The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-07-23
Rush to Oil Fields Of
Texas Geater Than The
Alaska
Chief Thing for Investors Is to Deal Only With Properly
Incorporated Concerns-Fo low Advice of Men
Who Have Established Their Repua-
tons for Fair Dealing
Nv j. III. EDMoNDsoN

Realizing that many OF my trlendS anu
many of Age-Herald readers are stock
holders in companies exploiting the dew
elopment of oil in the great Texas field,
1 was elated over being delegated to
visit the territory and acquire frst-hand
information.
Nothing unusual occurs in ones travel
west until the Mississippi river is crossed.
l went out via Memphis, and my expert
ence from there to Dallas is probably
much like those who travel west via 81.
Louis, Shreveport, or New Orleans the
trains are crowded to capacity. L woulo
advisce one to engage Pullman accom-
modations days which to insure comfort
The subject on every tongue is oil.
In the smokers you may listen to men
of every type and apparent degree OIL
prosperity spilling yarn OF what he, MS
friends or the company in which ne may
be interested has accomplished some
like myself, are merely listeners, ana are
puzzled to choose between what is real
and what is merely warm air of the won
derful tales that are told. But plenty
of memoranda for investigation develops,
which makes the work of getting at the
facts more easy. AS for myself had
already resolved to seek interviews with
men of proven responsibility both IN anu
out of the oil game and draw my con-
illusions accordingly.
A Dallas, the llfSt sup SNSS~N~--
impressions begin to come thick and fast
All that one may have heard of Dallas
as a wide-awake, well-ordered and pro-
gressive city is quickly verified. There is
evidence of tremendous prosperity on eV-
ery hand Not being a manufacturing
center in the strict sense, it is minus a
large industrial population and the sec
lions of humber cottages and working
mems homes so notable, for instance, in
Birmingham. Its streets are well paNeu
and it's houses modern.
1t has beautiful residential districts dot
ted with examples of splendid architec-
ture that can only be afforded by great
wealth Munger place, large area Oh
magnificent private dwellings, and estao-
lished by Birmingham men of that name,
is a striking example of several sucH
lavish expenditures in Dallas. l am IN
debted to j. c. Shafer, capitalist, presl-
dent of the Shafer-M ankin Oil company,
and one of the largest drilling contractors
in the west for ride about Dallas ana
much reliable information about oil OPP
erations in general.
DALLAS FINANCIAL CENTER
Dallas is the financial center of the Oil
Industry. closely seconded by Fort Worth
and Wichita Falls. The bank deposits
run into mHltiple millions. This not pc
ing a banking story, however, won 90
into details, DQJ tne CdSlllel VI OiAN VI $500
largest Dallas banks, incidentally men
toned that the deposits in his bank alone
amounted to more than $4,000, 10000. OR.
every hand is the office of an oil COM
panv or some concern having to do with
the oil business. The skyscrappers are
filed with firms having similar business.
Map aid blue print makers, surveyors
and photographers, view makers, ar7
doing an enormous business. The news
L FavNV ,fNIIf1 n a
dealers in drilling tools and machinery
nil camp supplies, brokers in oil realty.
stock offerings, etc
Everything hinges on oil and the ma
tives talk nothing else. The waiter III
the cafe, the barber, the department store
salesman and the Greek boy who SHINES
your shoes is willing to talk OIL Many
of them have their savings invested IN
stock or leases and are waiting hopetuiiy
for the .ship to arrive" Wonderful.
stories that outdistance the tales OF Al
ladin in Arabian Nights for sudden wealth
are told
was introduced to several of these
new rich princes and heard from their
own lips how fortune had smiled upon
them Judge A. w. Walker now mil
lionaire operator, president OF the rex
bona Oil and Refining company ana IN
terested in other oil operations among
-
numerous instances modest clerks anu
office employees who were working put
few months and even weeks ago Tor as
little as SIS per month were now wortA
$4,000. 90 to s200,63o0o from their prohts
in leases or stock in producing compa-
MES The judge afforded deal OF rella-
ble information and was impartial he
characterizes the oil game as the great
American gamble in which the percentage
is largely in favor of the investor VINO
uses wisdom and precaution in buylns
his stock. He did not ignore the fact that
thousands upon thousands whose Judg-
rnent had been biased by the good lot
tune of others and the promise OF tapu-
lous wealth easily obtained had lost the'r
all on fake stocks and poor investments
For these he expressed sympathy, at the
same time holding such reckless buyers
of oil stocks responsible for the lake OH
promoters Without such suckers the
faker would soon cease to operate.
MANY ANGLES IN OPERATIONS
There are many angles to oil operations
in Texas-many ways to invest your
money, and you can take your choice. ~
the city of Fort Worth alone there are
over 500 oil companies with which you