Beaumont High News
January 10, 1931 30th Aniversary
Review of Spindletop Hill; the event that changed the U.S
The Spindle Top gusher was one of the greatest events in the history of the U.S.It changed millions of lives by creating hundreds of new industries and hundreds thousands of jobs in the U.S and made it the richest country. January 10, 1901 Anthony Lucas finally struck oil after 2 years of drilling.It all began when he took up one of the ads of the theorist of Spindletop Patillo Higgins in 1899.
Lucas began drilling and eventually stopped due to the lack of good equipment in 1900, he asked for financial help from the Pennsylvania business that created the oil field in Corsicana. He then struck the biggest oil reserve in the world.
Oil sprung up into the air and broke six tons of metal that had supported the oil rig.It burst 300 feet into the air and broke off into a lake around the derrick fueling more than 1000 barrel an hour. The oil rig than 100 feet into air oil leaked for 9 days until it was finally capped. The lake was filled so much by the oil rig that the crew feared that it would catch on fire and burn the rig so they built a barrier to protect it, eventually it exploded, but their efforts were not in vain and it successfully protected the oil rig.
The first Spindletop well, named Lucas No. 1, produced 70,000 to 100,000 per day the leading producer in oil at the time. Oil drillers immediately flocked to Gladys City to find potential oil underground near Spindletop. The discovery at Spindletop created the first massive oil boom in Texas, and land there immediately became very valuable. The population there also grew very rapidly creating Boomtowns. The boom eventually decreased when Spindletop started to slow down to 10,000 barrels a day, businesses closed down and people moved away.
The Spindletop oil boom was a mark in the Texas history, with a creation for 600 oil companies, including the big fishes of the oil industry Texaco, Gulf, and Mobil. The entire Texas economy was changed by finding an efficient, cheap source of fuel that changes the very future of our transportation and industries.(Brian Wu)
Never question a Wildcatter
(Trinity King)
CARS TRAINS MACHINES!!
(Trinity King)
Take a Ride in a Car or Train Today!!!
(Trinity King)
Clell Reed's Interview
Clell: The kind of oil companies that had more success.
Q:What did they fund to?
Clell: Schools and for cultural.
Q:Was it the only funded businesses
Clell:No, oil companies had a big impact on the schools & education.
Q: What are your thoughts on oil's contributions to culture& education?
Clell: They've picked on the oil industry that's paved move roads, built more schools, educated more children and has done more for the US than any industry alive today. I dare anybody that's not true.
(Trinity King)
Dear Editor
Dear Editor,
I believe that boom towns are detrimental to our society. This is leading to over population in the towns and major diseases like typhoid fever, dysentery and other dangerous illnesses that is caused by no sewage systems and contaminated water.
Pollution is also a major problem, This is caused by burning the coal in the machine. As trains will need to be powered to ship things to farther areas causing pollution. Also using the oil as fuel to power cars can cause pollution. In boom towns cars are now more frequent and not built for protecting pollution from increasing.
Last but not least child labor is wrong. Using their small and weak bodies to climb into parts of the machine to which we can not reach is ridiculous. Their vulnerability makes the prone to injuries frequently, the pay is horrible and if they get injured on the job there will be no compensation. This is not humane working conditions.
Sincerly,
Concerned citizen(Mostly Trinity King, edited by Brian Wu)
Dear Editor
Dear Editor,
I believe that the boom towns are very successful. They are very helpful to those who are looking for work and not only the rich men,AlsoI think that they can raise children to a better life and less hardship.
People who have failing crops at the end of growing season have to look for new work. So boom towns are a great option for them.The growing industries need more factories so that means more workers.The economy grows as the industries grow. This leaves our towns and cities in better shape instead of us having to pay higher taxes.
The children may have to work but at least they get pay and things they need. A boom town is a better way to raise a child than in the isolated countryside. Plus the children will have better access public to education. Also in farm life you must work from dusk to dawn unlike paying labor to which you get hours and days off.
The way of a boom town is better for the people. This is also better for the economy. As our population grows so does our need for worker in which boom towns can provide. Most of the industries in the end wind up donating towards the people, culture and education.
sincerely,
A Towns’ Man(Trinity King)