The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-09
BARIO BACKS COOLEY
Asserting the Mineral Wealth
of the Territories.
DEMANDING THE REMOVAL
Of Restrictions Which Prevent
Development.

Norman, o. T., Jan. S.-To the Editor of
the Eagle: I would like to say a few
words in regard to sketch in the Eagle
of January 4, entitled Cooley Strikes
It." Mr.. Cooley is not alone. I, too, am
a prospector, and 1 know how to sym
pathize with him and with all honest min
ers and prospectors who are working in
good faith to show TO the world and the
people the rich mineral deposits which
the Wichita mountains the Indian terri
tory and Oklahoma contain. True, 1 have
never been in the Wichita mountains, but
1 fully realize the truthfulness of Mr..
Cooley's statements. have a small
assaying furnace and faint knowledge
of how to use it. 1 will say right here
that l have seen and assayed specimens
Of ore from all parts of the United
States, and the richest of all of them
come from the Wichita mountains. If 1
had fifty pounds of it it would be enough
TO buy out the merchant Mr.. Cooley men
toned as saying that he doesn't believe
there is spoonful of gold in the whole
mountains. and perhaps have some eft
l further agree with Mr. Cooley that it
is a disgrace for miners and prospectors
To be pulled about from pillar to post,
simply because they are trying to show
10 the world and the people what they
could do. If they would only come out
and say it, it is ours, and we are going
to have it. 1 am quite certain that there
is enough gold, silver, copper, lead and
zinc in the Wichita mountains, Oklahoma
and the Indian Territory to supply the
United States, or, l might say. without
much hesitation, the whole world. Yet,
1 guess it is just as Mr.. Cooley says-it
IS TOO. close home for people to believe it,
I have been prospecting for six years
through Oklahoma and the Indian Ter
ritory for the purpose of showing to the
people and the world what treasures of
gold and other minerals lie hidden in the
bowels of the earth; and right here at
home, though 1 have never made any
strenuous efforts to interest capital for
the development of the mines I have dis
covered, l now feel free to invite inspec-
tors who vii come in good faith and who
wish to do business on the square. But
I have no time to talk with or spend with
unbelievers, skeptics and schemers. Let
me say right here that I have discovered
zinc lodges in the Arbuckle mountains,
Ghickasaw nation, that are from four to
twenty feet in thickness and carry zinc
In paying quantities on the surface, and
can be traced for miles by the outcrop.
My prospect holes like Mr. Cooley's, are
from four to twenty feet deep have
also white quartz Lodges four and a half
feet thick. carrying gold in paying guam
titles on the surface and getting solder
and richer as they proceed downward,
and they dip on an angle of about 45 de-
grees, with porphyry wall on one side
and limestone on the other. I have also
lead. copper and asphaltum in paying
quantities in the Arbuckle mountains.
can also show you lodges right here in
Cleveland county Oklahoma, that assay
a hundred dollars per ton in gold on the
surface and they are easily traced for
long distances from the surface crop
pings. and a number of them which assay
much less yet carry the precious metal
IN paying quantities. There are also good
copper bearing lodges in Cleveland and
Pottawatomie counties. and silver-bear-
Ing rock which assays as high as eighty
dollars per ton. 1 have not, however,
space to give a full account of my ex-
perience as a prospector in this country.
I invite investigation.
The general mining laws of the Ilited
States, however, do not apply to Okla
homa. A short time after the opening
of this country congress made a bad
blunder in cur direction, in declaring
oklahoma non-mineraI land. so the
miner has to either buy out the farmer
or lease the land, before he can do any
thing and the farmers, as a rule, are
skeptical and know comparatively moth
ing about mineral many of them think
ing that if mineral is discovered on their |
land that the government, or, rather, the /
miners, Will take it from them, so it is |
rather hard to deal with them, except /
the more intelligent ones.
And now. 1 Will give a section of the |
revised statues Of the general mining |