The Billings News. (Billings, Okla.), Vol. 5, No. 4, Ed. 1 Friday, October 9, 1903 Page: 2 of 8
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INDIANS EXPERT GRAFTERS
Lease Allotments To As Many Ten-
derfeet As They Can Corral.
MINING LEASES A SPECIALTY.
Mhh WIio Rent* I’oor Lo Must Ho **»st-
luanler In Tho Gift of C
Kansas :y, Oct. 5.—A special from
Muskoget, I. to the Journal says:
'[’hi.-, i- t regarding conditions in
Indian Territory was well illustrated
by a case heard before Indian Agent
J. Blair Shoenfelt. About tin* time
of the oil excitement in the I» rtlesville
district there was a great demand for
leases on nil land in that vicinity, and
these oil leases were sought both by
experiemvd men and tender fee t. 1 he
case referred to was that of an Indian
who had entered into six different
leases for the oil l ights on his allot-
ment, each one of whom paid him
money and thought himself secure in
the possession of a fortune. Hut one
day the six lessees happened to meet
and discovered from each other that
they had been buncoed by the “poor
Indian," and it was to be a contest to
sec who would be the winner and who
the loser. Kadi made application to
Colonel Shoenfelt to have his lease
approved, and when they were all in a
hearing was ordered, and each sub-
mitted the evidence obtainable to prove
that his was the only reliable and
valid lease in existence on that piece
of land. The attorneys for the Stand-
ard Oil company held one of the leases
and put up a stiff light to sustain their
fair reputation with their clients.
Others just as astute, however, also
held loasrs. and when the evidence
was all submitted about the only point
that had been clearly established was
the fact that Poor Lo had entered iuto
six leases where lie should have made
but one, and had gotton a nice niece
of money from the “boys” who are
among the smartest and smoothest in
the Southwest. No decision has been
rendered.
There arc many eases similar to this
one, aud it is pretty generally admit-
ted among those who have had ex-
perience that the man who gets the
best of an Indian or Creelc negro must
be a pastiunstcr in the art of grafting,
if he doesn't get the worst of a deal
pretty often. There are many would-
be grafters who have come to grief,
and have invested in experience many
thousands of dollars. One well known
banker of Kansas who has a weakness
for speculation on the side is said to be
in §20,000, and would be glad to cash
out at r.O cents on the dollar. He made
a specialty of agricultural leases. One
company here, in which Governor
Porter is said to ho largely interested,
is reported to be “in the hole” about
$80,0G0 on minor leases alone, if Judge
Raymond’s decision is finally affirmed.
It is no secret that practically every
man here who dabbled in agricultural
leases on Indian lands did so with the
expectation of grafting on the Indians
and making easy riches, but experience
lias shown that it is a wise one, indeed,
who has not paid for a lot of experi-
ence. The same thing is true of the
so-called “trust” companies that are
so numerous. It is probably true that
some of them were incorporated to
transact a legitimate business, but so
many were started only to pursue a
grafting policy that the very name has
become a byword and almost a synonym
for graft and disrepute.
THE 8EA90 N’3 CHANGE.
«V. Smith of Modern Mexico.
New York, Sept. '•(). — W. C. Smith,
Summer Hotel Iturnvd.
New York, Oct 1.— Fire has destroy-
pari owner and business manager of cd the Prospect house at Hay Shore, L.
Modern Mexico, a monthly magazine I. The. loss was $75,000. Fortunately
published in this city in the interest of I the. hotel, which was largely patronized
trade between the United States and
Mexico, i > dead it his homo here.
during the summer, had j list closed for
the season and no person was injured.
“THERE’S NO K!NG LIKE DODO."
Newspaper dispatch: “It is rumored in London that King Edward has
determined not only to reign, but rule.”
General Corbin Flared.
Washington, Oct- 3.—-Major General
Corbin is to he unsigned to the com-
mand of the department of the east
with headquarters at Governors
Island.
Northern Pa©I lie* In Trouble.
Helena, Mont, Oct. 1.—The North-
ern Pacific tracks from Missoula to Hil-
lings arc being patrolled by armed men
ami all found along the right-of-way
are apprehended and lie hi until they
can give an account of themselves. In
bpitu of these precautions two dyna-
mite explosions have occurred during
tlm past week within a short distance
of each other.
Doing l.eglt tniMtti lluainrtn.
Washington, Sept. —J. W. String-
follow, of Indian Territory, is here in
the interest °f I he companies which
arc helping the Indians to select their
lands, against which the Dawes com-
mission i»K\icd orders of prohibition.
Mr. Htnngfellow contends that the
com (Millies are conducting a legitimate
business.
lienvy Front In N*w York.
Saratoga, N. Y.. Out. 5. There was.
l.cnvy trust ilnriiur the night. iiml tlie
mrri'iiry stood tit tt.► ill daybreak.
lent l’.nosovelt luv. begun Ins
annual inrssii'ro u. m,-r.-s, Themes-
to the extra r ■■inn will bo brief.
I'iml onto* llvport Almont ttrudy.
Washington.Oct. L Postmaster Gen-
ernl I’uynr lias nl<>rme I tin* |>v blent
Unit lie expects t" have ready for lilm
tlio report. of tin* pustoOlee iuve*tiy;i-
tioii by Ortobtfl 20.
Ini port© tl Food t'ondamned.
Washington, Oct. 1. — Dr. II. W.
Wiley, chief of the bureau of chemistry
states that of 205 cargoes of imported
food inspected by his bureau since the
law authorizing the. exclusion of
pure or misbranded foods went into ef-
fect on July 1 last, twenty samples, or
10 per cent, had been found to conic
within the law's inhibition, and had
been condemned.
Minors In Dr maud.
Leavenworth, Kus., Nept. 30. —There
is a scarcity of coal miners in Kansas.
The Home-Riverside Coal Mining Com-
pany, of this city, can’t get miners
enough to supply the demand for the
output of t he mines. Over 200 miners
are wanted and every effort is being
made to secure them. The local mines
arc unhampered by any strikes and the
miners are paid the highest wages.
Use. Moody's Kullnmtei.
Washington, Oct. 1 —Secretary
tho Navy Moody, has a new kind of
policy. It iH to cut tho estimates for
naval appropriations himself and not
leave it for the senate to do.
tV111 Attend Law Con^rr**.
Paris, Oct 3.—Muitrc Lubori, the
lawyer and defender of Dreyfus, ha
accepted an Invitation to attend the
international law congress at the fc>l
Louis fair, and will read a paper.
Htudents In The HI III*.
Minneapolis, Minn., Oct. 3.— Univer-
sity students are still working in the
uiiils, even after tlm faculty ha* been
served with mdico thut the labor
unions will try to prevent tho passage
*• i u|i|ii'o|n hllla if thr ■ t'.j.ii i!L
were not called out.
The Last of the Good
Old Summer Time.
From the Minneapolis Tribune.
I/Iills Of The State Are Running
At Their Full Capacity.
XPORT MARKET IS GROWING.
Topeka, Sept. 30. —Reports which are
reaching the officers of the Kansas
Millers’ Association herp are to the
effect that the mills of the state are
running at their full capacity, and
have orders for several months in ad-
vance. The millers are refusing to
brand their products as anything other
than Kansas flour. They decided upon
this action last summer and they were
afraid that the result would be very
injurious to their trade during the. first
year. However, the price of flour has
been advanced and they are still get-
ting more orders than they can till.
The export market is better than it
has ever been. The first of the new
wheat flour which has reached the for-
eign markets lias caused a demand for
more. The millers ascribe this demand
for the Kansas wheat to the position
which they took on the subject of sell-
ing their flour under their own brands
and to the advertising which their
flour and wheat has received during
the last year. The London millers
have written to their friends in this
state asking them what is the matter
with the Kansas millers and why they
arc asking more than usual for their
flour. Some of the foreign millers are
suggesting that possibly Kansas mill-
ers do not want trade and have de-
clared that the latter arc talcing the
proper course to lose it. However, the
orders still come from foreign mer-
chants and millers faster than they
can be filled.
Hard Times Brings On Foreclos-
ures, Receivership, Etc.
PROSPERITY CUTS OFF FEES.
MARKETS CORRECTED DAILY A
Ktuia* City.
NATIVE STEERS.........
HO:»■>—Choice to heavy ..
CORN—No! White....
OATS—No. 2 Whit© .....
HAY—Choice Timothy —
Choice Prairie......
RUTTER...........
EGGS...............
...» i si 11 s r,
... 5 IV. r* 5 : 0
... 71‘i ft
... - >4
72
4i>
33 ft
41
... 9 oi) ffrt
10 ‘XI
... 8 00 ft
8 5»
ll!g '8
... - ft
Chicago f.lve Stock.
HITCHCOCK TO FERGUSON.
Letter Relating To Indictments Returned
lu Kiowa County.
Guthrie, Ok., Sept. 30.—Governor T.
B. Ferguson is in receipt of a letter
from Secretary A. Hitchcock rela-
tive to the numerous indictments re-
turned in Kiowa county against public
officials, and in reply to communica-
tion received from Governor Ferguson.
Secretary Hitchcock's letter is as
follows:
“My sole purpose and duty has been
to protect the people from the rascality
of a very small number of the officials
of the territory, who sought to dis-
grace it by corrupt methods, which
have been suitably disposed of by the
indictment recently returned by the
grand jury of Kiowa county, with, I
trust, more to follow.
“It is especially gratifying to me to
learn in your letter that the right
thinking and right feeling people are
with the department in its effort to
secure ail absolutely clean administra-
tion and honest use of the funds ap-
propriated by congress for public
improvements in the three counties,
Kiowa, Comanche and Caddo, and you
may depend upon it that Lite course
hitherto observed will be pursued in
the interest of all the people of the
territory.”
The members of the Kiowa county
jury recently sent a letter to Secretary
Hitchcock commending him for his
action in caring for the funds for Kio-
wa county against alleged corrupt
officials.
Five buildings were destroyed by an
explosion at tho Cornell powder mills
at Shamokin, Pa. No one was injured.
In the fifty-eighth congress there
there will be 77 men who fought in the
civil war; 47 on the union side, 30 with
the rebels. In tho senate there are an
equal number of union and rebel sol-
diers, 13 of each.
F. S. Smith, of South Bend, Ind., lias
17 patents for an invention which is a
generator of steam without the use of
a boiler. It saves fuel, does away
with safety valves. There is no stor-
age as every ounce of steam is Used as
fast as generated.
A GIRL STATESMAN RULES.
Perform* the Dull©* of Mayor iad other
City Official*.
Linares, Mex., Oct, 1.—Miss Manuela
Gomez, the pretty 18-year-old daughter
of Colonel Mora no Gomez, mayor of
this city, by her heroic actions has at-
tracted theutUmlion of President Diaz,
and the Mexican congress will vote her
a modal. This honor will he conferred
upon Miss Manuela for her services
to the pcoplo of this city during the
yellow fever epidemic.
Surrounded by the dying victims of
the disease and with her father, the
mayor, stricken with the malady, she
assumed the duties of mayor with an
ability that has won the commendation
of President Diaz. All the city offi-
cials w*ere stricken with the disease and
died. Miss Manuela toolc up their
duties and is now performing the
duties of other officials us well as that
of mayor. Nhc is well educated and
her official acts show she has splendid
executive ability.
Another Colony Of Ji©*rae*.
Topeka, Sept, 30. -I). S. Griffin, of
Denver, land agent of tho Union Pa-
cific road, is on a deal with an Afro-
American club at Galena, Kuns., to
locate a colony of negroe.^ ill Wallace
county. Tim railroad has agreed to
sell a big tract of land there at a low
figure on easy payments, providing the
negroes will*settle tlitre, Mart a town
and work tho land. There is a lug
negro colony at NicodeiAu.-, Graham
county. It is thriving and it* members
are well satistlcd. The colony in Wffl*
• lace cotUP.y 'v’ll cU vot© Its attention
mostly to wheat raising and critic.
Goe* to Court of Claims.
Washington, Oct. 1.—Justice Ander-
son of the supreme court of the. District
of Colombia, rendered an opinion in
the injunction proceedings of the Dela-
ware Indians against Secretary Hitch-
cock and the Dawes Indian commission
dissolving the temporary injunction
heretofore granted. The ease involved
the right of the secretary to pass on
the 157,000 acres of land in the Chero-
kee nation segregated for the use of
Delawares. The Indians claimed that
the secretary is without authority to
approve or disapprove of the segrega-
tion as it lias been approved by tho In-
dians interested ami asked that he be
enjoined against taking such action
pending the adjudication of the same
question by the court of claims.
Tiie present strength of the organized
militia of tho United States is about
109,000 enlisted men and 0,000 officers.
Topeka, Oct 0.—“Only six persons in
Kansas have applied for admission U
the bar since tho new law toolc effect
June, and the press is curious to
knew why the number is so small,
said a judge of the supreme court. “Of
course, I have an opinion on the mat-
ter. I do not know whether it is cor-
rect, but it looks plausible to me. )
believe it is due in a great measure to
the general decline of legitimate law
business.”
“Why?"
“That's another question. A lawyer,
you know, is busiest when other people
are in trouble. Hard times'brings on
litigation. There arc foreclosures, re-
•oivership cases, bankruptcy cases, and
all that kind of stuff. Prosperity, of
course, brings on a certain amount of
commercial law business. There are
contracts to draw up, titles to investi-
gate, records to look up and so on.
This is what is called office practice.
But for some reason it doesn’t keep the
lawyers busy. Perhaps there arc too
many lawyers. Prosperous times make
business light in tho courts. People
will adjust and compromise their dif-
ferences and devote their time to mak-
ing more money, rather than to tight
over a small sum in dispute. When
hard times come and they haven’t any
chance to make more money then they
will haggle over the small amount of
money in dispute. Another thing that
tends to hurt the law business is the
wholesale consolidation of business en-
terprises. When four or five firms,
each of which has a lawyer on an an-
nual salary, consolidate usually all the
lawyers but one lose their jobs. One
lawyer will attend to the busiuess of
the consolidated concern where it took
live to do it before. It is surprising
how many lawyers have lost good
clients in this way.
“I find lawyers everywhere com-
plaining of poor business,” said Con-
gressman Murdock, of Wichita. “One
of them showed me the docket of the
McPherson district court the other
day. It. shows that only one new case
has been docketed there in three
months. Several lawyers have tolu me
that they wanted to go into the news-
paper business. It is strange, but
true, that the newspaper business
seems to have increased in proportion
to the decrease of Hie law business.
Lawyers realize it. In some of the
districts of Western Kansas a district
judge doesn’t spend more than sixty
days a year now trying cases. In one
district which has nine counties, it
took the judge just one day in each
county to clean up the docket on the
last round. He makes three rounds a
year. The only places where the
courts arc busy are in counties con-
taining big towns. The courts in \Vy
anclotte, Shawnee and Sedgwick are
kept grinding constantly. But these
districts arc exceptions to the rule.
In the rural districts there is scarcely
any litigation. The lawyers are try-
ing to make both ends meet by specula-
ting in land or oil or ga<*.
A heavy rain lias checked the forest
fires in the northeastern portion of
Maine.
GOOD TO PRIMS STS SIM t 5 23
STOCKED H Fifl 4DB1W.... 2 2.
TEXAS FED HTiSSUS.. ,}
HOGS.
I'll Iruv;o drain
WHEAT—No 2 Hard ........$
CORN—No. 2.................
OATS—No. ............... -
ft t
ft
ft
ft
2 73
5 0J
7-m ft $
44j^ a
a no
4 «»
a 7 >
6 OJ
77
41%
St. I.otiU Llvo Stock.
BEEVES..............
HEIFERS Coni Fe-l.
TEXAS STEEii.->.....
S 3 7 >
.. 2 2i
. 2 k)
ft * * 01
ft 4 7'.
ft 4 25
LIVERPOOL..........
NEW YORK..........
GALVESTON ........
Open
WIIEAT-
D«o........
May......
CORN-
Dec........
[ay......
OATH—
Do©........
May.......
HOGS..................
CATTLE—STOCKERS
cows ......
HEIFERS ..
STEERS.....
Take Tardy Action.
New Yorlc, Oct. 1.—A dispatch re-
ceived from Colon by a newspaper in
tiiis city says advices received there
from Bogota are to the effect, that the
Colombian congress has passed a law
authorizing the president to conclude a
canal treaty with the United States on
a certain basis without the approval of
congress.
Representatives in this country of the
Colombian .government have received
no information on the subject thus far.
Mere than 5,000,000 in American cot-
ton goods go annually to Abysiunia.
Attempt To Hum World's Fair.
St. Louis, Sept. 30.—It is believed
that an attempt was made late at
night to burn the agricultural building
nt the World’s fair. One of the Jeffer-
son guards observed a man acting sus-
piciously about the building He
attempted to arrest tho uiun who
escaped although several shots were
tired at him. Near one of the walls
the guards found straw and kindling
saturate ! with oil.
Fir© »l Monterey.
Monterey, Mexico, Get. 1.—Fire de-
stroyed tho entire plant of the Indus
trial Furniture company today. Loss
probably more than 8v00,000.
Nhortngi* of Hurt©*.
Topeka, Oct 1.—There is a big short
age of horses in Western Ivaueas, and
prices arc high. D W. Little has just
returned from a tour of the northwest*
ern uni'l of the state, lie says that
homes that a few yearn ago could bn
bought for $13 and $20 are now soiling
for $90 and $100, and are hard to get
at that figure.
The conveyor of the Southern Pacific
elevator at Galveston is destroyed by
tire. Loss, $90,000.
President Lathrop of the Pennsyl
vania Coal A Coke company, says that
what little difficulty there is between
the miners and the operators is purely
local.
Want llamas Money.
Topeka, Oet. 0.—In some of the
Western Kansas papers a Boston
financial is firm running an advertise-
ment for Kansas money.
The Shah of Persia has divorced 304
of his wives.
Nearly 65,000 foreigners camo to the
United Statos in August.
Have Struck It Rich.
Topeka, Oct. 1. — Producers of Kansas
broom corn have struck a rich harvest
this season. The better quality of corn
is bringing $100 a ton, while tile poor-
est brings $00. The quality is better
this year than for several years past
and the yield is good. The acreage
however, is smaller. The broom corn
district is confined to three or four
counties in Central Kansas. Rice county
is the heaviest producer. One farmer
there got five tons from fifteen acres
and sold it for $500 cash. Broom corn
brokers for Kastern whisk broom far
torics arc scouring the district for
brush. Oklahoma also has a fine crop
of broom corn this season.
Indict Tli© Mayor.
Springfield, 111., OcL 0.—Tho grand
jury has indicted the mayor of this
city for neglecting Ids duty against
gambling, disreputable houses and slot
lllUCllitlOH.
Cotton.
Ml M1ln;n
5 0-> l -
..........9.85* 10.10*
. - 9 13-1014
Chicago Future*.
Hi Sill Low
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. 85'j
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uk
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7 7‘j
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Wichita Live Stock.
$ 5 40
ft %
ft
ft
ft
ft
r» rn
3 05
2 50
3 no
MINES IN WICHITA MOUNTAINS ^
Geologist Sent From Washington To
Settle The Question.
Guthrie, Okla., Oct. G.—H. F. Bain of
Washington, a geologist of the United
States geological survey, has been de-
tailed to make a close investigation in
the Wiciiita mountains in Oklahoma to
ascertain if there are minerals there.
This investigation is for the purpose of
knowing what rights mineral claim-
ants have on lands now classed as
agricultural, and the report of the
geologist will have muck weight in
disposing of filings made on such land
for mineral purposes. i
Mr. Bain was to arrive in the Wich-
ita mountains this week. Many tilings
have been made on land now held by
persons using the same for farming
purposes, and in a number of cases
serious trouble between farmers and
niners lias been narrowly averted.
Heretofore the interior department has
denied the rights of miners to make
entry on these lands, and it is on ac-
count of the strong pressure brought
to bear in behalf of the miners that
the investigation was ordered. If the
report is favorable holding that there
are minerals in the mountains worth
mining, the miners will have won \
victory. On the other band, if the
report is ail verse, no filing on laud for
mineral purposes will be allowed.
llrofilua Finds New Graft.
Ardmore, I. T.. Sept. 30.— S. M. Bro-
sius, agent for the Indian Rights Asso-
ciation, inis discovered a new graft iu^
the Choctaw nation. A dozen mar-
riage brokers are making a good thing
out of finding white husbands for
Choctaw maidens and Choctaw maidens
for the white fortune hunters. Every
girl in the nation will receive 320 acres
of land when the allotment is made,
and in addition is entitled to about
$2,500 cash as one share in the tribal
funds on deposit in the United States
treasury. The brokers contract to find
white husbands for a foe of from $25
to $100. The brokers then advertise
in eastern papers and collect from $25
to $250 from each white man for whom
they find on Indian bride.
LATEST NEWS IN BRIEF. /
A uothrr UHrrl.tr Ksplr.*.,
Oiloiitfi., Got, 8. —Uuuerul Oylunil
Nmitli, vico president of the Buithnorc
iiml Ohio rmlio iil uml u (ilHtiOffiiisliod
iifllc'r ihu*ll>ir tlio civil ivur, in Ucutl.
Me iuul been 111 for leu days.
The University of I'orto Rico was
opened with tho enrollment of 150 nor-
mal students. It is the lirst establish-
ed on the island.
A street car in Chicago crowded
with people returning from the races
was struck by u passenger (rain nt a
crossing mid live people were killed.
Everyone in (lie car was injured. The
accident resulted from wel tracks upon
which (lie street car slid with locked
wheels.
'i'lm baiance of foreign trade in fa*-or
of the United States for the first eight
months of this year was o.er 8300,000,.
000, which is heavier than the credit
balance af any other nation for the
same period. /
The Fort Wayne, Ind., gas wells are
played out und manufacturers ulul
consumers nro shut otV. There have
been 45 new wells put down this sum-
mer but not one of them was a profit-
able producer.
Six of the strikers from the Santa Fo
shops at l.a Junta who own property
in l.n Junta have been taken back.
The others will not bo again employed
at that place.
The American steamer Sierra, which
has sailed from Sydney for Sun Frio,-
cisco, carries 8350,000 in gold.
There is actual war at the Canadian
Zno, between the lumber companies
and their woodmen. Tho rioting ex-
tends across tho river into Michigan
Tim rioting mob is mostly composed nf
Italians, Finns, Norwegians and
Frenchmen; ail ignorant.
Christian I’cpper, a St, Louis tobac-
co manufacturer, left a fortune valued
at 84,000,000,
Twelve hundred schools In I’orto
Rico opened with 00,000 pupils. Three
tlutos that number struggled for
preference.
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The Billings News. (Billings, Okla.), Vol. 5, No. 4, Ed. 1 Friday, October 9, 1903, newspaper, October 9, 1903; Billings, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1172530/m1/2/: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.