Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-06-04
WOMAN OPERATES
RANCH AND OPENS
A BIC OIL FIELD
Wife of an Oklahoma Judge Can
Ride the Range, Rope a Steer,
Run a Farm and Produce
Wealth for Husband.

Terral, Okla. May 2s.-"Gentleman" far
rner, expert rife and revolver shot, bust
ness woman, an equestrienne without a
superior in the Southwest, a ranch man.
ager who understands how to use both the
lasso and the bra nding iron. this IL Mrs.
Lulu Bond Of Terral. wife of former Coun-
~ Judge C, NJ. Bond one of the wealthiest
ranchmen. farmers and land owners in
Oklahoma And in addition Mrs. Bond
has juut achieved further distinction in
being responsible for oil and ga develop
ment In the Terral locality.
When her husband was first elected
county Judge of Jefferson county several
years ago he was the owner of a big
ranch. was greatly interested in all line,
Of livestock culture directed general
agricultural farming business and em-
ployed small army of men In accom-
plishing these various lines.
When he quit the farm temporarily to
go on the bench he put his wife in charge
Of all the business as general manager
she directed the blowing and planting, the
moving and reaping, the roundup and the
coral, the purchasing OF additional acres,
and to-day Judge Bond is the owner of
over 900 acres Of Red river bottom land.
That he Is the owner Of these wide
acres he gives full credit to his bust
ness partner the woman who man
aged the business while he was dealing
out the law.
1t was while acting as her husband s
business manager on the ranch that Mrs.
Bond conceived the idea Of getting that
section of Oklahoma developed for oil
and natural gas. Located midway be-
tween the Electra field of Texas and tho
Healdton field, adjoining Ringing the
Terral community, she has believed and
insisted is oil territory.
In 1910 she attracted the attention of II
mining and prospecting company to that
section and a big acreage was leased I'D
for development purposes This was
checked. however. by death coming to
the head man Of the company and later
the leases were permitted to lapse and
the mineral rights to revert to the land
owners.
ORGANIZES OIL PROSPECTING COM
PANY.
Following a geological investigation Of
Southern Oklahoma by the federal and
State government ''wildcattins" was
started in this vicinity and the Healdton
field was opened and is being developed.
In the meantime. too the Electra field
of Texas, seventy-fve miles west of
Healdton, had become one of the most
prominent In the Southwest, with the
Petrolla field also being developed not
far east of the Electra
These operations again brought the
Terral community into the foreground
and again was Mrs. Bond able to Sc
cure prospecting company for her
section. In fact, she was the first land
owner of that part of the country to
deliver a lease to the company for oil
and gas purposes and also was she the
first to subscribe funds toward the de-
velopment
Working with her husband, she has
not only leased their hundreds Of
acres. but the people of the entire
Terral community have Joined with
her. leased their lands and made IL
possible to have a test we'll drilled.
She asked. too. that the operating COM
pany be given the name of Terral, in
surfing in advance the name by which
that particular field will be known.
The Red river is between the COM
monwealths of Oklahoma and Texas.
and the Rock Island railroad bridge
spans the stream at the point wwhere
oil well will be drilled. From the
Bond ranch one looks to the south
ward through the trees that fringe the
river bluffs to the lands of the Texans
just beyond. and in reality 1t Is one
country, inhabited by the same people.
with the same customs and traditions.
Is NOT A SUFFRAGETTE.
When the Healdton field became a GER
tain producer. few months ago, the pipe
line compa carrying the crude oil
southwark from the Kansas and Okla
homa fields, began the construction OF a
line also to this field and in building Il
the route selected was along the Rock
Island right of way. across the Red river
at Terral and thence north and east to the
sea of production,
The existence of the pipe line and the
fact that thousands of barrels of crude
petroleum are passing through 1t daily
have been conditions that have aided Mrs
Bond in her work Of getting development
for her locally, and with field opened up
they will be conditions that viii also aid
materially in rapid development
Mrs Bond Is not a suffragette. She
holds rather to the old-fashioned idea
that the men should do the voting and
hold the offices. The ballot for women has
never bothered her, although she has al.
ways taken great interest in the political
of her husband and has been
able to aid him on numerous occasions.
She believes that women should BIO edu
Gated 10 undertake the management of
business If called upon. From her hus-
band she had learned the inside workings
OF the ranch. how to ride the line. throw
the lasso. plough a furrow and how to
take care of the various crops at harvest
time, and she was experienced when the
of the ranch was turned to
her. And now she is learning the oil ga me
In all its phases.