Semi-weekly herald., 1913-07-21
DIR. M'EWEN TELLS OF
OKLAHOMA OIL FIELDS

Cleveland, Okla, with the thermom-
eter 106, but a good breeze enables
one to exist. The principal occupa-
ton of the average person is futile
attempt to keep cool by loading the
stomach with soft drinks.
This is poor, dry country, rather
hilly and very stony, but probably
the greatest gas and oil region in the
United States. The hills are covered
with derricks, which now cost, with
equipment, $1,000 each and must be
left standing in order to use the walk
ing beam to pump those deep wells,
about $500 feet. A finished well here
now costs about $1,000. l write this
for the benefit of the prospectors in
the Pennington fields. The figures
are correct as l obtained them from
the manager Of the largest company,
who is an old time friend of mine.
The oil is found in well defined pools,
though these are often on big west
hills.
The stones are so near the surface
that most Of this is poor agricul-
tural country, although some fine corn
is raised.
At Pawnee is Pawnee Bills herd of
| ninety-eight buffaloes, which he sells
to parks and millionaires for special
dinners at about $500 per pound
At Enid, we were shown the en-
balmed body of John Wilkes Booth
which those people have incontroverta-
Bile evidence is genuine, but as had
SO often heard Colonel Conger, who
| captured Booth, recite the details of
the capture, l was necessarily an un-
believer. This one committed suicide
on one Of his drunks some years ago.
Tulsa is q good oil city, the best in
Oklahoma. Oil will build city quick
er than q gold mine, but pump the
wei! dry and the town dies as quickly
as it grew.
The movies" here have large gas
engine and electric plant Of their
own, operating numerous fans in an
endeavor to keep their patrons cool.
Even in the oil towns business has
fallen off during the last eight
months. The theory is that this is
due to Wilson'S threat Of free trade.
Lots Of cotton is grown from Raj
ston, south and west. Stock growing
is profitable, the greatest drawback
IN the bius grass country, being the
late maturity Of the feed and the dan
ger from droughts. May marks the
beginning Of It's growth and August
the time when the droughts may be ex-
pected. In the short grass country,
the dry g.ass becomes hay.
This country is full Of railroads but
each apparently runs its trains so as
to disconnsct with the others, SO it
takes always to get into the country
and longer to get out. After travel
ing from 10 q. m. until 2 the next
morning and changing cars three
times | found myself within an air
line OF twenty-five miles from where
began.
| Railroading seems to be the prin-
| cipal industry in Oklahoma and east
ern Kansas but evidently some people
must do some thing TO produce ma
terial for the roads to transport. Troll
ley lines are also numerous in east
ern Kansas and western Missouri.
Oklahoma is certainly a great gas
and oil country, the wells around
Bartlesville being almost as thick as
trees in an orchard.
From the railroad we saw that from
one-fourth to three-fourths Of all the
old apple trees in eastern Kansas were
dead. The residents tell us this is
due to the web worm. Can it be the
leaf roller?
The change to a higher latitude is
evident mere as well as the change to
q higher altitude at home In CEN
tral Oklahoma, there were roasting
ears, from Bartlesville to Chanute
corn was just beginning to tassel out
and from Chanute to Omaha 1t is from
knee to shoulder high.
Eastern Kansas that was formerly
noted for bad roads has some very
good ones now. All are crowned mar
row, not much wider than wagon
track and when not surfaced with
crushed stone, always dragged with a
King road drag after big rain.
noticed q large building in the
country and asked its use; was told
It was . gas pumping station where
they pump air into the gas lines. 1t
makes the meter 90 round the same
rs gas, bat the consumer still be-
lieves II does not contain as many
caloric units IS real gas. An idea
for Matt Harrington.
Kansas City 10 . great shopping
point, ard hes constantly increasing
manufacturing and Wholesale trade,
causing the railroads to double track.
will vrite again from Aberdeen,
8. D., or Billings. Mont
Nh