The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-29
OLD POLITICIAN ALMOST FORGOTTEN

CORSICANA, Texas, Nov. &c.
Former Senator Roger l. Mills was one
of the best known men in public life
in the United States fifteen years ago.
Mr.. Mills's tariff bill and other
measures of which he was the author
during his long service in Congress
gave him a wide reputation and made
him a power in Democratic politics.
Col Mills is back among his Corsicana
friends, after undergoing severe sur"
gical operation in one Of the eastern
hospitals. Despite his advanced age he
has recuperated from the ordeal, and
bids fair TO continue in active busl-
ness life for several years TO come, lie
retired from the United States Senate
in 1899. Oil caused him to quit politics,
and he has since then evinced no desire
whatever to return to 1t as a means
of livelihood, He has made fortune
out of the oil industry without becom-
ing entangled in the meshes Of the
STANDARD OIL company. All OF hls
money has been made as q producer
OF the product and as one Of the smaller
competitors, IN way, with that great
concern.
So quiet q business life has Col.
Mills led since he retired from the, Sen
ate that he has perhaps been almost
forgotten by many men of political
prominence who, during his days of
activity on the stump, were wont TO
count upon him as an important factor
II national campaigns. All efforts on
the part of the democratic leaders TO
get him to take an active part IN state
political campaigns have proved futile.
'tI determined when ] quit the
United States Senate in 1899 that 1
would got participate in politics. In the
future" Col. Mills said. ~ had been
in public life = long time, and had
been witness to the course pursued by
many men when they retired from Con
Gress. They either hang about Wash
ington, expecting TO receive some gov
crnment Job or build up a meager prac.
tice, or returned to their home and
ran for every Office in sight. / de-
Termined that | would do none OF these
things. 1 had business to look after,
and =! have found my time fully oc-
cupied.'
The rise OF ex-senator Mills to po
sition of great wealth is an interesting
story. He was a poor man during
nearly all OF his public career. He was |
looked upon as being devoted to the |
interests OF the common people He !
sPurned the questionable opportunities
that came to the members of the ma
tional Congress 10 acquire fortune, and |
went about his public duties con-
scious in the belief that though poor,
he had performed his service 10 his |
people in the best possible manner.
What little msrey he had been able to
save out of his salary he had invested |
N which town lie made his home.
He was what was known in Texas in
earlier days, Gland poor. The land /.
which he owned was not revenue
bearing. and il was hard scramble at
times 10 keep the taxes paid on 1t.
II was 1896 that oil was struck in
drilled for water. The oil was cased
OF and the water vein reached lower
down. The news OF this oil strike
awakened some interest. and another
we'll was drilled with the special object
IN view of developing the oil supply
This initial oil well was 4 success, and
marked the beginning of the develop
short time q number of wells were
bored and were producing oil IN good
quantities. The oil is of the light,
crude variety, and commands much
higher price than the other Texas oils.
It occurred to Senator Mills that
perhaps there might be, oil upon his
drilled. OIL IN good quantity was
struck and his fortune was assured. The
land which had heretofore been nou-
revenue producing began yielding a big
One well after another was put
down upon his old nome farm. Fortune
seemed 70 specially favor him II other
parts Of the oil neld many dry holes,
or - busters, as they are called in oil
parlance. were struck OF the 103 wells
that have been drilled upon his farm
only four failed TO strike oil in paying
quantity. Els wells have also proved
Of long life. About twenty have had
10 be abandoned on account of salt
water taking the place Of the oil. He