Alexander, John D 1985-02-11

John D. Alexander reminisces about his extensive experience in Texas oil field work during various oil booms including that in Ranger and Burkburnett, Texas. He recounts what oil field work was like, life in the oil boom towns, details on drilling methods and oil field equipment.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: John D. Alexander

Additional Parties Recorded:

Date: February 11, 1985

Location: Carlsbad, New Mexico

Interviewer: Richard Mason

Length: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Early drilling methods, Cable tool rigs, Shooting wells - nitroglycerin, Water flooding - advent of 1951-52, Tumstil field - Orla, Texas, Setting casing, Black line, Pay sand, Continental Oil Company, Delaware sand, Modern methods, John D. Alexander, Interest in oil field work, M. L. Ranch - Morg Livingston - 1918, 1918 - Ranger, Texas, oil field, Influenza outbreak, McCloskey Hotel, Flop houses, Rampant sickness, Deaths, Dead wagons, Return to Orla, Texas, Longhorn cattle stampede, Return to Ranger Texas - 1919, Work on casing crew, Trip to Fort Worth, Texas-Pacific Railroad wreck, Human stampede, Oil field work, Casing crew, Dressing tools, Casing crew (again), Cable tools and steam boilers description

Tape 1, Side 2: John D. Alexander (continued), Oil field work - Ranger, Texas (continued), Casing crew (again), Workers' pay, Hijackers - flop house shakedown, Living conditions, Peaks and valleys - oil production - 1919, Major oil companies, Independent oil companies, Superior Oil, Marlin Oil, Desdemona, Texas, Blow-off boxes, Women refusal to wash oil field clothes, Cleaning clothes, Burkburnett oil field, Hickey Guaranteed pants, Pants from cement sacks, Washing clothes in power house tank, Steam boilers, Demise in South Vernon fields, Danger of, Friend killed, Hard bosses, People who worked in oil fields, Farm and ranch background, War veterans, Natives of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Tobacco chewers, Comparison of Pennsylvania and Ohio bosses

Tape 2, Side 1: Suitcase sand, Oil Well Journal as source of jobs, John D. Alexander (again), Arrival in Burkburnett, Texas - 1919, Jitney stands, Star Rooms - flop house, Comparison with Ranger, Texas, More rotary tool wells, Outlying fields, U-town, Bridgetown, Bradley Corner, Burkburnett townsite field, Life in Burkburnett oil boom town, Crime, Oil stock sales, Bridgetown field controversy, Murders, Identifying dead, Crane, Texas, oil field, Poison gas deaths cover-up, Burning-off gas, Gates field, Pecos, Texas, Wasteful methods, Loss of gas, Young engineers, Transporting oil without pipelines, Storage tanks, Stock exchanges, Oral Roberts, Deceptive methods, Postal worker anecdote, Son, Oil well equipment, Cable tools rig description, Seize line, Early equipment primitiveness, Accidents, Theft of equipment, Burkburnett, Texas, Superintendent of Humble Oil Company

Tape 2, Side 2: Blank

Range Dates: 1918-1952

Bulk Dates: 1918-1920

Access Information

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