Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-30
Jumping an
Oil Claim
By ALAN HlNSDALE

1t is hard to tell just how a man
will act when called upon to display
nerve and resource. Sometimes one
who has been accustomed to a rough
life, under such circumstances, will
fail, while another will succeed.
Henderson had been a Woodworking
man all his life, most Of the time on
the frontier, where if any n trait is
developed it is courage. When Hen
derson was fifty he found himself in
possession Of some wild land that was
not worth a dollar an acre. and his
title to that was imperfect for the
want Of a certain name on the deed.
One day somebody struck oil in the
neighborhood of H~endcrson's property.
About that time Ernest Deering, a
young recent graduate of a mining
school, came along on his way to in
vestigate some property for parties in
the east. He stayed overnight at
Henderson's house and was about to
proceed in the morning when Hender-
son told him of his oil land. Deering
had inherited some money a year be-
fore, and Henderson offered him a half
interest in his land if he would fur
nish a boring outfit with which to dig
for Oil. Deering concluded to invest in
the enterprise, provided Henderson
would get the missing signature to his
title.
Henderson sent his daughter Marga-
ret off to hunt for the party and secure
the signature. Deering attended to the
work he had come west to do and re-
turned to Henderson's. Margaret
wrote that she was on the track of
the party and expected surely to sue
coed in perfecting the title to the land.
Meanwhile Henderson had ordered the
boring outfit on credit.
One day q man rode up to where the
work was going on and claimed the
property, producing an old deed that
had been superseded by the one Hen
derson held. Henderson ordered him
off the premises. He went away,
threatening to return with a force suf-
ficiently strong to drive away what he
called the jumpers of his property.
The force engaged was Henderson,
Dcering and three hired men. They
were absolutely without arms, and if
attacked the person who proposed to
dispossess them would be we'll pro-
vided with weapons. And there was
no doubt that the attempt would be
made. The ownership to the property
depended on Margaret Henderson Sc
curing the missing signature. Mean
while everything depended upon hold
ing the well ana especially the machin-
cry used in boring it.
Owing to the lack of arms Hcnder-
son saw no possibility Of holding the
property. He told Deering that if the
Jumpers calne down OF them in suffi,
Gent force and well armed he saw NO
way but for them to surrender. The
able, if any n was, to ssume the
leadership and were not anxious to be
shot down in defense of property be,
longing to others. Deering was a deli.
cate little fellow, and no one thought
Of him in the matter of defense, though
he had Endorsed Henderson's notes fol
the machinery, and if it passed into
other hands he would be the loser.
But in that delicate body were both
courage and resource, and these go fal
to make up a natural leadership. He
told Henderson hat he was going tc
make a defense. Henderson refused
to consent to a defense under the cir
c~umstances, but he would not desert
the others. Deering offered the men !;
goodly reward If they would put them
selves under his command and outlined
his plan Of defense to them. They
agreed to stand by him.
Deering ordered them to throw VI
the earth in a circle surrounding the
boiler that produced the power for the
drilling. They made an embankmen'
five feet high in a circle about twenty
feet in diameter. This having been &C
complished, what wood and iron ar
ticles as were at hand were piled or
the parapet in such fashion as to form
apertures here and there in lieu of loop
> holes. This was all the preparation
that was made for defense, and whel
it was completed the boring recon-
menced.
The next day half a dozen men were
seen approaching the well. Some O.
them had guns, while the others were
armed with revolvers. Deering tol(
Henderson and the men that since
there was only one weapon for de
Tense and he could handle that him
self, they were at liberty to retreat j.
they liked. They chose to remain, as
sorting that it might be necessary 70,
one or more of them to take his place
When the approaching party saw tn,
earthworks they stopped for q confer
ence. then advanced again. and one O
them called out a demand for a sur
render. Deering replied that he wa!
hard Of hearing and asked them tt
come nearer. At this every man lower
ed his rifle from his shoulder or drew
his revolver, and they advanced in
body. When they had reached a poin
4 to suit Deering he directed a man q,