Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-12-24
OUR MAIt BAG
Minneapolis. Mimi.
EDITOR, JOURNAL:

EDITOR, JOURNAL:
Someone took exceptions to a
certain class OF men mentioned in
an article signed by myself i'm the
December 3rd Montana Oil & Min
ing journal issue when / mentioned
i'm part the "wildcatter" and stat
ed i'm "a brief note to me that such
class of men We're a hindrance as
they We're considered TOO unreliable
No oil well would ever have been
brought in by any company in any
state had it not been for this same
individual classed as the wildcat
ter
This expression of am operator is
simply used 20 designate him as
chance taker, backed generally by
money furnished by sporting
public both parties being a class
with plenty OF push and perserver-
ance and people in a class BIS
themselves There Is NO sigma 10
the term "wiidcaiter The Standard .
oil company OF California is wild .
catter i'm iis North Dakota opera
tious. gambling hundreds of thous
ands OF dollars OF it's stockholders
money in the chance il may find +
new oil field
God hates coward There is
nothing expressive in either one or
the other of this kind of men that
looks cowardiy. BY honoring both
classes working jointly ar present
as in the past, who are nstigators
of q very much desired modify
that I for one have only the great
est praise for their daring Just let
yOur mind revert back TO the early
days of wildcat work done within
the past 20 years within the bor- =
ders of the State OF Montana. The !
men with the drilling rigs with the
strings of tools and heavy and ex-
pensive equipment could never have r
accomplished this had these two
factions not have joined forces b
These chance takers are risking no "a
more than the chances taken for
ages in lands, wheat, corn Or cattle. \
Fortunes have been made and lost y
many times in many of the latter !.
Oil development work in
Montana has only begun. New fields u
are being developed Hampered as &
are the investing public by the n
banks and others shouting not TAX +
ing a chance when opportunity g
knocks at the door where would \
our world be were we to follow A
their advise and tie up our money a
on time deposits, government bonds,
ETC. and allow the bankers and p,
their borrower friends to use it at y,
a trifle interest. Better to make a b
lew mistakes than to drag through al
life on q penny income y,
Where would Morgan. Henry Of
Ford and many others be today in
'ur financial world had they never
aiken a chance? Unless the invest n
ng public wakes up while the prov rs
N ground operators as we'll as the
are in the Montana
fields, which is practically our next
loor neighbor. and help drive down
heir drills, they will move to 9TH
r fields and it may be many years
efore equipment will be returned
this state to continue develop
nent. Montana has lost large
lumber of its Independent opera
ors and particularly the wildcat of
ers because of lack of financial ia
acking, They can do better in Tex WI
s, the Midcontinent and even Cal m;
ornia, where they are closer to fro
nancial centers The Twin Cities
AAA0ANA1A ICnlCAb OH WHICH MOI U
ma oil development is largely de- o.
andent lea
Investors are rlghtfully selfish. sol
oweVer, and do not care about
Intinued development in Montana ga
ut they are keenly interested in ma
lie fact that present operations and sol
ildcatters in their desperate need
'r operating capital, offer the by
'eatest opportunities to investors. he
illions have been made on very of
nall investments through the wild
liter and nothing but the drill in
oil field will tell the truth
hen the investor finds a depend 90
bic operator. who will put the ma,
oney into drilling, there is no on
'ason why both should not make ne
oney srr
In recent issue of the Chicago IN,
rlbune it stated that by 1871 we nm
ould be paying so cents per gallon 20,
'r our gas The visible supplv
ould not carry us beyond that
ear, besides, says the article. we
ould soon have to take gasoline
ON our coal as they are doing to-
ly in Germany. -
trust the party who wrote me
I'd gave no address will see this
'tlcle and accept it as my candid
ply
NJ. A. CLARK.