Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-24

Fiscal year ending June 80, 1904. d, l9S ST.
The output of asphalt has been about
5000 tons a year. The lessees pay roy
atty of cents a ton on coal and ~ Genus
a ton asphalt, and the revenues OF the
Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes. from that
source, which have been devoted TO tne
support OF schools for full-blood children
exclusively, have been as follows for the
years named:
Fiscal year ending June 80, 1899. $40 145
Fiscal year ending June 80 1900. l3o 4S6
Fiscal year ending June 30, 1901. 1896
Fiscal year ending June 80, 1902. 24l ,36l
Fiscal year ending June 80 1903. 26l w
Fiscal year ending June 30. 1904. 271,s11
Oil Used as Fuel.
There Is said to have been a considerable
falling off in the coal output during the
current fiscal year which ends in few
days, because of the competition of Texas
and Indian Territory oil, which is being
used more and more for steaming purposes
both by railroads and manufactures. With
the exception of the NJ. X. and I. railroad,
which taps the coal fields, all of the rail-
roads in the southwest are using pc
troleum for fuel because it is much cheaper
The products of the Texas oil fields is so
cheap and abundant that the saving is very
large. Until a year and half ago Indian
Territory supplied fuel for two-thirds OF
the state of Texas. \ good deal of Ala
bania coal was brought from Mobile to Gal
weston and other ports for the use of the
railroads and manufa ctories of the south
ern part of the state, but now oil is so
plentiful that manufactures on the gulf
coast and all the locomotives on the
Southern Pacific Texas Pacific, Santa Fee,
Frisco and other roads are fitted for burn
ing oil.
There is considerable manufacturing and
it is increasing. II is estimated that If the
present rate of increase continues there will
be demand for something like 3,0oo,oJO
tons of coal annually, in addition to the oil
consumed There Is so much uncertainty
.1O;,r 1,.nxr- hot
Hitchcock, who is always looking out for
the interests of the Indians, concluded that
it would be advisable to sell the Unbiased
coal lands of the Choctaws and Chickasaws,
which amount to about $4,000 acres, and
invest the proceeds in an educational fund
a commission was appointed, composed OF
representatives of both tribes and disinter-
ested white men. and bids were called for,
but the prices were not satisfactory and
they were all rejected. Since then nothing
has been done, but 1t Is the intention of the
Secretary to recommend Congress to set
apart this coal land or sell 1t for educational
purposes: but the proceeds would be avail
able for the Choctaws and Chickasaws only
Oil Wells in the Territory.
In the Creek and Cherokee nations, where
the oil and gas wells are situated, all of the
lands have been allotted to individual mem
bers of those tribes, who allowed to
lease them, subject to the approval of the
Secretary of the Interior; or the owner can
operate his own wells. There three oil
districts, known the Bartlesville. Red
Fork-Tulsa and Muskogee districts, and
they produce about 10000 barrels of crude
petroleum per day. The best oil is pro-
duced just outside the city limits of Mus
kogee. The wells are few in number, hav-
ing an output of about 1900 barrels day,
but il is said to be the only oil with a par
atm base west of Pennsylvania. The other
oils produced in this territory have an
asphaltum base. The Muskogee wells be-
long to local capitalists, who sell their prod
uct to the Standard Oil Company.
Three companies are operating in the Red
Fork-Tulsa and Bartlesville districts - the
Prairie Oil iand Gas Company, which be-
longs tos.the Standard Oil Company al
though organized and operated by local cap
italists in whose names the leases stand
the Cudahy Company of Chicago and Cuff
fey d Galley of Pittsburg. The government
does not discriminate for or against the
Standard Oil Company in making leases. 1t
does not inquire who the bidders are, but
accepts the best terms for the Indian own
ers of the land. The officials may have pri-
waite information that a bidder represents
the Prairie Oil and Gas Company but they
cannot reject a bid for that reason; and SO
far as l can learn. the Standard Oil Com
pany does its business in an honorable, lib
eral and enterprising manner.
Complaint of Low Prices.
There is a great deal of complaint among
producers because they do not get higher
prices for their OIL The same complaint is
heard from everybody about everything
Very few people on this good old earth
seem 10 be satisfied, and It would only be
ordinary illustration of human nature
and some business principles If the Stand
ard Oil Company should buy it's raw ma
terial at the lowest price possible l do
not think the producers would be satisfied
II they got twice the price they get
ting today. 1t Is admitted by every one
that the Standard Company is taking all
the oil it can handle; il is building enor-
nous natural tanks in the ground at sew
eral localities. so that IL can buy more
than it can handle with its present faciIi.
ties, and is laying a new pipe line from
here 10 its great refineries at Whiting Ind
l am not defender OF the Standard Oil
Company. but even the devil is entitled to
his due, and whenever l corner dissatis-
fed producer. l discover that he is getting
the market price for his oil and Is doing as
well other people.
Gufey & Galley of Pittsburg are also re-
ported to be in close utilization with the
Standard Company. I have heard il as
thing. and II IS certainly true that all of
their product is handled by the Standard.
Proposed Pipe Line to Galveston.
John w. Gates of Chicago, A. w. Mellon
of Pittsburg and the Shell oil and Trans
portatIon Company of London are said to
have entered into a combination with the
Cudahy Brothers of Chicago for the con-
struction of pipe line 10 Galveston or
some other convenient point on the gulf
coast, through which 1t is proposed 10 carry
oil for export TO England by the ships Of
the Shell Company. which already
largely engaged In that business. 1t is re-
ported that the Shell Company has entered
into contract TO buy a certain quantity
of oil at certain price for certain num-
Der of years. and that 1t will erect mon
strous plant at Galveston to refine the oil
for the London market. A survey for a
pipe line has already been made. but fur
ther than that nothing has been actually
done. The oil producers of the territory
are basing great hopes upon this combina-
ton, but IL is unreasonable to expect that
It will pay any higher prices than the
Standard. Mr.. Gates, Mr. Mellon and the
Cudahys are no more philanthropic than
the Rockefellers or the Flaglers.