The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-25

wild and woolly west" it was of 50 years ago, but Texas is far from being wild and woolIy.
 Texas laws, relating to gambling with the exception of oil chance9 are more stringent than those in Alabama Pool rooms have been legislated out of busi- ness: whisky and beer are never mem toned in Fort Worth; near beer is dis pensed over the bar and the beer drink CTS of a year ago have found comfort around the oil stock exchanges.
 Millions of dollars are made and lost during the course of 12 hours in Fort Worth, headquarters for all the important oil concerns. Trading in oil stock is brisk at all times.
 This is an illustration of the manner in which oil stock may slump or increase
 in price:
 Big Lime stock got to the stock ex changes after the company had been properly financed. The report came out that Big Lime would be a producer in short time. Stock exchanges announced the report" bidding was brisk, and in a very short time men and women were buying the stock at 40 cents above par. That was three days ago. Another report came out on Big Lime. The report was an unfavorable one. Big Lime the fol- lowing day was offered for sale at 80 cents 20 below par The highest offer W instance. thousands will be lost unless Big Lime becomes a producer
 Hotels have reservations for rooms two weeks in advance. The population has ln- creased until Fort Worth is the largest town in the state. Thousands are com ing in monthly; new homes are going up and at the same time rents have been in- creased 25 per cent.
 Poor salaried men become rich in a weeks time by investing S1o00 in oil stock But it must be remembered that d millionaire becomes a pauper over night by investing in oil stock. Everything that glitters is not gold in Texas, but Texans believe they have the best state in the union. Texas Is a good state; everybody appears to be progressive, but the oil boom has not come to stay in the opinion of the old-timers.
 The stock exchanges are crowded with poor people, each investing the money Tn oil stock which he once invested ln whisky. Many concerns in the Fort Worth territory are paying dividends of loo per cent monthly. Much money is being made at the exchanges. For instance, a man puts 5000 in oil stock when com pany is organized, placing the stock on the board at the exchange when the com pany has been financed. Prospects begin to look good, the stock jumps to s. which is g above par. The stock is sold at a profit of 5000, a good investment for the seller and purchaser.
 Fort Worth is far ahead of many cities the same size. Her street car system IS as near perfect as it is possible to make it. The small, powered one-man street cars have become popular, ana the city authorities have permitted the skip-stop idea to be carried out in all sec- tions of the city. The city gets better results from it's one-man street cars, the travel is better and street car 'hop-off with more ease, the gates being auto uatically closed when the car starts.
 Fort Worth doesn't intend to get back to the pre-war ideas. There is too much money to ever consider decreasing prices, the business men say, and the Workins man has so much money he pays the shine boy 25 cents instead of the 10 cents asked.
 Among the companies engaged in the oil business in Fort Worth is one of which Samuel F. Kennedy, president or the Alabama public service commission, is secretary and treasurer The concern is selling $500 900 worth of stock at sl per share This is one of the biggest con cerns in the oil district. and Fort Worth oil interests have good opinion Of the company. MT. Kennedy spent several days here recently going over details of the organization with the board or dl- rectors and other officers. Otto Roedei. former chief clerk of the Tutwiler hotel at Birmingham and assistant manager ot the Exchange hotel at Montgomery, has been in Fort Worth several weeks. he has made some money buying oil stocA and disposing of it on the board at lne exchanges Bradley Alley, formerly con nected with a Montgomery newspaper, IS in Fort Worth as managing editor ot the Texas Oil Ledger, an exclusive oil weekly; He. too, takes fling occasionally at sooc oil propositions on the board
 Scores of Alabamians have dr1rteo out to this country. Many are interested III oil. others are content to make their money little bit at tirne
 It has been charged that Te4as IS wild country; that prohibition has been forced upon the people. This is not true. Tn Birmingham not day passes put that .oroe person is arrested for selling whisky. But in Fort Worth there IS mo- hodv to buy the whisky; therefore the bootiegger is not getting rich. Texas permits women to vote' pooi rooms are prohibited, and there are strln- vent hue sky laws that protect the un- suspecting' public from crooked OH coh- cerns ..,,;ro +o But with all the good things comlng to Texas. there must be an end to IL. inis much is realized even by Fort worth naonle Oil may come one day and van l ish the next day It has been trutnIuils said: Millionaires and paupers are naaoe here overnight.