The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1914-02-14
Opportunity Knocked at This Poor
Mans Cabin Door and Brought
Him a Million

Frank Wheeler, who struck il rich
| In oil in the Gushing field, is here
today. Before oil made Wheeler in
dependent he was making a meagre
living for himself and a family OF
nine on poor quarter II miles north
east OF Gushing. Today he does not
know how much money he really has.
Every day adds hundreds of dollars
to his income He lives in a .alatial
home in saltwater and is planning a
European "trip for this summer.
Seven wears ago Frank Wheeler
bought on time 100 acres Of land Il
miles northeast Of the little town Of
Cushing. There was NJ small log
house on the farm and sixty acres OF
the land was cleared The rest was
rough, stony and covered with tangle
OF brush and trees.
Into the log house on this jungle
farm Wheeler moved his wife and
nine children, eight OF them girls,
Wheeler did not work much on the
farm. He was stonemason and he
travelled around the neighorhood a
great deal, building storm caves and
cellars.
The family was poverty stricken
and Wheeler could not get credit in
the town even for sack Of flour.
One night, three years ago, man
knocked on the door OF Wheeler's
log cabin and asked for shelter lie
was an oil prospector who was trav-
cling through that country getting oil
leases on land for bankers.
In that sparsely settled country
where Wheeler lived there was a
preiudice against oil men No oil
had been found in that neighbor-
hood. in fact no well had been drill
ed nearer than twenty six miles to
the eastward where several wells
We're producing. When the poor
farmers Of Wheelers dis
trict saw one of the oil men riding
past they We're in the habit Of saving
TO each other:
There goes one OF them damned
oil fellars,"
At first Wheeler did not want 10
take the oil man in for the night.
Wheeler was poor. his family was un-
usually large the log house was small
and overorowded 5 it was but it was
late in the night, the traveller was
twelve miles from the town, the roao
was merely trail through the wood
and Wheeler had hospltabe dispo-
sition, so ne took him in
The traveller was Thomas D. Slick
He was known in the oil country
farther to the east as Mad Ton
Slick, because he would not listen
to advice, but had a habit of drilling
a hole in the most unpromising plac-
es whenever he could raise money
enough to do SO. He was also known
as DRY Hole Slick. because he hac
irilled so many wells that were dry
II oil. Slick used 10 say OF himself
Every time drill we'll have t1
get a partner"
Slick had grown 10 in The oil eoun
rv OF Pennsylvania and came to Ok
ahoma when oil was discovered here
he was good type Of the wild eat
er, the fellow who Is always looking
or a partner with money enough Z
irill one more we'll,
At the time Slick knocked on tht
door OF Wheelers log hut he wax
working for N. and B. B. Jones' bank
srs Of Bristow. Okla. Jones furnished
he money and Slick Travelled around
signing up oil leases on farms, by the
-erms Of which the farmer was to get
1ne- eighth Of all oil which might be
ound on his place.
When Slick drove away from
place next morning be had
an oil lease On II and if ever Of
should be found I. ere Wheeler would
get one eighth OF its value, but the
nance that even well would ever
'e drilled there see. ed remote
Slick believed thera was oil some
rhere in that neighi rhood and in |
9ie 1e induced lone. the Bristoa
'arser. to hack him, a. ! ne drilled |
What vas known as thc Tiger well
hrce miles east OF Whe ers farm |
Wis another dry hole. bu Slick saw
ndi' ltians of oil in the md that
anne up from 2.00o feet be -ath the
,~.f. l.. III