The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1899-12-07
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IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THE TERRITORY.
Indians In Pear ~ N. on Mon.

HuObaue N bear Of tUe OIL Men.
The following Washington dispatch
gives the hearing recently before Sec.
rctary Hitchcock regarding the leasing
Of oil lands in Indian territory, which
10 being opposed by the Indians;
There was an important hearing
today before Secretary Hitchcock and
Assistant Attorn cy General vande-
,ater Of the Interior department, con-
cerning the granting Of leases in the
Creek and Cherokee nations. The
Cudahay Oil company Of Chicago,
which is applying for leases GOVERN q
$4,000 acres was represented by At
torneys Aldrich & McGowan and the
Indians were represented bv w. s. Lo.
gan OF New York and VIM. 4. Hutch.
'ns of Muskogee. Mr.. Logan on behalf
OF the Delawares, contended that the
deed to the nation In 1867 gave them
an absolute title in fee, including the
oil and mineral rights, TO 49, 600 acres
OF land, which they paid for at the
rate OF 81 per acre. The leases in
question cover much OF the Delawares
land, so that this nation Is deeply con-
cerned In the matter. Their lawyers
contend that the leases even II the sec.
rotary had the power to make them,
would not be beneficial to the Indians,
because, firstly, they were SO drawn
ha the royalties, 10 per cent, were
paid on the value Of the oil Mt the
mouth Of the well. while the oil could
reach market only through the Cuda-
hays pipe line, and there was no rc.
striction on the charge for conveying
the oil through the line. Consequently
II the oil was worth 81 per barrel ut
destination they could charge 30 cents
barrel for taking 1t through the
pipes, and leave only ten cents Us the
nominal value Mt the mouth of the
well, upon which they would pay but
one cent royalty. The Cudahay compa.
ny's counsel admitted that this might
be the result, but contended that the
Indians could trust this corporation to
do the fair thing. Attorneys for the
Indians stated that they would decline
to accept the assurance, and insisted
that the lenses vou,d mcrcIy ,,,.. ,,.
Indians at the mercy NJ n gi,n,,i,. co.,,
norn,ion TIor ,o,,o,lo5 ar. a..
granting of the leases would ros,,,, H.,
thc f,ru,,;on ~ ,ho ,,r..,,s. ..a. y, "
the century I, wo,,J \. o;,har ,t,
Standard, IN, corn,n,, or .n,..,,,..
worse. M.ssrs Io,on .ra II,,.,,;,s
asserted that ,bcr. ,yos r.,.or 60 r.
licve that the standard o;I o,,n,,n,
was p,avipg ,,s ,s,,l ,,,, s.,,,,,,. -,
n prc,cndcJ onnos;,i,r n,,,;,, ,,n,,i1 ;p ~
fact bc wor,kipv for q. own ,n,aro.,
and in any event the ,nonono,v would
be worse than the Standard on os a,
now exists. for while that comp,ry.
controls the avenue. of trnnsnorta,ion
IL has not vet controllc,, the so,rc.s ~,
product, MS would be the case with IN.
company owning leases Of the immense
territory involved In this ,ase would
do. The Ind attorneys contended
that IL the leases were granted M all
they should be TO connecting peopl, ,nd
cover smaller areas; that IL wns not
for the interest of the Indians that
they should be handed over 10 nm. y,.
tiantic monopoly; that IL was In fact
more than question of dollars TO them
as 1t involved the environment of their
homes and whether they should be al.