The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-06-17
By CHARLES M. HALL.

kIleVeO 10 De urVtIuplHE.
BY CHARLES NJ. HALL
NEA Service Correspondent
| Amarillo, Texas. June l7~-For
kany years J. A. Whittenb,rg was
cattleman, in Il modest way. lie
wned 4 stretch Of land in the Pan
andle, big enough TO pasture
liable herd Of cattle, but worth
title for the simple reason that all
he land in the Panhandle wasn't
b terribly valuable.
Mr.. Whittcnburg raised cattle
18th varying success, prospecting
kildly in good years and skimplng
lightly in bad ones.
And then they found Oil IN the
|Anhandle.
Further, they found oil on-or
observation-disclosures barren acres.
The cattle were shooed off to the
kockyards. Fifty gaunt derricks
here raised where they had grazed.
Inc lines crossed the rolling prai-
cs. Quarters we're hurriedly built
house workers.
Worth S4O,00O,00O
And now Whittenburg has be-
veen $40, OOO, 900 and $50, 100000.
ear. His land, which five months
70 was Just a cattle range could
ot be bought now for 0,OOO. 900.
But all Of this has changed the
Ian not bit. He is still famil-
Ar figure on the streets of Pan
andle towns. smoking the same
ID pine he has enjoyed for years
nd apparently almost unconscious
( his wealth.
Because his health is not perfect,
e has his son, George, handle the
usiness. George Whittenburg,
tho has a wife and l3 children has
hoved from the ranch to a very
Modest home in Amarillo. They
we'd in hotel for a while, but one
HID caught the whooping cough
nd another fell down a flight OF
kairs: so they got a home of their
wn.
Mrs. Whittenburg says they may
axe q trip to Florida or California
nut that they will buy a ranch
omewhere in Texas and resume
he business Of raising cattle. Hell
uddenly acquired wealth pleases
er chiefly for one reason-her chill
rem can be given good educations
In marked contract to this sud
len affluence is the story OF w. II
Holmes. Holmes is the pioneer
operator Of the whole Panhandle
feld, But riches lodged him con
istently, and he is only now bring
he in his first well, after haviDt
pent $4,000. Real money, how
yer, seems to be heading ms way
Il last.
One remarkable feature OF TIT
seld here is the shooting" OF we'll:
D increase production. By explod
n9 a charge of nitroglycerin inside
we'll production can be jumped
rom so barrels day to severa
thousand.
Most Of this shooting is done b!
me Tex Thornton. Thornton is
Iheerful, sunny chap, but he flirt'
nth death oftener, perhaps, thar
INV other man in America.
TO begin with, he carries man!
uarts Of nitroglycerine about il
In cans, loaded into his fliver., !
ar of Just % pounds will explod
Enese charges, and the roads ar
retty rough. Tex is, OF necessity
good driver.
He'll Only Miss Once
In. shooting well he slmpl.
lends a can of nitroglycerine dow
he shaft to the required depth an
xplodes it by dropping weigh
Sal it-or by use Of time fuse
his is easy except that sometime
ne flow of gas sends the can bacl
h again and losses it 10 or Is fee
4 the air. Such cans Tex mus
latch in the air, for if they hi
he ground they would get tina
8.pound jar and Tex would visi
eyeral widely separated parts G
rexas at once. But Tex catche
hem-at least, he always has S
lar. He will never miss more tina
)nce.
His most exciting days wa
khen two cans came back up a
nee. He caught the first, slippe
nd fell, and just had time to set
own carefully before reaching u
md grabbing the other.
Probably never before in the his
bry of the oil business has Their
cen q field that gave such bene
It's to the small operator and sma
pmpany. The territory is simpl
% vast for the major companie
corner. They only buy enoug
protect themselves in case q
Nv discoveries.