The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-05-16


rainy seasons In a troplc cline. Il
was a land peopled by a herd-bitten
race 81 nesters-come from God
knows where and for God knowa why
starved In mind and body. slaves
Of hideoua environment from which
they lacked means OF escape.
Biologists had claimed for some
time that there must be coal In these
north Texas countries, a contention
perhaps based upon a comfortable be-
lief Ia the law o. compensation. upon
a theory that a region 80 poor above
ground must OF necessity contain
values OF some sort beneath the sur
face. But as for other natural re-
sources. they secuted the belief In
such. other parts OF the state yielded
oil. for instance, but here the forma-
ton was all wrong. Who ever heard
Of oil In hard lime3
Nevertheless. petroleum was dis
covered. and among the fraternity
that dealt IN II Ranger became a
word Of contradiction and OF deep
meaning Aladdin rubbed his lamp
and. 10! a magic transformation oo-
CURED. one OF those thrilling dramas
OF dramatic industry was played.
A Eypsy camp sprang up beside the
blacksmith shop. and as the weeks
fled by Il changed into village OF
wooden houses. then into n town. and
soon into a city OF brick and iron
and concrete, Tho railroad became
ologged with freight, tidal wave OF
men broke over the town. Wagons.
giant motor trucks, caterpillar traf-
tors towing long strings Of trailers.
lurched and groancd and ereaked
over the hills following roads unfit
for a horse and buggy straddlinK
derricks reared themselves every
where: their feet were set In garden
patchs. In plowcd fields. In lonely
mesquite pastures. and even high UP
on the erosts OF stony ridges one
day their tlmbors were raw and
clean. tho next day they were black
and greasy. advertising the fact that
once again the heavy rock pressure
far below had sent another fountain
Of fortune spraying over tho top.
Thrn pipe lines were laid aud I'M
slightly tank farms were built
Ranger became mobilization
point. a vast concentration camp for
supplies. and amid It's fcyerish aotiy-
ity there was no rest. on Sundays
or holidays. the work went on AZ
top tension night and day amid a
clanEor OF metal, a ceaseless roar OF
motors a bcdlam Of hammers and
saws and rivcters. Men lived In
greasy clothes, breathing dust and
tho doors OF burnt gas mainly. eating
poor food and drinking warm. fetid
water when they were lucky enough
TO got any AZ alt
This was about the state OF affairs
that Calvin Gray found on the morn
Ink OF his arrival. Hc and Mallow
had managed TO secure n Pullman
section on tho night train from Dali
las. tho fact that they were forced
10 carry their own luggage from tho
station uptown 20 tho restaurant
where they hoped to srt breakfast.
was Characteristic OF the place I'm
route thither they had 20 elbow their
way thru a crowd thu, filled the ride.
walks as n on fair day.
Mallow was well acquainted with
the town. II appeared. and during
breakfast he maintained running
fire II comment. some Of which was
worth listening TO.
Ever heard how the first discov.
cry was nader Well. the 7. =. coui-
pany had the whole country plas;ercd
with coal leases and finally decided 70
put down f,So0-foo, wildcat. Tho
guy that run tho riE had a bunch
there was oil here II h. went deep
enough. but no knsw tho company
wouldn't stick. 30 he faxed tho los
OF tho well as long rs he could. then
he kept on drilling. againE, orders
refused TO open his mail. for fear he'd
find he was fired and the Job called
of. He was thousand feet deeper
than he'd been ordered 20 go when
--hlooic, Over tho top she wen,
with 400 barrels. pcsdemona'r
the name OF camp below here, but
they call Il Hog Town, More elegant,
Down there the derricks actually
straddie ono another. and they have
90 board them over 10 keep from
drowning ono another out when they
blow In. Fellow in Dallas hrough, in
the first we'll. and II was NO big tina,
I hts stock went from a hundred dol
lars share 10 twelve hundred. All
In few weeks or course. he started
bank. Funniest people ever saw,
that way. Usually when rubs
makes winning he CANDLES or gets
him a woman, but these hicks take
their coin and buy banks. RAN
gers n real town: everything wide
open and the law in on the play,
That makes good timeA Show me a
camp where the gamblers play soil
tairc and the women take In wnHh-
ing md I'll show you dead village.
The joints here have big signs on the
wall. Gambling Positively Prohibit
ed and underneath tho games are
running high. wide and fancy. Re.
fined humor. call II. There
were nine killings one day. but that's
above the average. The last time I
was in town couple OF tool drcssers
got into row with n laundryman--
claimed they'd been overcharged 8
cents II came to shooting. and We
buried all three OF them. Two cents
APIECE That was their closing price.
The cost OF living Is high enough. but
II isn't expensive TO die here"
In this vein ran Mallow's talk.