Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-03-01
WEST VIRGINIA
NEWS AND COMMENT ON GENERAL STATE
MATTERS
Al Oil Lease With the Advantage All on One Side.
A Big Oil Suit-Anthrscits Coal in
Morgan CounIy-Psrsonal Points.

cation from JOseph's Mill, W. Va, euclos-
ing copy Of an oil lessee, under which it
is said that NEST Of the lands in that local.
ity have been signed away to oil operators.
By its provisions the land owner surre1-
ders all the oil rights to his land to the ope-
rator for five years. The operator binds
himself to put down test we'll in the
township in which the land is located,
within eighteen months of toe date of the
Lease, or in failure to do so TO pay yearly
rental for the land The writer asks
whether the rental is to be paid at the
frat or at any time during the year? In
other words does the lease hold good with
out the payment of rental, until the
year following tire eighteen months,
has expired? Without presumipg TO
render 8 judicial opinion, the RIG
IsTER would say that the reading of the
lean indicates that the rental Is not
due until the end of The year. Ia signing
such a paper, the farmers surrender The
oil rights of his land, without any remun-
GRAFTON whatever for ct least thirty months.
If at the expiration of the thirtieth month,
the oil leaser doea not feel like developing
the territory, he can drop the lease, and
the farmer has no redress.
The agreement sent to the REGISTER il
one-sided from beginning TO end. Every
syllable is in favor of the operator. The
farmer surrenders his rights, aud they
may be made the basis Of urlimited specu-
~ Of ut "a
ought 10 be full shIrers in the develop
ment OF the States riches, but il oar oil
territory ia to be developed uuder con-
tracts ike the one sent the REGISTER il
would bs almost as well for the lsndOwn-
ere that the oil remsin in the ground.
-
The MorGantown papers reports the fail
ure of the jury to agree In the famous oil
suit that has been on trial in she modern |
Athens" for several days. Suit was brought
by +. S. Thompson aud Others against E.
NJ. Hukill to recover possession Of the
lease on 100 acres of land belonging to w.
p. Core. Hukill bought the lease OF Long |
& Kennedy, and claims that IL WAS made |
in 1885. ard was on the coalition that op'
eratiors were TO begin by certain date or
elss monthly rental was to be paid. The
operators nol beginning when they should
and no rental being paid to Core by Hulk
i'll, Gore leased t0 M sgent Of the plaintiff
and accepted bonus from him. Then HUI
kill rendered TO Gore sill of his rents from
the time they should have begun their
payment and Core accepted them. Hukill |
developed the land ard there are now four |
wells 90 il, each producing over 200 bar
rels day The property is estimated to
be worth 500, 600 Thompson claims that
bis lease still holds good. A large number
Of exactly similar suits sre pending. They |
will furnlsh rich feast for the lawyers OF
old "honnygahail.
Mr.. Atkinson's fret official act after be-
ing sworn in as q member of Congress, WAS
to draw on the Treasury for S5,140, that
bsiug the amount of the salary and mile
ags due him from the 4,h Of March last.
One of the beauties of contested election
cast 8 is that two msmbers can draw salar-
les on account of the same district. Or
iinsrily the representation of the Wheel
log district in Congress would have cost
the people only s., l40, but this is extra
ordinary, and the expense foots up to
$40, $50 This helps to deplete the sur
plus and is great boon, Rs there Is not
much hope of reduction of the revenue
by revision of tho tari1f.-ERquirer.
"a
A One quality of coal known as semi
anthracite is found in toe mountains OF
Morgan county, and company Of capital
ists has been formed to develop it. Little,
il auy anthracite coal is found south of
and the work Of mining in
that State has become so costly that the
production has been limited. Toere may
he = prosperous future for Morgan cOunty's
anthracite interests.
The Mcdowell Progress says; With
he extension of the railroad to the Ohio,
We learn that several of the coal COM
,anies contemplate eDlsrgiug their coke
wen plants and make preparations to take
OF the Western trade thus open
ng TO them,
Talk about the boom towns of the west.
likins, in Randolph county, which is
hardly year old, is now preparing to i'll
Hporate. 1t ia due to Mr.. E,kins to cay,
10 viewer. that the Randolph county town
J not the culy lusty youGgsser that will
,erpetuate his name and fame.
-
Huntington is to have paper published
a the interest of the Grand Army OF
he Republicans. Capt. Mark PoOre is to
u the editor. We are afraid from the re-
ult of such enterprises in the past that
he gallant Captain will have an IT" add
a TO his name before he has been with his
sper long.
The REGISTER acknowledges pleasant
all from Delegate Shaw, of Barbour
lunty, who was here taking in the sights
bout Wheeling. Mr.. Shaw was one of
ne most efficient and energetic workers in
ne House. Barbour county ought to re-
urn MI Shaw.
-
St0llings, late COMMITTEE O'erk oi tue
,euste, who was at the McLure yesterday
.ss acquired the sObriquet of Little
Il kerr" growing out of the bribery and
nkstand episodes, in which he played
esding parts.
The Governor has appointed Septimus
Isll, Of Wetzel county, Lee 2. Watson,
4 Marion county, end James S. Hudson,
4 Kanswha county, rotaries public In
md for their respective counties.
-
A diamond of considerable value was
ost on Tuesday by Representative Stifel,
4 Ohio county, but was recovered In a
hort time by Capt. ALI W. Burnett and
sturued 10 Mr.. Snfel.-KGRdIchd Gazette
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The Governor has psrdonsd Reoeccs
Martin. who wss sentenced on November
IS. 1889. to one years imprisonment Tor
,'eamy. She was married August p.
SO. and a short time afterwards deserted
" her husband. She was very il,iterate,
md was told that an absence OF seven
ears would operate as & divorce. Be
ieving this to be true, she married again,