The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-04-20
CASPER OIL BOOM
HOW IT STARTED
STENOGRAPHER WHO STARTEn
MOVEMENT NOW WORTH.
MANY MILLIONS.
Leslie Parker "Wildcatted'' ON the
Big Muddy, Brought In a Well.
and the Rush Started; Casper Wo-
man Making Fortune in Broker
age Business.

Years ago oil was discovered at
Shannon, Wyoming, about 40 miles
north of Casper. 1t was of little use
except by sheep herders to dip such
portions of their flocks as were af-
flicted with scab. The multi de-
mands for petroleum products had
not then arisen, besides the long dis
lance to transportation made the iso-
lation complete.
At much later date Berne Hop
kins, stenographer and private Sec
rotary to Werner q. Reed, the Colora-
do mining promoter, was sent to this
section on other business and Incl
IDENTIFY discovery the excellent pros
poets of the field. AS result of this
visit the Salt creek fields were
opened up and the giant Midwest
corporations exist. The former stem
ographer is now one of the many re-
sultant millionaires.
All this time Casper was the trad
ing point for vast district and grew
in about the same lines as any other
outpost trading point. The old timer
pursued about the same quiet tenor
as the pioneers in other sections. Big
refineries began to take form and
shape to take care of the oil that
was ready to come in through the
pipe line from Salt creek, and giant
tankage stills, stacks and tank cars
caused no more excitement to the
residents of Casper than the sombre-
70 of the cowboy or the shepherd dog
at the heels of the herder.
1t was generally conceded that
Wyoming oil would never BOOM 1t
was a settled fact that it existed in
great quantities for the physical evil
dence was as plain as the sage brush
Bnt what was the use? The Midwest
had everything, that is, what the
government had not blanketed with
sweeping Withdrawals. There was no
chance for any one else. There was
no use trying to buck a soulless cor
poration, let alone the most powerful
government on earth, so Casper
quietly slept on.
When Parker Came.
Finally Leslie Parker cal to Cas-
per. Fourteen miles away there was
district known locally as Big Mud
dy and locally was as far as it was
known unless by some student of the
frontier map who was fond of gaz-
ing upon the eccentricities of local
nomenclature. However, though
this district the trains of both the
Northwestern and Burlington rail
;;vAoads have run for years. The core
gon Traip' takes it's course through il
and as an oil field it is ideal as to sit
uation, including transportation, wa
ter. fuel, and proximity to refining
facilities. Oil magnates and oil ex-
perts had passed over it repeatedly
and the best known biologists and
engineers in the game had pro-
nounced it worthless. The Midwest
company had likewise treated it.
However, Mr.. Parker thought other
wise.
The story of his hardships are I'M
necessary to tell at this point. 1t
is repetition of the romance of ev-
cry western camp and field. Today
he is millionaire and is banqueted
by those who, perhaps, year ago
would not have contributed a sand
witch.
But the big thing that happened
when "Big Muddy came in'' was that
here was a chance for the outsider.
1t had been demonstrated by Mr..
Parker that the other fellow did have