Montana oil journal. (Great Falls, Mont.) 192?-1931, 1931-02-21
Where Are The Greatest
Opportunities?

erich over night Is the common
phrase "a the press describing the
fortunes accompanying q nsw dis
covery In oil.
The world Is enthraIled BY ao-
counts OF the opening Of new oil
production ia new and old fields.
when the discovery brings riches %
poor people.
We read an account recently Of
the completion near Graham, Texas,
OF great producer OF high-grade
crude. The account said Of the
significance OF the strike:
''To the Il. P. McClOmds--
father, mother and sons--it
brought such mixed emotions
that Mrs. McCl0ud was put 70
bed; Mr.. McClomd walked about
the well, unable to talk about
the big strike. AMI the little
AfcC1Ouds studied their Sunday
School lessons, appEeciative only
THAI some day they may be
wealthy. They own the land"
The account told how the well
blew IN without warning 1t a depth
Of 3670 feet. It wrecked the rig
and ran Wild for three days. In
the three days 1000 barrels Of oil
fell on the ground. This well was
located near some small producers
which are but 1900 fest deep. But
that Is beside the point.
The completion OF q big wen on
Dry Greek by Ohio Oil company
meant that some people who bod
been relatively poor were actually
made rich over night The Ohio
oil company. the operator, was cali
ed upon TO spend q million dollars
a. a result Of the discovery. The
people made rich over night" we're
the owners OF the royalty.
We hear Of the many instances
Of people who have been surprised
70 find themselves wealthy as q
result Of the magic Of oil. II we
check i up, we Will find IN most
instances that they are LAND
OWNERS. When Cat Creek came
In, It brought wealth 70 some soldier
boys: fellows who had filed on
hOmesteads before they went into
the service, because their service
time served as homestead residence.
The land VAS 80 poor that jack
rabbits would starve on it. These
fellows could not have lived out
the homestead requirements, had
they been dependent upon the soil
Tor their livelihood. Yet oil made
them among the wealthieat men IN
Montana
1t follows that the road to 8
great personal fortune Is TO take
up q homestead on q Montana farm.
The average pers0n who reads
these lines would not make the
sacrifice necessary to prove up on
a homestead. Dry land farming IN
Badlanda f. necessary, as a rule,
TO get into an oil country TO
prove up on one OF these farms
Is an act OF fortitude. rather than
business enterprise. Furthsrmore,
homesteading to get the oil rights
Is out Of the question today.
The man who starts out TO buy
a farm on an oil structure ia taking
The more desirable route. He can
buy q farm and walt for develop
ment That has its drawbacks He
VIII have perhaps thousands Of dol
avs tied up. with a burden OF taxes
until such. time that 4 dependable
81 operator drills the structure.
should the operator fail to find
III. the landowner must wait for
additional years for some other
to come along and. fur
.hermore, the structure may be
BY tina Grill 70 be deficient
ina not a suitable trap 9or Oh
But should ehe operator find
N. then the landowner IA made
rich over night The landowner
yives the operator q lease on the
and that e, right 10 prospect
or Oh and gas No contract IL
,inding unless there is an adequate
This contract pro-