The Hebbronville News (Hebbronville, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 24, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 16, 1928 Page: 1 of 4
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Cattle, Cotton,
OH
HEBBRONVILLE NEWS
Oranges, Grape-
Fruit, Grapes, Figs.
VOLUME V, NUMBER 24
HEBBRONVILLE, JIM HOGG COUNTY, TEXAS,WEDNESDAY, MAY 16,1928
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Killam Bring's Field BacK! NEW CALLES LAWS
Along in 1921 Hon. 0. W.
Killam, who had been an Okla*
homa State Senator, decided he
would go to I^aredo and become
an oil man, a previous visit to
South Texas convincing him that
oil was to be found in paying
quantities in Webb and Zapata
counties, the only two counties he
inspected on that firt visit. Up in
Oklahoma Mr. Killam had not
been an oil man, but had become
known as a builder of towns when
not engaged in making laws. In
visiting the various Oklahoma oil
fields, however, he had picked up
a little knowledge of the oil game,
for he is a man with lots of good
sense and is withal a close ob-
server and quick to catch on.
Having made up his mind that
South Texas was a place for him,
he got together what cash he
could, amounting to some $6,000.-
00, and, with his family, moved to
Uiredo. A little experimenting,
but no real oil developing, had
been done in either Webb or Za-
pata Counties, so Mr. Killam in-
vested in oil leases, which he got
at a very low price, and secured
large acreage, beginning in the
northeast corner of Zapata county
and extending north some 13 miles
along an escarpment, to the Tex.
Mex. Railroad in Webb County.
11 is first development work was in
Zapata County and he obtained
some small producing wells. The
news of this discovery got abroad
and oil men were attracted to this
section.
In fact, Mr>Killam’s discovery
Soon created quite an oil boom in
Zapata and Webb counties and he
had no trouble in leasing a lot of
his acreage at a big profit. With
this profit he extended his oil de-
velopment north, into Webb
County and the more he develop-
ed t he more he was convinced that
a big oil field would be opened
somewhere along the escarpment,
but just where, he conld not say,
for he had not yet located it. In
October, 1921, this writer, acting
for a San Antonio friend, asked
Mr. Killam what he wanted for
leases along the escarpment from
the new Zapata field to the rail-
road track. “You can have any-
thing you want at from $1.00 to
$5.00 an acre,” replied Mr. Killam
The San Antonio friend was
communicated with, but he had
changed his mind and did not
come to Ijaredo. That was in
October, 1921. In April, 1922, a
real oil boom was on and those
leases were selling rapidly at from
$50.00 an acre to $350.00 and
$100.00 an acre. Oil men from
all over the country were pouring
into Laredo and ranchmen all
over a large portion of Webb
County were leasing their land at
far more than the land, in fee, had
cost them. And then it dawned
on Mr. Killam that two essential
things were necessary in the new
oil field, a new town and a pipe-
line' running into it from the pro-
ducing wells. And Mr. Killam
saw that they came. Mirando
City, the name of the new town,
became a big oil-shipping point
and then came the Killam refinery
to add to the new oil town's pro-
gress.
But in his sudden prosperity,
Mr. Killam never once lost his
head, but remained the same cool,
self-possessed man that marked
all of his movements from the
time he first decided to become a
South Texas oil man. The oil
development extended over into
Jim Hogg County, big oil fields
were discovered and fer three
years there was great prosperity
throughout this section, Hebbron-
ville taking on new life and pros-
perity, and progressing as it had
never progressed before in all the
years of its existence. This pros-
perity reigned through out this
section for three years, until the
great slump in the oil market
came and caused a great depres-
sion in the oil fields all over the
country. Development work was
continued to a greater or lesser
degree, but no new oil wells, no-
thing but dry holes, it seemed,
were brought in, Mr. Killam,
himself, drilling nany of them but
never letting a dry hole or two or
three or several dampen his en-
thusiasm in the belief that some-
day somebody, if not himself,
would discover a greater oil pool
in the South Texas fields than had
yet been discovered.
During the greatest period of
depression in the South Texas
fields, Messrs. C. R. Cole and
Dudley Tyng (the Cole Petroleum
Company), who had secured large
leases in the Bruni section, ex-
tending over in Duval County,
were rewarded, after years of toil
and the expenditure of large sums
of money, by .opening one of the
world'd greatest natural.'gas fields
and finding a demand for their
product. This revived hope in the
South Texas oil fields, and while
many drilled for oil and were re-
warded by getting.an * occasional
small producing oil well or may-
be a fair sized gasser,|yet nothing
sensational occurred and many oil
men, feeling the great depression,
began to lose hope and some of
them quit work and went away to
explore other oil fields.
But not so with Oliver W.
Killam. He never lost hope, and
if he ever felt downhearted he
failed to show it. He kept drill-
ing away, exploring wildcat terri-
tory in numerous instances, and
getting, now and then, a small oil
or gas well and dry holes. But
he “knew” there was big oil some-
where, and he kept his trusted
geologist, Frank Campbell, always
on the lookout and Mr. Camp-
bell’s advice was always acted on
by Mr. Killam. Mr. Killam owned
a lot of acreage in what is known
as the Albercas tract, in the east-
ern part of Webb County, about
a mile from the Jim Hogg line
and not a great way north of the
Henne, Winch and Fariss field in
the last named county. Mr. Camp-
bell selected a location in the Al-
bercas grant and, as directing su-
pervisor for Mr. Killam, he repor-
ted to his chief what he had done.
Mr Killam and Sims Company
have about com deted a well in
that inmediate section, drilled by
Mr. Killam. The well is now
being bailed and Mr. Killam is
counting on at least a 400 barrel
producer. As soon as Mr. Camp-
hell reported to Mr. Killan, the
latter had Bob Newton move one
of his rigs to the new location and
begin work. Mr. Newton never
tarries when he has anything to
do, and he was soon at work put-
ting down a well for Mr. Killam
that was to prove the biggest
thing that has ever happened for
this oil section in years and may.
be the biggest thing that has ever
happened. At 2,176 feet a sand
was reached and pierced six inches.
A little oil showed up and this
gradually increased in volume
until the well flowed 1400 barrels
a day, when it was cut down with
a 3-4 inch choker and is now pro-
ducing 900 barrels daily. The
well is being connected up with a
pipeline, when it will be turned
loose and may produce 2,500
Worse Than 3o!shivism
Calles propaganda is now gom-'io is. Calles, even though up-
ing out of Mexico fast and fu- held by the Administration at
nous, telling of the great progress Washington, is in a desesperate
that prevails in Mexico under situation himself and he hopes
Calles and how he is building up th-ough this false propaganda to
the country; and there are papers deceive the American people into
in the United States that handle believing that he is building up
this propaganda and hand it out Mexico, and in that way he hopes
to their readers for the truth,
when well they know it is only
intended to deceive the American
prople. In Mexico City there is
a so-called news agency presided
over by an American named
Trens but controlled and paid for
by Calles. Here of late the Trens
Agency has been working over-
time manufacturing and sending
to such American newspapers as
will publish it, free of charge, big
consignments of this false propa-
ganda telling of Mexico’s great
prosperity and upbuilding under
Calles. For a long time the San
Antonio Express, although a loyal
Callista, did not handle the Trens
Agency stuff, perhaps feeling that
it did not have to do so under its
old arrangement. Evidently a
new arrangement was made, for
the Express now handles this pro-
paganda by the column and with-
out so much as even blushing
about it. To read it, one would
imagine that Mexico was prosper-
ing as it never did before, that its
agricultural and industrial deve-
lopment was at high tide, and that
jjeace, prosperity and contentment
prevailed throuhgout the country.
And millions of American people
relying on the newspapers to tell
them the.truth,>re misled by this
lying propaganda and believe that
Plutarco Elias Calles is making
Mexico a great and wise ruler.
The truth of the matter is, Mex-1
ico today is in a most deplorable
codintion with millions of people
living from hand to mouth, with
business of all kinds practically
at a standstill, and with woe and
desolation and despair on every
hand.
But there is a reason for this
vast amount of Calles propaganda
that is coming out of Mexico and
finding its way in certain Amer-
ican newspapers, including the
Christian Science Monitor. It
is intended to impress the Amer-
ican people with the greatness of
Calles, a man who is half Turk
and half Indian, who denies the
existence of God and is against
all forms of the Christian religion,
and who robs people of their right-
ful property and has people mur-
dered by .wholesale because of
their religious and political opin-
Colonel House In Europe
to gain their sympathy. He
w; nts to continue as President
two years longer and lieeause of
that he has broken with Obregon
and had his right hand man, Mor-
onus, in his Labor Day speech,
openly denounce Obregon who
ha retire I to his ranch in Sonora
to meditate and plan on how he
can get revenge. The army is still
wPh Calles, but Amaro, Sec-
retary of War, lias always been
'oyrd to Obr > r., who appointed
him to the high office which he
has continue 1 to hold under
Calles, for Calles has been afraid
to let him out. If Amaro decides
to remain true to Obregon, Calles
had just as well begin making ar-
rangements to move out; if he
stays with Calles, then Obregon
had just as well withdraw from
tn? Presidential race and move to
this side of the border line. But
many Mexicans say Amaro wants
to be Pre ident himself and this
ru nor i> Mexic o (’ity is said to be
caasing C dies great concern, even
though Calles has the American
Government and Mr. Morgan
be find him, But time passes
swiftly and we shall soon see what
we shall see.
Writing from far away France,
Col. E. M. House in a letter to the
writer, who is a candidate for U.
S. Senator, among other things,
says:
“Your announcement reached
me today. I agree with much of
your platform and my affection for
you is such that you have my best
wishes for success.”
Such generous words from so
esteemed afriend as Col. House
make the effort worth the price,
even though the race be not won.
Col. and Mrs. House are now
sojourning in Beausoliel, France,
with Doctor and Mrs. Mezes, who
are at the resort for Dr. Mezes,
health, the Doctor having retired
from the University work.
Marooned In Laredo
Reports from Mexico City say
one cf the big oil companies, the
Huasteca, is going to resume work,
and that two others may follow,
<as the Calles government, badly in
Several Hebbronville people
were marooned in Laredo by
the heavy rains Sunday, but
were able to make the trip
home Sunday evening in their
autos. Mr. and Mrs. C. W.
Hellen hnd sons, Dana and
Charles W., drove over to La-
redo Friday evening to spend
the week-end at the Robert
E. Lee Hotel. Saturday eve-
ning they were joined by Mr.
and Mrs. Payne Briscoe, who
arrived from San Antonio. All
we re up bright and early Sun-
day morning, expecting to
lei.ve for home, but learned
that the concrete bridge in
th-3 eastern part of Laredo
across the Chacon was several
fee t under water,which delay-
ed their departure until late
that evening, when th& water
had receded enough to en-
need of money, is making induce
ments to encourage oil exploration, able traffic across the bridge
barrels of oil, or more, per day.
Mr. Newton, who owns some close
in acreage, has reached a depth
of 2,155 feet in his individual well,
an offset to the Killam well, and
is satisfied he will get a good pro-
ducer.
It was 0. W. Killam who first
put this section of the State on the
map as an oil producing section.
After a long period of depression
and during which people began to
lose faith in the South Texas oil
fields, it was O. W. Killam who
brought them back again and who
expects to see this section expe-
rience a greater oil boom than it
has ever yet experienced. Mr.
Killam has always held to the
opinion that the South Texas oil
fields had as yet only been scrat-
ched and that the real big oil was
yet to be discovered. And m. ;
people are beginning to think that
Mr. Killam had it down right.
The American papers give Mr.
Morrow great credit for bringing
about the “fixing”of the oil con-
troversy. But Mr. Morrow is
going to have u bigger job still
if he succeeds in adjusting the new
laws that have been published in
El Diario, official organ, and will
become effective in August. For
Bo shevism of t he most drastic
kind, these laws are ahead of
Russia. For instance: A married
manwho has not 5 children must
educate enough of some people’s
children to complete that number.
If a man has $8,000.00 in bank
and some one discovers that he
ha.'- more money, discoverer can
boirow it for 20 years. A man
living in a rented house for five
years, at the end of that time be-
comes its owner. If a man owns
a vacant city lot and does not,
within a certain time, build on it,
the lot is taken away from him.
If he has a flower garden, he must
cut it down to certain number of
square meters and any land above
the prescribed amount can be
taken over by any one and plant-
ed in corn, beets or any vegetable
and the owner is not,allowed any
rer.t or any damage for digging
up his flowers. If any one is heard
cri icizing these laws he is dealt
with severely and his property
confiscated. Many Mexicans be-
lieve there is an understanding
between Calles and Morrow and
that at the prof>er time Morrow
will bring about an .adjustment
an! which will be published in the
American newspapers as further
evidence of his wonderful diplom-
acy. This will have the effect, it
is presumed, of influencing Mr.
I rrow e as Amb.-is-
which will be more
to be resumed. While in La-
reco Mrs. Hellen attended a
meeting of the Daughters of
the American Revolution of
r * ...
which she is a member. The
meeting was held at Mrs. W.
W. MacGregor's.
For many years Colonel House
was the Political Warwick of
Texas, and from his little office in
Austin mi mod several Governors
of Texas and succesfully managed
their campaings. That was in the
good old convention days and
before we had the primary election
law.
In 1902 Colonel House had the
way cleared for the late Judge
James B. Wells’{to get the nomi-
nation, but Judge Wells declined
to enter the race and the nomina-
tion was given to [Col. Lanham.
At the expiration of Lanham’s
four years in the'Executive Chair*
Colonel House practically retired
from State politics and began di-
viding his time between New York
and Austin.
In about 1910 he established his
home in New York, to be near his
two married daughters, his only
children, one residing in New York
and the other near Boston, and it
was at that time that he began
taking an interest in National po-
litics.
In his quiet unpretentious way
he did great work for Wilson in
1912, and contributed no little to
his success.! He'could {have had
and office within the President’s
gift, but he wanted none, although
he did become one of Mr. Wilson’s
closest advisers, and went on four
secret missions to the Old World
for the President during the war
period.
In Colonel House’s day, Texas
had three or four different politic-
al parties, but* only one Demo-
cratic party, If he could return
to Texas now and find four dif-
ferent brands of Democracy, not
including the old Jeffersonian
brand, he would no doubt come to
the conclusion that, politically,
Texas was in a h—1 of a fix.
Colonel House did not say in his
letter when he and Mrs. House
would return to the United States,
but they will probably remain in
the Old World until Dr. Mezes'
health is restored. Mrs. House
and Mrs. Mezes are sisters, and
were born near Hunter, Hays
County, the town being named
after their father.
Magnificent Rains
Splendid rains have fallen
throughout South Texas the past
few days, the big downpour com-
ing last Saturday night. In Heb-
bronville, the rainfall was 1 3-4
inc ies and it was thought to be
lighter here than in any other
Other Oil Newt
The new well of the Magnolia
Petroleum Company, just north
of the Cole field and known as the
Magnolia No. 1 Valdez, is an off-
set to the Cole No. 56, and is pro-
ducing 300 a day through a chok-
er.
0. W. Killam has started three
offset wellB to his big well in the
portion of the country. In Lare
do the downpour was terrific, more Albercas grant, noted in the pre-
than 7 inches of rain falling there ceding write-up of the flowing
in a very short space of time. It
was very heavy between here and
Laredo and was houts delayed
railroad traffic for several hours
although General Manager M. M.
Ieyendecker had trains moving as
usual over the Tex. Mex. on Mon-
day morning. The rains insure
fair crops in Jim Hogg County,
although it would have been bet-
ter for them had the rains come
earlier. They also insure plenty
of jjrass and weeds for cattle, and
both cattlemen and farmers are
feeling in high spirits because of
the splendid downpour.
than gratifying to Calles who feels
that as long as he has Mr. Morrow
to deal with the United States
will continue its support of his
Bolshevik government. When it
cornes to putting it over us di-
plomatically and otherwise, those
Ca listas certainly know their
buriness, and then some.
well. The offsets are all in Webb
County, not far from the Jim
Hogg County line.
In the Cole field, the Cole No.
57, flowing by heads into a slush
pit, is being finished and is expect-
ed to make a good producer, if
not a gusher. The well is on block
3, section 412, WebbOounty, and
has a depth to the bottom of the
hole of 2,338 feet.
W. C. Berg No. 1 N. Hinnunt,
block 9, section 19, Jim Hogg
County, which stood for several
days at 320 feet waiting for drill-
ing water, has resumed work.
William R. Jewell, in his No. 2
Robert Hinnant, block 4, section
19, Zapata County, is below.1720
feet.
Several new locations, in dif-
ferent sections, have been made
the past week and the drilling ac-
tivity in the different fields is
gradually increasing.
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The Hebbronville News (Hebbronville, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 24, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 16, 1928, newspaper, May 16, 1928; Hebbronville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth979095/m1/1/: accessed July 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .