Evening star., 1924-11-23

NN Bliss Pine. largest indie
pendent oil operator in the
country, who will come to
Washington as the junior United
States Senator from Oklahoma.
wv B." as he is known through
out Oklahoma. where he is credited
with making" the thriving city of
Okmulgee, had failed in an attempt
to wrest a living from n farm he
homesteaded after coming to the
Southwest from Illinois. where he
taught school and sold harvesters.
but the land that refused the young
man a livelihood in one way poured
riches into his lap in another.
Oklahoma was experiencing the
first thrills of "black gold" Oil was
flowing from new wells in album
dance; so much so, in fact, that it
was impossible to build tanks rapid
ly enough to store il.
One of the largest pools had just
come in, and as the overflow was
broadcast hundreds of gallons found
channel in little creek. Pine saw
his opportunity, impressed another
impoverished young fellow as a
partner, constructed 25o-barrel tank
and then the pair started skimmtng
the rich fluid from the waters sur
face to store and sell it.
This venture, coupled with a s55-a-
month Job at Cleveland, Okla, mark
ed Pines entry into the oil game.
w. B. next began trading in leases,
and once more his perceptive ability
stood him in good stead. Hundreds
of dry wells were bored. then aban-
small fortune. Pine decided a
knowledge of geology would prove a
safeguard against such failures and
for seven years devoted himself to a
study of the land around Okmulgee,
to which he had transferred his ac-
tivities.
He made it his business to get a
log of every dry hole and study its
geological formations. At the end
Of the seven years, Pine had photo
graphic map of the earth under
value of his idea was proved in 1912,
for Pine went out on his own" drill
ed a well and was rewarded by see-
ing the liquid gold shoot skyward.
Pines operations widened. but he
wasn't through yet.
He liked Okmulgee, and visioned a
greater future for what once had
been an Indian Territory trading post
than has fallen to the lot of other Ell
Dorados-a temporary boom, bred as
the earth yielded oil or mineral
riches, and then permanent eclipse.
The success OF smaller businesses
convinced him that the town had sub
stantial staying qualities, so w. B.
began planning large industries.
After a comprehensive survey of
the possibilities, money was raised
and glass factory started; 1T is still
running "a hours day.
Next he reached the conclusion that
in a country where such an immense
quantity Of tools and machinery was
in demand there was too much lost
motion in having it shipped in. The
Burns Tool Company, of which he is
president, was the answer to that.
In industry one Of the chief items
of expense is the labor turnover, and
Pine decided that this unnecessary
costa waste-could be overcome by
making the people OF Okmulgee home
owners He interested other we'll
to-do citizens in the organization OF
a building and loan association. and
today Okmulgee, with an estimated
population of $4,000, cites Federal
figures to prove its boast that it has a
larger percentage of home owners
than any other city its size in the United
States.
For 20 years, now, Pine has carried
Of his campaign against waste, both
of material and human resources. His
industrial interests have expanded
until his neighbors declare that he is
in partnership, in general way with
all Of Okmulgee.
Pine is proud of these partnerships.
He believes they have solved prob