The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-07-24
MDIlh TtpMTOQl lHbtp Law
REGULATIONS 0OvERNIN1 SAME
VERY STRINGENT LAW.
Con oaly he cut from A@rieulturai Iands
with Expressed COnseae of Tespor-
ary AlIOttee, and the Approval
OF Secretary of Ineerlor.

Special to the Ardaoreite. f
Washington, ID. c., July ~. lin
accordance with the bill which be-
came q law ut the close of the last
session of congress, the secretary of
the interior has had prepared rules
and regulations governing the cut
ting of timber and quarrying of stone
in the territory of the Five Civilized
Tribes in the Indian Territory. These
rules and regulations are OF the Mt
most importance, owing to the fact
that mp TO the present time individ-
uals, railroad companies, and cor
porations alike have been prohibited
from utilizing material i'm the Terri
tory for constructive purposes. A
change in the situation was found to
be SO necessary to those interested
in the commercial advancement of
the Territory, that an appeal was
made to congress last winter for the
enactment OF q law which would al
low parties desiring to make improve
ments in the Territory to utilize the
raw material there, particularly tim
ber and stone, which are to be found
in almost unlimited quantities. The
strongest pressure was brought to
bear on the department and con-
grees for the enactment OF this leg
islation. This was particularly so
with relation to the railroad compan-
les, who were anxious to avail them
selves of the post oak ties that are
fouud d in great quantities, especially
ia the Choctaw and Chickasaw ma
tions, for the construction OF new
lines of road through the Territory.
Among the railways, the Rock Is
land and Frisco companies were vi
tally interested, as both of these
roads are now constructing branch
lines running through this country.
In response to these appeals, con-
gress passed q law authorizing the
utilization of timber and stone in the
territory for constructive purposes,
subject to the supervision of the in
terror, accordingly, Secretary Hitch
cock has had prepared and issued
iron clad instructions to Agent
Wright at Muskogee, which will
thoroughly protect the interests of
the Indians, but. which, it is expect
ed. will prove unsatisfactory to the
railroads, owing to the stringency OF
the provisions therein contained.
In the instructions prepared,
which are now at the government
printing office, and which will be
made public In q few days, the Sec
rotary of the interior authorizes and
directs the Indian agent and special
agent Wright, both located at Mus
kogee to enter into contracts with
any responsible person or persons
or corporations, upon the application
made in the form of aff1davit, to be
provided by the secretary of the in
terror for the purchase Of timber OF
stone from any public lands within
the territory of the Five Civilized
tribes, and to collect on or before
value Of timber or stone as the Sec
retary may hereafter determine
should be paid, and the timber OIL
stone so procured under such con-
tracts shall be used "for domestic
and industrial purposes, including
the construction, maintainance and
repair of railways and other high.
ways" within the limits of the Ter.
ritory.
All applications must state the
quality.and quantity of the timber ol
stone proposed to be cut or quarried,
the purpose or purposes for which
the material is to be. used and the
contract price paid for same. Each
application must be accompanied by
afndavits OF two diRinterested per.
sons corroborative of the applicant't
statements. These applications are
to be first approved by the secretary
of the interior before they become
operative, and st any time thereafter
are subject to investigation by the
| agent OF the department.
Before any timber is cut or quar-.
ried, the person desiring to take the
same must make his application to
the agent of the department, to be
be forwarded to the secretary, which
application must be accompanied by
q guarantee bond for the faithful
performance of the contract, which
is not effective until approved by the
secretary of the interior.
All money collected must be placed
to the credit Of the tribe to which
the land belongs. It ia provided
however, that no timber or stone
can be cut or quarried from any
land held by q member of a tribe
against his wishes, and only from
land cleared, or desired to be
cleared, for cultivation. This ap-
plies particularly to agricultural
lands now covered with timber and
which obstruction the prospective
allottees desire removed:
The Indian agent is also to keep a
correct list of subdivisions OF the
land from which such timber or stone
f0knWs