San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-30
Muddy and Deeply Rutted
Road Leads to Gander Slue

etc. Man, fish-tail bit is recondi-
toned in this shop, and well do Dix
on and Trahnn speed up drilling &C.
tivities in the Guadalupe section of
the field. A bunch of expert me-
chanics are employed in Gander
Slue's machine shop, and among them
are found the publishers of the Gan
der Slue Gazette, the first newspaper
in the new town.
ave got too busy around here and
had to cult putting out the sheet, "
said Sauls when answering Ques-
ton as to why there were no Gander
Slue Gazettes on local newsstand.
But it was published long enough TO
put Gander Slue permanently on the
map.
In the shop of Dixon and Trahan
is large furnace and when heated
up, one is likely to suffer n little il
they get too near.
Sauls, one of the leading mechanics
Of the shop, who says he halls from
little o. everywhere, but principally
from Palestine, Tex, was operating
the red hot furnace when someone
asked: "Where is Gander Slue?"
Its % degrees west of He'll" an
swered Sauls, as perspiration ran
down his face. And when Sauls pub
lished the first issue of the Gander
Sluc Gazette these were his headlines.
He and his fellow workmen wanted
the world TO know about Gander
Slue-the newest oil town in Texas.
The Boom Began.
at is too bad that Mr.. Sauls and
Mr.. Sons had to give up publishing
the paper" say some residents, OF
Gander Slue, because there was
even some talk of society section. "
In spite Of the fact that the Gander
Slue Gazette was one-page affair
it was thought that there might be
room enough for society, editorial,
real estate and other sections.
AS drilling activity progressed and
new wells were brought in, in Guada-
lupe county, the influx of oil field
workers began. 1t was not long be-
fore a cluster of stores, hotels and
amusement buildings, principally
dance halls, were constructed. To-
day Gander Slue's Main street is
the scene Of steady building activity.
There are drug stores, grocery stores.
cafes, hotels lone floor, one room and
n number of cots) dance halls, cold
drink stands and various other estab-
lishments. Everyone seems to be do
ing a rushing business because the
already large population Of Gander
Slue is steadily increasing. Allen S
Grocery Store, owner John Allen, is
one Of the principal business estab-
lishments of the town. II is com
mon occurrence for this store to take
in $50 to 500 a day, Mr.. Allen said.
and it is said that one some days
business has totalled as much as $3.50.
On Sunday il is common sight
to see crowd Of more than 1000
people in Gander Slue and in the
Guadalupe section of the field.
Gender Slue is typical of the oil
towns in the early days of Texas
oil field booms, but comparatively
there is little lawlessness. There are
no peace officers in the town.
Lease Offices Scarce.
But one characteristic of Guadalupe
county's most prosperous mushroom
oil town is that the offices of lease
men are absent. Either most of
them have remained in Luling, Seguin.
Lockhnrt and other nearby towns or
there is no place for them yet in
Gander Slue.
II every frame building in Gander
Slue gets a coat of crude oil during
the next few days ii will not be a
surprise to residents for derricks have
been built right uD against some OF
the establishments and drilling wells
are already threatening to spout oil
over the surrounding scenery which
includes the business buildings OF
Gander Slue.
One well. the No. Allen OF the
United North and South Oil company,
did run wild for hours, spraying oil
over the surrounding country, but
failed to reach the Gander Slue build
ings. Anyhow it won't be a real
oil town until the buildings are