Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-13

1t soon came into the hands Of PROFESSIONAL
and at one time or another Fl Dorado had
within its city limits all Of the gunner who
had made name for themselves In more hard
boiled places.
There was lots for these gunner to do. The
field was decidedly rich pickings, for nowhere
had there been more ready money, more
saloon keepers to protect, more dope ped6ilers
to bolster up, or more gamblers to terrify.
The clapboard shacks increased and extended
across the valley running just south Of the
square and up the hill the other side until
they were safely outside the city limits where
pesky city marshals with hordes of deputies
could not question. Here they became rustic
places of sin, places where the roustabout could
get anything he wanted. That was the boast.
Shootings occurred nightly and were so
numerous that they were not recorded either
in the newspapers, whose timid correspondents
stuck closely to hotels, by the sheriff's once.
The slight knoll on the south side of the town
was named Pistol Hill" and the valley be-
tween was known as Shotgun Valley" And
these localities were not misnamed.
Oil wells continued to be brought in. The
field was extended to the north, toward Cam
den, and each well outdid the other until the
climax was reached In the tremendous gushers
OF the Smackover area. Then Smackover was
born. To this newer and grander settlement
the roustabouts hocked, much as country
crowds follow the circus. Drilling activity was
curtailed somewhat in the Fl Dorado sector,
and finally FL Dorado emerged as a full-grown
oil town.
With the departure Of large number Of the
roughnecks the lawless element dwindled. OF
this Ell Dorado was tremendously glad. For
the first time since the boom struck the town
up on its progress and plot its future This
was the beginning Of q real constructive pro-
gram.
Citizens of the town. who had deserted 1t hike
rats leaving sinking ship when the on boom
struck, returned. They built palatial homes,
perhaps not always with the taste displayed by
those most accustomed to having much money,
but lvable homes. nevertheless. The county
and city both instituted phenomenal building
programs; roads court house, q city han and
paved streets lifted the town out Of the mud
and slime of the oil days to a new respecta-
bility.
Oil wells were attached to pipe lines and
refneries were built No longer was the pre-
cious fluid allowed to contaminate the streams
and stain the forests.
Farmers who had come with their teams
from cotton farms In the adjoining counties
returned to their homesteads with their earn
fngs the first real cash that had made its way
into those counties in years They used it IN
paying off the mortgages and for instituting
progressive farming methods, buying registered
cattle, white leghorn hocks and generally m
putting the farms on a paying basis.
Business men who found they had lots Of
money in Oil leases, but who did not want to
compete with established Ell Dorado merchants,
set up chain stores in neighboring villages and
devoted their efforts toward rehabilitating run
down farms.
So all Of the money which poured into Union
County and which is stiH pouring into Union
County Is not wasted in riotous living. A
large part Of it has gone back into Union
County and Southern Arkansas. 1t has stabil-
lied credit, made business better, and what m
perhaps more important, it has created q spirit
among the citizenry that South Arkansas is not
to lese the glories Of the oil boom forever, but
that after the oil is drained from the earth and
the reflneries have been moved to other fields
there still will be something there to work for
and with