could not be erected in a day.
and therefore, hotels, boarding houses
and dwellings were crowded to bursting.
and bare fields under the sky became
dotted with white tents, beneath which
cots rented for dollar night.
AT that tempestuous time, when even
Spindle Top Heights was barren plain.
relieved only by few derricks, men
were too busy calculating upon ever
changing values to think about provid-
ing the practical facilities for handling
oil or OF erecting permanent homes for
themselves
But today Spindle Top Heights and
the city of Beaumont are on a more SOL
Id basis. At both places 1t Is evident
that things have settled down and that
the progress is now strong and consery-
alive.
Spindle Top Heights is little city in
itself During the day time it swarms
with workmen, and at night its bright
lights may be seen a mile away The
tanks pipe lines, pumping stations and
loading racks that have been laid and
erected there in themselves have meant
the expenditure of vast sums of money,
an enormous increase of railroad re-
ceipts. and the giving Of employment to
many hundreds of men. These men, to-
gether with the drillers and those en-
gagged In moving the oil, bunk out, many
of them on the field; and as restaurants
and eating houses have been put up
there. they find nearly all the facilities
for living in the immediate vicinity OF
their working place.
In Beaumont ifca1f tho ornu,Jaa 80.
dition as to hotels, dwelling houses and
office quarters has been relieved within
the past three months. The time when
man was glad to pay big price for
desk room under the trees has passed.
The Threadneedle building, in Pearl
street, is modelled after its namesake in
London, and. tho not as large, is very
capacious office building. and is occu-
pied by railroad men, oil men, lawyers
and doctors
The large modern brick building in
which the opera house is domicied will
be rented out to Beaumont's Social Club
and other firms and persons desiring
offices. The opera house portion was
finished first but the rest Of 1t is now
about ready for occupancy. One of the
old hotels has just about completed a
large extension, and new hotel has
been completed in Calder avenue An
other one is being built in that portion
of the town near the Neches river. Brick
store buildings are being erected in
many places thruout the business Sec
ton.
The growth of the residential district
at the north end of the town has been
nothing short of marvellous. Three
months ago North street was the boun-
dairy of the town in that section. Be-
yond 1t was barren stretch of fields.
fringed in the distance by woods Today
this field has been neatly cut into
streets, and is covered with frame
dwelling houses, one, two and three
stories high. The houses have sprung
up like mushrooms and were rented at
good figures before the foundations We're
laid.
All branches of business have particle
pated in the prosperity. Altho two new
banks We're organized recently, all of the
banks have all of the business they can
handle. Building. supply and hardware
men have made fortunes. and there is
no industry. however, small, that has
not reaped profits from the large in
crease in business and population.-New
Orleans Times Democrat
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