The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-12-14


ny and Johnny came with Pithole' the
ell king placed the town on the map
The importance of being the pest
field did not long remain with Pithole
However that may be, few towns can
boast of attaining so quickly the hlgh
altitude reached by Pithole.
Johnny Steele, quickly given the
name of Coal Oil johnny made
big fortune in Pithole oil. His money
went as quickly as it came, and as
easy. Not knowing the value OF dol
lar. he was naturally a spendthrlift'
His feat of getting I'd OF money
makes the doings Of Death Valley
Scotty" and others of his ilk look like
string of poor starters in lame
mule race. Lighting cigars with hVe
dollar bank notes was toe common
TO be worthy of recording.
Coal Oil Johnny" had an ambition
at one time to be the owner Of a no.
tel. thinking probably that he would
work some wonderful reform, and pur-
chased a rote. in Ph,.adr!r!ia TninS
of his Aew toy, after sinking more
than $4,000 in the venture, he sold
if for song. 1t was back to the farm
for Steele after that. He bought a
farm in Venango county and settled
down a sadder, but wiser man.
From the development of the Pit
hole field down to today, in the MID
Continent field, it will be necessary
for the mind to be capable to compre-
hend in millions when considering the
number of barrels of oil produced,
and the armies of men who have
found employment in the industry at
exceptionally good wages.
With the exception Of few years
that a "panicky" feeling prevailed
there has never been a time since
the days of the Pithole excitement
that some field has not been boom
ing
, Many towns sprung up and contlh-
] ued to grow even after the oil boom
, had died, and there are today well
J populated and thriving cities which
$ owe their inception to the oil indus
e try.
e bradford, Pa probably presents the
r best illustration of towns made per
Z manent by an oil boom. The ada
- cent field was one of the most re
- markable ever opened. Gushers were
# freouent and today there are hundreds
Q of producing wells in the field. a
: number of the wells driller in, two
e. score years ago. have been pulled
. while second and third crop wells
s were drilled in. They were not in the
a gusher class, but with oil at Sou
- they soon paid out. Huge mountains
surround Bradford on all sides, but
despite the surroundings, citizens
e have been busy building until now
they rightly claim a permanent popu
Il lation of many thousands.
It Among the greatest of the great OF
l. fields ever opened is the Mid-Contl
" nent. 1t is impossible to estimate the
Ie many hundreds of thousands of bar
n. rels Of OIL produced here, but it Is
Ie not eXaggeration to say that oil wells
n will be producing in this field hal
10 century hence The Mid-Continent
IL not alone enjoys the distinction OF be
n. ing the greatest field ever opened bu
n has proven the greatest gas field eV
l. er discovered. The Mid-Continent il
lt alone in this distinction.
Is The greatest asset of Oklahoma i
its oil and gas industry. Within th'
n next few years thousands of oil we'll
e. VIII be drilled. millions of dollar
r. wcrth of oil and gas will be produc
i ed. hundreds of thousands of dollar
IL will he paid out for wages and tn
Id abundance of oil and gas will attrac
lg scores of other and new industries t
It, the field. Owners of manufacturln
p- plants want cheap luel ana WheI
NJ. cheap fuel is to be had there, too, wi
is bf the industries.
at Geographically Ardmore is mos
.. fortunate. Surrounded on all side
n. by productive land making it one
lis the finest agricultural sections in tn
lie. entire state. Transcontinental raj
ca roads have placed the city on the
en- lines. and other railroads are certai
ry to seek connection with a city thu
vs.. has gained the importance of Arr
ed more
he ----
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