Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-08-16
WILDCAT king
QUITS GOLD
LINED TRAIL
Oklahoma's Greatest
Operator Dies
OF Goitre

OKLAHOMA CITY. Aug. i6-CP)-
Thomas B. Slick, reputed the worlds
greatest individual oil operator. died
in a Baltimore hospital early today
following a p~aralytic stroke and an
operation for goitre.
Following an unbeaten path, Slick
led an adventurous life, in which
he made and lost millions Of dollars
in a day. His wealth was believed
to have been more than $4,000, 900.
Worn by his activities in the oil
industry in Oklahoma, Kansas and
Texas. last June he went to the
Baltimore hospital where he was
said to be taking the rest cure"
The stroke and operation followed.
resulting In his death.
The most colorful figure in the
petroleum industry. Slick won the
name Of king Of the Wildcatters''
but to many Of his friends he was
Lucky Tom"
His largest IDEAL" came in March.
1929, when he sold his holdings at
that time TO the Prairie Oil and Gas
company for s45 900 600. He had
planned to retire. but fondneSS for
the oil game again caused him to
re-enter the fields and he had ex-
tensive holdings in Texas. Kansas
and Oklahoma at the time OF his
death.
Slick was one of the chief develop
ers Of the Oklahoma City field.
An almost uncanny ability 10 dis
tower oil in virgin fields, then OBJ
tain valuable leases made Slick the
largest active independent opera
tor.
Slick. Okla. former boom oil town
In Greek county. was named for him
after he had developed that area
where he made his principal start.
Slept With DriIlers
Time and again he accumulated
oil holdings, sold them, retired"
then answered the call Of the der
ricks.
Born In Clarion, Pa. among the
oil derricks and amid the noise Of
pounding drills, Slick often spent
days at his wildcats" sleeping and
working with drillers.
Going into fields where other
operators feared TO drill, Slick trans
formed the farm sands into forests
OF derricks. He was credited with
playing a large part in drilling out
the Tonkawa area. with discovery
of the Cross-Cut Texas, St. Louis
Wilcox and Tonkawa deep sands and
with the development Of the Wichi-
Ia field. He aslo pioneered in the
Usage. Wewoka ard greater Semi
mole fields.
Slick. while on a trip to Brown
wood, Texas, met Earnest K. Kirk
patrick. former newspaper man and
oil man. He asked kirkpatrick 70
come to Oklahoma and made him
treasurer of the Slick Company, Inc.
Sticks brother-in-law. Charles E.
Urshell. was vice-president Of the
company. While Slick hald most
or the stock. he gave each Of the
two men 1000, 900 when he sold
the holdings to the Prairie. Kirk
patrick now Is in charge Of Sticks
offices at Tulsa.
Married Tulsa Girl
SICK mdTIlSO MISS brlAAOc rldbco'
daughter Of j. "A. Frates OF Tulsa,
former vice-president OF the St.
Louis-San Francisco railway COM
psny. Frates later was associated
with Slick.
Besides his widow Slick Is sur
vived by three sons. Tom, Ben and
Earl, all of whom are high school
students here.
Slick maintained three homes, one
at Clarion, Pa. another at San An
tonic, Texas. and the third. where
he spent most of his tina at Okla
homa City. He had hunting pre-
serves in Texas and Louisiana which
he stocked with wild game. The
operator made annual hunting trips
his only vacations - to Rockport,
Texas.