Baxter Springs news., 1918-11-01
REV. JOHN GARRETSON'S
NEW BOOK IS OUT
An Interesting and Instructive Story
Of Life in the Midwest
Oil Fields

great stir, especially in Oil Circles,
has just been published in New York
City, by Neale and Company. It is
"The Story Of Billy owen," and was
issued from the above named press
last Thursday the 10th. The advance
copies just reached Baxter Springs,
and We have had opportunity to read
its pages and realize that the book
contains much valueable information
hitherto unpublished with regard to
the wonderful development Of Okla
homa and Southeastern Kansas in the
oil business.
The book was written by Rev. John
Garretson, pastor Of our local Pres
byterian Church, and is free from
many of the objectional phases of the
average book, in that it goes straight
to its central point and theme, and
does not hold the reader in suspense
thru many pages of uninteresting de-
tail. All who are familiar with Mr..
Garretson's style in public speech,
see at once the same characteristics
in his book; fine flow of pure Ian
guage; exceptional descriptive powers
hold the readers interest throughout,
from the opening chapter until after
the wedding in the last chapter.
Yes, there is a wedding? The story
begins in Bradford Penn, in 1908, and
very entrancing romance is weaved
about the leading character, Billy
Owen, all the way through the some
300 pages of twenty-three chapters.
1t is a story of young mans strug-
gle to make good" in the oil game at
the producing end" after he leaves
the East and settles in Bartlesville,
Indian Territory. Billy Owen faces
most discouraging conditions as he
deals with the problem of leases and
drilling, having the Department Of
the Interior to deal with through the
Indian agents, and all the many very
peculiar rulings Of that department.
Through it all Billy Owen is sus-
tanned and encouraged by his sweet
heart, Mary Dart, who waits for him
through 13 years. However, the we'd
ding is not delayed by Billy Owen for
that length of time because Of his own
circumstances altogether, but partly
due to circumstances which arise in
Mary Darts home. In addition to the
two leading characters there are sew
eral other characters such as Uncle
John, a bachelor banker in Bradford;
Billy's mother; Mary's father, rich
dairy farmer and an old maid, Miss
Bennett, who finally captures the
father of the girl, and thus solves all
problems and everyone becomes hap
py. One of the characters is an old
time stage driver in Oklahoma, and
some mysterious person by name Of
Jones, appears in the chapter called:
"A Fourth Of July Story" the said
Jones hailing from Baxter Springs,
and many will be in q curious
frame of mind as to who Jones is.
The book contains a chapter on
What Oil Hath Wrought" which
,rings before the readers mind the
greatest of this wonderful business.
Another chapter deals with ''The Fu-
ure of OIL" and is invaluable in its
to all interested in oil.
The growth of .Bartlesville and Tulsa
Is we'll as some other towns is pic
ured in wonderful language and
hows just how wonderful Is the ro-
nance of this field and the big busi-
less created in it.
An Eastern review Of the book
ays: eff this book does not enlight-
n, entertain, instruct and move its
eader, then the fault viii lie with
he reader, not with the book. For
hat Frank Norris did for that other
wish gift of Mother Earth-the