The Family of Emerson McMillin

what started out as sidelines. He contributed to his company’s success in other regions,
but his greatest achievement was in central Sumatra where he was largely responsible for
the acquisition of large land holdings for his company in what was for the most part
traceless, unmapped jungle and swamp when he took his first geological party to
Indonesia. He saw these holdings mapped geologically by all sorts of means ranging
from hand-dug pits and auger holes to the use of the reflection seismograph, and he lived
to see it threaded by roads and with the necessary facilities for the development and
production of several oil fields, one of which turned out to be the largest ever found in the
East Indies. Emerson Butterworth was not one to boast about what he had done but the
success of the Sumantran operation probably gave him the greatest satisfaction of
anything in his whole career.
After Mr. Butterworth started to work for Standard of California, he soon proved himself
to be an able geologist. However, it was at a time when the oil industry, including his
own company, was beginning an intense search for new producing fields, not only in the
United States, but also abroad. The complex nature of the oil operations therefore forced
him to develop latent talents and to assume new responsibilities for which his education
as a geologist had hardly prepared him , though his knowledge of geology proved to be of
inestimable value to him. Inasmuch as he showed promise in this direction, he was little
by little drawn into delicate negotiations for concessions until for a time they became his
principal concern.
His natural tact, patience, and perseverance made him suited for this and no doubt aided
him greatly in finally reaching his objectives. He was inclined to be reserved and a bit
hard to get to know intimately, yet he was always fair and considerate to those who
worked with him. They will always remember him as a real gentleman.
The Family of Emerson McMillin Copyright © 2012 Elaine Winkler 32