The Vinita Weekly Chieftain. (Vinita, Indian Terr.), Vol. 21, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 30, 1903 Page: 1 of 6
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VOL. XXI.
VINITA INDIAN TERRITORY THURSDAY APRIL 30 1903.
NO. 36
I Won t have my bald head tickled when I can buy a Screen Door at Darrough Hardware Co's for 85c
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MINERAL LEASES
New Form Issued by the Sec-
retary of Interier.
MORE STRINGEMT.
Radical Changes in itt Provisions
With Reference to Payment of
Royalty and other Conditions.
The Secretary of Interior has
submitted a new form for Cherokee
oil and mineral leases a copy of
which was received by Col. Zevely
There are some radical changes
from the other leases submitted
by the department. The new one
is specific and goes into detail.
A letter from the secretary states
that tbe new forms are being
printed and will be forwarded
as soon as possible.
All leases must follow the form
approved by the interior depart-
ment and must provide that only
so much of the surface of land de-
scribed as may be necessary to
carry on the work contemplated
shall be occupied by the lessees.
All lessees must give bond guaran-
teeing payment of royalties and
rents. Tbe bond schedule follows:
Forty to eight acres $1000;
eighty to one nundred and twenty
acres 11500; one hundrend and
twenty to one hundred acd sixty
12000. Each forty acres above
one hundred and sixty 1500 ad-
ditional. Tbe secretary can raise
the amount if he deems it neces-
sary. No lease shall be sublet
transferred or assigned without
tbe consent and approval of tbe
secretary of tbe interior. All leas-
es shall provide for the payment
of advanced annual royalties in
sums not less than fifteen per cent
per acre per annum for one or two
years thirty cents for three and
four year eeventy-five cents for
fifth and each succeeding year for
tbe term tbe lease is to run. All
leases should provide for the pay-
ment of a royalty of one per cent
of tbe value of all crude oil ex-
tracted from said land and to be
paid month succeeding that in
which it is produced and the av
erage value of tbe oil during the
month in which It is produced
shall constitue tbe criterion for
computing tbe royalty.
Tbe royalty on natural gas shall
be fixed by tbe secretary at the
end of each year or oflener In
his deecretion All lessees will
be required to keep full and cor-
rect account of their operations
and make report thereof promptly
at tbe end of each month to tbe
lessor and secretary. The right is
given to prospect ior extract pipe
store refine and remove all such
oil and natural gas to use ss muob
as is necessary also right land
and use natural gas or oil as much
as it is necessary also right of fuel
to curry on operations Tbe lea
sor ia given free ue of gaa to light
bis residence. If the lessee fails
to pay the per acre royalty sixty
after it is due the lease becomes
void. The lessee tiiutt agree to
exercise diligence in sinking wells
for oil and gas end operate same
in a workmanlike manner. Ie
must commit no waste and must
surrender property at the termi-
nation of his lease; he shall not
remove any building or improve-
ments except tools boilers pipe
lines pumps drille.enginea tanks
and machinery Tbe lessee shall
not allow any nuisance committed
on the properly nor an? intoxi-
cating liquor s .il or given sway
lis mast plug abandoned wells so
as to effectually shut off all water
scuve the oil hearing horizon.
Amounts due for royalties shall
shall b a lien upon Implements
tools and movable machinery. If
the lessee makes reasonable and
bonafida efiort to find and produce
oil in paying quantities and eucb
effort is unsuccessful he may at
any time thereafter with the ap-
proval of the secretary of the in.
terior. surrender and wholly exist
ing obligationsprovidedhow ever
payment and performance of all
that the approval of such eurren-
der by the secretary will be re
quired only during the time bis
approval of the alienation of title
and is required.
FLYNN IS FOR ONE STATE.
Single Statehood Is Oklahoma's Only
Chance Says the ExDelegate.
Dennis Fiyon ex-delegate from
Oklahoma has come to the con-
cIubIoo that the only hope for
statehood for Oklahoma is through
a joint fight with the Indian ter
ritory for single slatehooa.
"The fight made last winter
said Mr. Flynn u a recent inter
view "was tbe final struggle for
double statehood.' If anything is
accomplished at tbe next session
it will be through a united efiort
to pass bill admitting the In-
dian territory and Oklahoma as
one state."
Republican leaders bsve come
to the eoncluaion that Oklahoma
if admitted as a state with its pres
ent boundaries would be a Detn
ocratio state. The Oklahoma drift
certainly is Democratic. Tbe new
population which goes into the ter
ritory from the North is about
equally divided between tbe two
parties Tbe imigration from Ark
ansas and Texas is almost solidly
Democratic Tbe Republicans
have become convinced tba Okla
home is in tbe Democratic xone
and if a new state is forced upon
them it will do no greater polni
cat damage to give it 40000 Dem
ocratio majority by making Okla
bom a and Indian territory one
state than by making Oklahoma a
separate state with 5000 or 10000
majority. It will require a united
effort on the part of friends of
statehood for western territories to
win in tbe next Congress. Under
present conditions tbe Democrats
in Oklahoma and Indian territory
will be almost as important factors
in determining tbe statehood re
suits as the Republicans. There
Is a Democratic opposition to the
single statehood scheme which
must be overcome to make prob
able tbe success of a bill admitting
the two territories as one state.
Several Democratic senators
want la force Congress to make
two states of Indian territory and
Oklahoma in order to get two ad.
ditional senators. Mr Bate of
Tennessee the ranking Democrat
on tLe territories comroittee.hold
to this idea and Senator Bailey
the best tactician and must stai-
wail debater on the Democratic
side also supports this contention.
Added to this senatorial influence
is the resourceful Indian territory
lobby maintained by the plunder
which has come from Indian ter-
ritory "graft." The organization
offered to promote single statehood
and should lose no time in tbe
summer months in organizing its
forces to work on Democrats as
well as Republicans.
Just before be left Washington
Senator Beveridge chairman of
the territories committee said to
ths correspondent for The Star
that his committee would support
the bill admitting Indian terri-
tory and Oklahoma as one state.
What would be done reelecting
the admission of New Mexico and
Arizona he declared was for sub
sequent c r.eideratiun.
Attend tbe National Asf-enjbljr
Curuiierlanl Treniiytertao Church
Naxbfllle Tetm. May lt. t SiU
One fare 4u 13 for the round trip
via the Choctaw Oklahoma A Gulf
H. It. daruio
INDIAN ELOQUENCE.
A mighty Transformation Portrayed
In Beautiful Language.
Wednesday being Oklahoma day
red white and black can read with
instruction this eloquent oration
delivered this week by William
McCombs Creek Indian at Ok-
mulgee: "We the representatives of
once all powerful race on the
American continent are met here
today to play our part on tbe stage
of life and government.
As I stand before you a vielon
rises before me in which I see the
past the present and the future.
The picture unrolls out of the
dim and traditional past showing
the untutored fathers mothers and
children of our race basking In the
sunshine and uncorrupted bapoi
ness and health of that romantic
and poetio time when as God's
children guided by wisdom hand
ed down in song and story and
by the lights hung out in tbe skies
and tbe lessons read from tbe book
of nature laying open before them
they lived and died with the pure
light of the morning the generous
warmth of the meridian and the
red glow of the setting sun prompt
ing to love and marriage the chase
and the dance. Then came the
white man with his civilisation
and tbe push and dash and com
merclal enterprise born of condi-
tions existing beyond tbe than
ing plains of the ever rolling sea.
With pure hearts free from every
shadow of suspicion and guilt the
red man hailed the coming of the
white man as a gracious gift from
the Great Spirit and welcomed
his while brother with open arms
to the fairest lands laying beneath
the circling blue of heaven's can
opy; took him by the hand and
led him through tbe pathless fur
est along the singing brooks be
side the gentle flowing rivers to
tbe mountain tops from whence
be could feast bis enraptured vis-
ion upon broad plains where tbe
tall prairie grass bending and
swaying in music waves before tbe
gentle breeze stretching far away
towards the borne of tbe setting
sun.
"lie took bim by tbe band and
led him to his wigwam; fed him
npon the aweet and nuturious
bread baked of tbe band ground
meal of the Indian corn; spread
before him the meat of the deer
tbe elk and tbe buffalo; made his
bsd of tbe sromatic and elastic
twigs and brancbss of the pine
the balsam and tbe sassafras cov-
ered by tbe rich and now priceless
furs captured in tbe bunt and the
chase; gave him bis fairest star-
eyed daughters to wed and count-
less broad acres tor his home
and thus was the door opened
through which we passed from the
innocent guileless happy past to
this eager madly rushing strenu-
ous present.
"Looking about us today we
stand entranced as we contemplate
the wonderou metamorphosis
the vast and almost indescribable
changes wrought by tbe hand of
man since the white man first
rapped at tbe door of the red man.
Counties hamlets villages towns
and cities cow dot the land ones
owned and completely dominated
by tbe Indiana. Endless stretches
of steel rails now bind the Allan-
tic to -be Pacific ocean tbe tropi-
cal sunlit gulf to the Artie regions.
The demon locomotive with puds
and ear-splitting screams rushes
madly from city to city from ocean
to ocean the smoke ol Dumberls
forge" foundries and faciorU now
miiiot the ethereal starways of
the skiet-; the schools the colleges
tbe cburche and tits cathedrals
are training the mind and com-
forting the soul of many millions
red white and black of tbe sons
and daughter f men. And hers
we stand in the midst of this an
imated scene of life enterprise
and human energy. Nothing stands
still either in nature or among
men everything moves either up-
ward onward or downward. Coo
fronted by these conditions by
this environment what ia our
duty?
"Every consideration of exped-
iency of duty of right demands
of us that we meet tbe emergen-
cies of the hour; that we step into
the front rank of the moving mil-
lions of this glorious land of ours;
that we buckle on tbe armor of
valiant Amerioans and armed with
the sword of American citizenship
cut our way through the ranks of
poverty ignorance and supersti
Hon with their concomitant atten
dants of want and misery shelter
ed by tbe starry banner of our
common country proclaim our
ourselves active members and
earnest workers in tbis 'govern
ment of tbe people by the people
and for the people.' "
SEC. HITCHCOCK COMING.
A Telegram to Tama Blxby Names
flay 7 as the Date.
Secretary of the Interior Hitch-
cock will be in Musxogee on May
7. Certain citizens of Muekogee
have been trying for some time to
get the secretary to visit Indian
territory believing that hie well
known desire to familiarize him-
self with tbe actual conditions
here would lead to an attempt on
his part to accept tbe invitation
but the first information received
that he had decided to made the
trip and had actually set the day
was a telegram received yesterday
evening by Hon. Tarns Btxby
chairman of the Dawes Commis
sion from Hon. Thoa. Ryan As
sistant Secretary of tbe Interior.
Tbe people of Muskogee and
Indian territory will rejoice that
this official to whom is entrusted
tbe entire management of territory
afMra has decided to visit this
place in person. The settling of
tribal affaire it a stupendous work
and the questions that Secretary
Hitchcock has to deal with in tbis
connection are In many instances
of tbe most complex character
and it is believed tbat tbe knowl
edge to be gained by a personal
visit to this country will greatly
faciliate the work of winding Up
tribal affairs Phennix.
RAILROAD NEWS.
Failure ef the Frisco-Reck Island Deal
Will Increase Building la the Ter.
Should the Frisco-Rock Island
deal ultimately be abandoned it
will lead to a great deal of addi-
tional railroad building in the
southwest. Tbe purchase of tbe
Frisco was first thought of by the
Rock Island interests not with
any view merely to tbe acquire-
ment of a competing system or for
purposes of consolidation purs
and simple but because the con-
trol of the Rock Island saw tbat to
carry out their plans successfully
they must either buy or build.
As the Rock Island system
stands today it is very incomplete
Its main lines are all right so far
as they go. They traverse a rich
end rapidly developing territory
but to develop their full strength
sod obtain the best results from
their operation they must have
feedera. It these be not obtained
and that right speedily compeliog
systtma will have .occupied the
territory and permanently depriv-
ed the Rock Island of trafHo and
revenue which it has now an op-
portunity in st-eure for itself. The
acquirement of the Frisou would
have complelly met its needs.
Thai tystrtn fits tula the Ruck is
land in a way to suggest tbat it
was destined by tbe very nature
of tilings ultimately to become a
part ot It. It can hardly be said
to be a direct competitor though
tbe two systeme touch at many
common points.
WILL BE SOLD.
Segregation 01 Coal and Asphalt
Lands For Sale.
Tbe selection of the coal and
asphalt lands in the Choctaw and
Chickasaw Nations Indian Terri-
tory for aegregation and sale was
completed and the report was sub
milted March 19. Tbis segrega-
tion was made under the direction
of tbe Commission to the Five
Civilized Tribes by order of the
Secretary of the Interior and Mr.
Joseph A. Taff of tbe United
States Geological Survey was as-
signed to make the selection.
With three assistants Mr. Tafl
began work December 1 1902 nnd
during tbe progress of tbe survey
traced tbe outcrop ot tbe coal beds
as accurately as possible through
several thousand square miles of
coal-bearing rocks which had been
surveyed during the preceeding
five years. Nearly one hundred
square miles of new territory were
surveyed in order to complete the
geological woik of the Choctaw
Chickasaw coal fields. Previous
surveys in this coal field made it
possible in tbe short time allowed
to determine the structure of the
coal and the depth to which the
beds can be economically mined.
Otherwise years instead of months
would have been required to se-
lect the lands for segregation.
Ten coal beds were found to be
of economic value and were locat
ed for segregation. Tbe coal in
the lands selected ranging in quel
ity from that of high-grade bilrj
minuous coking coals to medium
grade bituminous steaming coals
that do not coke successfully.
Tbe coal in each bed cries slight
ly from point to poin! both in
thickness sod in quality and also
difiers in quality from tbat of
other be d. The coal beds vary
in inclination beneath the surface
and extend from the outcrops to
depths beyend tbe limit of prac
ticable mining. Thus tbe value of
the coal in each bed beneath i
single tract of land varies accord
ing to quality thickness and depth
beneath tbe surface. The usual
characteristics governing the value
of coal can be ascertained in tbe
case of these coals only by means
of detailed geogical surveys and
practical tests.
The asphalt lands selected con
tain asphalt of two general classes.
To tbe larger of these classes be
long tbe bituminous semi-liquid
deposits which are found perineal
ing porous sandstones and lime
stones. These occur both in hor-
izontal beds and In beds dipping
at various anglea to tbe surface.
Deposits of this nature are found
filling rocks that range ia thick
ness from thin beds to tads sever-
al hundred feet thick. The sec-
ond class of asphalt ia solid has
general appearance of a highly
bitumous coal and is usually clear
of earthly or stony impurities. It
is found filling fissures as solid
veins pitchiog steeply into tbe
earth and may be mined and
shipped in the same manner as
coal.
FRISCO GETS THE OZARK
Rumor That the Oiark ft Cherokee
Central Will Change Hands.
A party of prominent railroad of-
ficials came through Tahlequah
Sunday morning on a special train.
Among the party were President
Yoakum Vice President Wlnchell
Superintendante Davidson and
Gray and manager Hpeoee and
Flowers of the Frtc system. and
Wra. KeneGck W. ! Sea man
E. E. Hughes and others of tbe
Ozark & Cherokee Central railway.
Tbey stopped here long enough
to drive around the town and veiw
the magnificent educational insti-
tutions and to incidentally get a
drink of the best water in the
world after which they continued
their journey to Okmulgee and
St. Louie.
It is stated upon good author
ity that these gentlemen were go-
ing over the road on a tour of in-
spection preparatory to merging
the Ozark and Frisco roads. It is
also stated that the Frisco will
formally take charge of tbe Ozark
& Cherokee Central on the 23 of
tbis month at which time three
new engines are to.be put into ser-
vice and tbe Feisco'a Oklahoma
business for Memphis will be sent
over tbe new line. Some new
trails and equipments will be put
on. This will mean tbat the
number of trains and tbe service
will be almost doubled.
Among things that is consider
ed as significant and which has a
tendency to confirm the rumor is
tbe resignation of E. E. Hughes
as general manager of the 0. & C
C. His resignation took effect
Tuesday. He has accepted a po-
sition with one of the leading
railroads of Michigan. Arrow.
REMOVAL SUSPENDED.
Order Made By Secretary of Interior
Suspending Removal ol Land
Office.
Tbe following telegram was re
ceived Mondav afternoon from
Mr. Cbas. B. Rogers who
left Vinita Saturday afternoon for
Washington to lay tbe matter of
the removal of land office before
tbe loterior Department:
"Arrived eight tbis morning
saw first assistant Secretary of In
terior. Order made suspending
removal until personal investiga-
tion by Hitchcock who will vUit
Territory May 6tb."
THESE HAVE LOST.
Interior Department Affirms Decision
of Dawes Commission.
The Dawss Commission has re
jected the application for enroll
ment of S. T. ("Bud") Brown his
mother Mrs. Ritchie Steve Hill's
family end others who sought en
rolimnt as freedmen.
Indian Territory Booming
Growing like a weed. Tbis is
tbe best phrase to use in describ-
ing tbe marvelous development
going on in towns and cities of In-
dian Territory. Tbe condition in
any part of th territory may be
Instanced to prove that the ex-
pression ia not extravagant. Every
enterprise and activity usually ex.
istiug in a rapidly growing coan-.
try is on the boom. The artisan
capitalist and professional man
no matter how hard they all work
cannot supply the demand made
upon their labor and money.
Dwellings schools churches
blocks of business bouses miles
of pavements sewers and street
car roada and telephone lines are-
being constructed with a busy
baste which suggests tbe excite-
ment confusion uproar of great
armies digging ditches raiding em-
bankments and breastwork pitch-
ing aod fortifying their camps for
protection against an advancing
toe. Railroads without bends or
bonuses art connecting tbeae new-
sprung and growing towns are be-
ing opened and gas and oil wells
bored while tbe erection of manu-
factories and various industries is
keeping pace witb the discovery
and openltg up of the natural re-
sources of the land. Indr.au Ter-
ritory is the last and reatet
ehance in the Sou'.bwest offered to
tbe'ploneer and to those who are
attracted by the possibilities of
the glory aod success which are
tbe rewards of the founders of ft
new Country Kansas City Jour
J nl.
One fare plus 12 for the roun ! trip
over the Chart. Route (Uoi ij40
fHti-rii) to Savflunh Ua. f th
Southern liaptht Convention ru;ij
7th Id ltth Indunve. ttw
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The Vinita Weekly Chieftain. (Vinita, Indian Terr.), Vol. 21, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 30, 1903, newspaper, April 30, 1903; Vinita, Indian Territory. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc772674/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.