Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-11-26
THANKFUL FOR LEAN" YEARS

he who went into the purchase Of min
ing stocks and thereafter created the
definition that a mine is a hole in the
ground with a liar at the top. lot
of people have taken refuge behind that
definition to refuse to make any invest
mnt in mining. The same thing might
have been applied to any OF Mark Twain's
investments, apparently so the thing
to be learned from Mark Twain was not
a key to success. Instead it was DON'T
INVEST" Everyone knows that with
out investment, none can ever build up
a personal fortune of any kind.
However this other story is told Of
Mark Twain, who was approached one
dav by man who had heard that Twain
would take an occasional flyer" in
speculative venture. This man, described
as tall and spare, with kindly blue eyes
and eager face, carried a contraption
under his arm and he tried to describe
it to Mark Twain. 1t was. in truth, an
invention. He thought that Mark Twain
with his vivid imagination. would quickly
grasp the possibilities of this invention.
Twain listened politely as this man
offered him any share or interest he
might demand in the device for the sum
IF s5OO-the sum needed to begin the
demonstration of this new device to an
eargerly waiting world Mark Twain
smiled and declined, explaining that he
had been sucked in on many hair-bralned
propositions and had lost on all of them
and he was call through" The man
started away.
"iWhat did YOU say your name was?"
Mark Twain called after him.
"Bell." replied the inventor, Alexander
Graham Bell"
There isn't a school child in America
today who does not know that name and
of the Bell telephone and the great
American Telephone and telegraph COM
nanv that grew out of that strange
contraption.
We look back on opportunities that
have passed us by and wonder why we
did not see them. In our lifetime we
have talked with old men who recalled
how they had a chance to put some
money into a scheme called the oil BUSH
ness started up by a fellow named John
n Rockefeller These stories cause US
TO stop and regard seriously the Things
around us. Certainly the oil business
must have been much more hazardous
before there was such thing as mar
lot for gasoline Certainly the purchase
OF ROYALTIES was more hazardous before
the science of geology was evolved;
certainly the purchase of royalties has
grown less hazardous with the deVefop-
ment of geophysics and the other sciences,
tnc1udine better drilling methods, better
refining methods and enlarged markets
which utilize every drop Ol e@0H D
We cannot afford to be content" at
this time. as the passing of months
weeks and days brings to a close our
~reat onnortunities attendant to the ad-
S e. 'Tean year" following loss Of
the Canadian markets in 1889. These OPP
portunities will end-this time perma-
pentIv we cannot imagine any situation
that might give a recurrance of the
events of 1887 when the crude oil mar
ket faded. with new refineries not only
s.,.N n
0~oduction Of our fields to amortize in
yestments of millions Of dollars and
thereafter supply the refined products
market for years to some we can see
only stabilized market ahead.
We feel that the next few months offer
our greatest opportunity to 'fbuy cheap,
with the certainty that the years ahead
will give adequate opportunity TO sell
dear" ,,.o
current publications on the Montana
oil Industry will be forwarded to those
who request them.