Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-11-18
TEXAS OIL FIELDS
MAKE BIG FORTUNE
(By United PreSs)


/ fabulous fortunes of Texas oil fields
come from oil.
One, at least, came from Jamaica
ginger.
The case in point is that of Tom
Hickey, now associate editor Of the
Kosse Cyclone in this, Texas newest
gusher field, who became many times
d millionaire almost overnight two
Shot years ago in the lurid days OF
Desdemona.
Dcsdemona was called Hogtown
then. It's Hogtown yet, in the heart
of Hickey and the veteran stampeders
of Ranger, breckenridge and Burk
Burnett, and more lately Of MeXia and
kosse.
Hickey went tramping in to Hog
town with the rest OF the picturesque
cavalcade when that famous field open
ed up, and started the Oil News for
Harry Elliott.
Between editions he got acquainted
with Uncle Jimmie Ellison, a young
ster who had lived sixty three of lis
eighty three years on fea-bitten,
sandy farm on the Hogtown-Gorman
road. Uncle Jimmie needed no abb
stract for his farm because he held
straight patent from Sam Houston
Uncle Jimmie was in deep distress.
His farm was undoubtedly worth
several dollars an acre, but some city
sharper had offered him five hundred
an acre for il. Uncle Jimmie was
suspicious and demanded time to con-
slider. He was on the verge of accept
ing when some other stranger came
along and offered him thousand an
acre. That settled it. Uncle Jimmie
wasn't going to sell at no such scanda-
lous tigger. Then the bidding went TO
two thousand: three.
When it reached Sour, Uncle jimmie
barracaded his door, loaded his blum
derbus and invited future bidders and
brigands to advance at peril OF thtlr
anatomy.
Uncle Jimmy came to Tom Hickey
with his troubles.
"Whereupor," Hickey recounted to
the United Press. Il became greneral
manager of Uncle Jimmie's farm. l
sold twenty acres for him, at a lat
Ting GOOD price with thirty-day Grll-
ling contract covered by cash Tor
felt at the bank. The money turn-
ed over to Uncle Jimmie so tnat he
might develop the rest of his l43 acres
bin9self. For my part in the affair
received 5 600 worth of land, which
promptly sold to drillers.
after the papers were signed, l
went in to German to deposit my check
In front of the bank | met an old
newspaper frined of mine, who had
worked with me in the Texas legls!a-
ture.
Unfortunately, the corn whiskey
had given out and he was absorbing
red hot Jamaica ginger. Sixteen
ounces, enough to paralyze an ordinary
Individual, had been stored away, and
yet he was able to greet me with a
glad whoop. %,
Did YOU make a million in the Gil
game yet" he roared.
Sure" ! said, Look a, this l
showed him The certified check fer
] $1,000.
"GoshTmighty." he sailor wor@s
to that effect-'it sure enough Is a
million"
1T d2wned on me that my inebrlatcd
friend was seeing double. His en-
Fingered vision was making six CT
pliers grow where but three grew be-
fore.
He got over his surprise quickly,
ana the good old newspaper instinct
came to the top. He asked me to lead
him to his hotel. 50 he could. write
shorty bout good OF Tom Hic-hic-
good O. Tom Hickey making MILTON
dollarSh 'noil.'
The pair started for the hotel, ac-
| cording to Hickey, the inebriated
scribe stopping every hundred feet 81
so to re-examine the check carefully
and reassure himself that there were
| six ciphers there.
| A wonderful story was written thai
| night-a tale of how honest Tom Hic
| key, newspaper and oil stampedel
! known up and down and across TeYa
had arrived at his just desserts ant
made one million dollars cold. 1t Wa
wired to Texas afternoon paper, AM
featured brightly.
SO brightly, in fact, that the Sunda,
, editor OF St. Louis paper picked
up. He evidently though that if HE
key made million dollars overnight
he would probably be worth man
more by the time the Sunday editici
= could be printed, so his story mad
r Hickey's fortune total Sl0,0OO,000.
, And then New York, which produce
4 the largest scale news stories IL III