Tom Lovell: Storyteller With a Brush Page: 88
104 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.View a full description of this book.
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cannot afford to lease too cheaply. Again, if he leases for too little and a good wellel l
is made, the lease is locked in, and he will have nothing left to sell in the future wI
except the royalty. He wants to preserve that for his family. If he holds out for too dr
much, he fears the bidder may tire of the struggle and leave, for it is natural that
the landman has not divulged the extent of his own need. ha
Now, near midnight, the futures of the farm family and of the oilman hang in dbh
the balance. A decision must be made. The little girl, shoes off, has gone to sleep fode T
with her head in her mother's lap. The boy, older, has tried to show his maturity
by staying awake and keeping up with the bargaining that he realizes affects his tu rg n siEnecus", tesk
own welfare, but now he dozes, pillowing his head upon his arm on the little th
kitchen table. The dog faithfully hangs on, but he too would rather lie down and wr
go to sleep. frc
The landman knows his financial limitations, and he has stretched them in theng sha d gfhgm
long evening of negotiation. But now, before giving up, he adds one extra sweet- Th
ener to the offer and again unfolds the contract in the light of his kerosene lamp. a . a t pa dii
"To boot," he says, "I'll pay your taxes up-to-date." co
That makes the crucial difference, for the taxes have weighed heavily on the g g r
farmer's mind. He glances at his wife and sees her smile. He looks up at the land- d fw r
man and senses that this is as far as he can
--go. Besides, the offer is fair. The farmer arises a, A 6 s a h
from the table and extends his hand. "It's awa
a s 5,4ati
deal," he declares.
put althe eement t aehr Thedeig
The story as told to the artist had a happy a a b ga * a to t a
ending for all participants. The well was
good, affording years of royalty payments to
farmers who signed the leases. The landman ge Aba bn t a di figre
went on to a long career as a successful a. m ad aaa n a
independent producer. a r as r a88
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Kelton, Elmer. Tom Lovell: Storyteller With a Brush, book, 2005; Midland, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1127711/m1/94/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, Library and Hall of Fame.