Show OIL G USHER GUSHER MAKES TIN TINY Y COUNTRY CHURCH IN UNITED ST A TES HOUSE 0 OF F WORSHIP IS SPATTERED BY BYU PETROLEUM U I Prayers of Thanksgiving Are Offered by Pastor Pastor Pas Pas- tor and Flock By Charles H. H Newell Editor of the Dallis Daliis Dispatch RANGER Texas March larch Oil rich crude petroleum gushing forth from the has ground suddenly transformed transformed trans trans- formed the little mUe Baptist Baptist Bap- Bap Missionary church at Merriman Texas Into the wealthiest church for Its size In the world The twenty nine members ot of the country congregation suddenly awoke to fInd themselves rich individually 1 and as a church With one big gusher I In the church churchyard ard striving daily to I burst its collar and spatter crude oil over the little UttIe white painted building and a second well showing indications I and about to be brought in in the I churchs church's financial problem suddenly stood on Its head It became a question ques- ques tion not ot of how to get money but que-I que or of how how to spend money A syndicate of bankers has leased i ithe churchyard for the two acre plus an eighth royalty Moreover every member of the congregation congregation con con- except one has at least one I II I I well in the back bacle yard Some have two I PRAYER ANSWERED The consensus of opinion in the Merriman Merriman Mer- Mer riman Baptist Missionary church Is that God has answered its prayers Like most country churches this one has led a bare existence fOt years Gathered in the old frame building that stood for a quarter of a century the men and women had joined In simple simple sim- sim worship sung hymns and held re- re Their mo modest est collections had barely sufficed to pay a divinity student student stu- stu dent to come every second Sunday from Ft Worth and preach Then the great Ranger oil field richest richest rich rich- est find of recent years was brought In in October 1917 The McClesky dis- dis coverT well was near Merriman Suddenly Suddenly Sud- Sud denly land was at a a. premium POOR NO LONGER The nine twenty members were poor S SOME OME wag put up a sign on the community burying ground abutting the Merriman churchyard which read THIS LOT FOR LEASE FOR DRILLING It is gone now Anyone attempted to lease that sacred burial plot would be drilled by some taciturn West Texan with a six Below is the Merriman Baptist Missionary church with its members showing in background background back back- ground the oil well that has made the little rural meeting house hous richest church per capita in U. U S. S u a tA EA H t E s t r r k W 3 r o folk Three years of severe drought had burned their crops and depleted their little herds of cattle They are poor no longer Many l were the prayers of thanksgiving thanksgiving thanks thanks- giving offered by W W. T. T Hamor the divinity student and pastor lIe gave thanks for the discovery of oil which inspired the bankers bankers' syndicate to lease the churchyard lIe offered prayers for tor the success of the syndicate syndi- syndi cato cate while it was drilling the well He prayed for the drillers to strike oil instead ot of turning up a duster And when the tho well proved a real gusher he offered fervent th thanks for tor the prosperity prosperity pros pros- that was being splashed all over the church GUIDANCE ASKED The lease was proposed The de cons Uncle Tom Duncan IJ E. II 11 Webb and J J. J T T. T Falls met with Pastor Ira Ira- mor And And- they all got down on their knees on the bare floor of the plain little meeting house and asked divine guidance Then they decided to accept accept ac- ac the offer of C. C C C. Moor Moor- n I man and J. J B. B Alexander local bank bank- ers When we went to Ranger Rangel on Monday Mon Mon- day to sign the lease narrated Deacon Webb we met an oil operator who offered us I We Ve told him the church lot belonged to God and that as his trustees we had given our pur word to take To break our agreement agreement agree agree- ment wouldn't be the Christian thing So we went down to the tho bank and signed the lease It got noised around that WE had sold it too cheap The syndicate heard the talk and told us that Jf if the second well proved anything like the first they would pay us more Its up to them They arent aren't bound to it it Its It's simply a case of doing business business busi- busi ness by the golden rule I asked Deacon Webb if some somo of the poor members of the church didn't itch to get part of this sudden wealth GOLDEN RULE No was the Instant response I say we were going by the golden rule Besides every member except one owned land that was leased J JI I for large sums No member ev even n mentioned mentioned men men- the possibility ot of dividing the church royalty l among the members b If ol oJ anyone had we e would have had serious doubts as to his professed Christian Christian- ity ity I I have dry holes on my own own place near the church But I own other land sand and I am s 's sitting as they say I asked Deacon Webb about the I widely report that had been offered for the lease ot of the burying ground 1 two acres adjoining the church lot There Is not a word ot of truth in it 11 fiction church he said Its pure The doesn't own the land years ago it vas deeded to the dead by M. M V. V Breuer Bre el the deed Is held liy the school trustees That cemetery is is' is hallowed It is sacred to every pioneer in the region n. n If anyone tried to drill an oil well on onit it It there'd be a killing I guess a few tew scoundrels scoundrels' are so lustful they would take the remains from the graves and drill for oil but none of them has dared show his head in this section |