El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-03-17
WHENAMANG GETS
RICH FROM OIL
One Texan Who Thinks
Almighty Did It and Is
Not a Bit 'Stuck Up"

De Leon. Texas. March 17-Joe n.
Duke. as he leaned on the end of a
rake. told OF the hard struggle it was
to pay for his $500 farm Of 32S acres.
which is now worth $4,000 per acre.
It took him II years to pay for it.
Once Joe was the best farm hand
in Comanche county. Even though he
is now a millionaire. he still prides
himself on being the best farm hand
in the county. He says he can prove
it.
Joe y. Duke has one extravaganza.
He gives his family everything that
will make them happy.
Automobiles and Joe mix like oil
and water He bitches up old Dobbin
and away he goes to town mo fang
dangled autos for me-" said Joe to me
Here's a story for everybody 1
often wondered, like the remainder OF
the poor folks. what I would do with
a million dollars If had it. I thought
Joe could throw some light on the sub
ject- so I said to joe Now that you
have made a million over night, what
are you going TO do with it,"
When a Man Grows Rich
IT'S this way" said Joe. When a
man suddenly gets rich, he goes on
doing the same thing he did before he
became rich"
i don't get you" said 7 in wonder
ment. FOR 7 have heard a million mar
velous tales Of what men do when
they suddenly get into the maguate
class"
Somehow" said Joe. I'm different
"All my life I've had a longing after
the right amount and the right kind
Of land and I never could get what 7
ed
land and now that I have a pile, what
am I going to do2 Live kingly. throw
my bills in the air. dissipate all night
ruin the happiness OF NY family2 Not
much" said Joe Indignantly.
I'm going to put all my money in
one big pile. put q bunch OF IL in the
nearest bank and rest in land and go
on working as ever-only rot so
hard"
So Joe proved the theory that the
man who likes the niCht life before
becoming rich viii 30 on with the
night life at a greater pace than ever
after becoming rich; but the man who
was farmer before. VIII be a better
farmer after
Il a Georgian. B'GOsh.
Seventeen years ago, Joe y. Duke
He settled in COusanche councy-he
and his wife. Now he and his wife
and their eight children-stin live
there
When Joe settled down he bought
$50 acres Of land at 81 per acre. It
was the kind that is great stuff-prO-
vided there are no drouths-
Perhaps Joe was born lucky for no
drOuths came and a few years later he
was able 20 buy so acres more at 50
per acre and later he bought IS acres
more at a total cost OF $1,000 Including
taxes
On that cloudy night when the Duke
blew in" Joe still owed some money
on that $1,000 but now he is a mill
iionaire-
A Few days ago he refused $4,000
Pc acre for the land.
Zoe is an optimist from his feet TO
the hair Of his head He is a staunch
believer IN Comanche county.
One year cotton failed in the county
but Joe said some day Wen have a
big crOp"-and sure enough they did.
When peanuts were booming as the
producers for that land. Joe said the
crop would make good-it did. De
Leon now has a big peanut factory
and Is shipping a large per ceutaEe Of
the peanut crop eaten with pink
lemonade at clrcuses.
When biologists said there was oil
in Comanche county. Joe said 7
reckon So" and there was.
l. just Plain Joe
And day in the week. Joe can be
seen coming into town on his farm
wagon hitched to Dobbin- You can
count on the fact that he is coming
into De Leon on farm business. too.
Maybe he is bringing eggs 10 the
nails 70 repair the big fine house he