The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-12
SCHOOL PROPERTY IN
OKLAHOMA Is
DESIRED
MAY WORK CONGRESS-
Interests Which Want New
State Profits.

IN that portion of 0klaho1 lying. be- I
tween ihe Arkansas and Cimnrrcn rivers, /
10 Pawnce county the future state Of
0iGahona avns seventeen sections OF
hrd. aggresttins 10 $50 acres. reserved /
by corgress ct me openiae ~ the Cplo-
keo strp fof the benefit Of common
schools colleges and public buildings. By
act of congress the territory IS pert1lt-
ted TO lease these lands FOR agricultu- /
raj purposes Practically al. ;ac land Is
in use FOR farming purposes.
The discovery OF oil IN the noiehlcr-
hood Of Cleveland gave st mineral value
these lands far IN excess of their
agricultural valve. Abuut 4S0 acres a.
join the townsite Of Cleveland, where
the heaviest strikes In oil nave been
made. oil operators were so eager 70
lease this land ana sink oil wells that
one man from PENNSYLVANIA offered the
territory S2500o in cash and cne-eighth
ef an Oh produced, ana obligated himself
70 pay the agricultural lessee for all
improvements he had put upon the land
in addition to what The oo urart might
accept as the price of transferring his
lease to the OH operator.
Left II TO Hitchcock.
Having no authority TO lease any Of
the public lands for ,th,r than aer al-
tural or gmzing pugpoyes. the school
lard department. snhait',d the pro. osi-
tion to Secretary Hitchcock apa advised
him Of the fact that oil wells had been
drilled on private property close to he
west ana south boundaries of the land
and that these private wells were cx-
hausting the oil pool that prol erly he
longed TO the territory. Secretary Hi. ch-
cock replied recently that he has no
authority 10 negotiate or approve leases
for any purpose ON land belonging to The
future state OF Okalcn4 aud now con-
irolled By the territory.
These lands in Pawnee county un-
doubtedy should be classed as mineral
lands. and could be st ,xcd az mineral
claims were It not for he fact that in
the presidential proclamation opening
the Cherokee strip to settlement they
wera reserved from the operations OF the
mining laws Of tn United States with ,he
result that neither the territory nor
private individuals can use their for 9TH
er than grazing or agricultural pnr-
poses. The only relief IS in special
act OF congress giving the territory The
right to lease the lands Tor mineral pur-
poses. Delegate b 6, MCGUIRE said re-
Gently that he would intro luce a mea-
sure for this purpose. covering The tracts
ndjacent to cleveland.
Rich IN Minerals
The mineral wealth Of these 'ands and
the riches they would bring 20 the vari-
Gus public funds to which they beiong
can hardly be estimated The pr
oil wells in the surrounding district are
heavy producers. and IL is reasonable 10
assume tha. weia IN he territorial ltfds
would be no less prom 4nle. e win re-
pay citizens OF OSlah,ria, however to
watch closely the 5jils iata.'uccd i'm
congress next winter for control OF he
mineral resources, not only Of the lands
rear Cleveland. bu' Of the rev4n'.cn Sec
lions IN Pawnee county II is not only
possible but almost certainty that in
nivldunls win ask for the same privfege
that Delegate Mcclure WIN ash for Tie
territory and the ownership OF she lands
by the territory may be disputed be-
cause Of their mlreral nature. Concern
Ing these lands, the citizens OF Oklahoma
should not be unliKe that anccat gem
tlemar who commanded his slaves.
whenever he sat at meat. to warn nim
that he should remember tie Athenians.
For more than a year there mas neen
a determined effort by per-'ns ane
syndicates t3 evolve some plan WHEREBY
these lands could bo wrested from she
territory 1t was halioyei for a ,iule mat
they were subject TO the mineral laws
Of the United STATE, aud that mineral
claims could be staked mNon taem by
any citizen who had the temerny 10 un-
derake d.
Hungry for the Land.
Lawyers Of known ability in Chicago,
ST Louis Kansas city and Depver were
imporluned to devise some scheme by
which they could be seized Members of
congress and Unued States senators in
different states listened to plans laid be-
fore them by mea hungry for control of
lAese on lands. myesiigation of the
law, a1ecting these mrIs Ia a civ rcls-
iior 70 the territory and the future ratc
brought the Same ,vncrlsion -eacted ty
secretary Hitchcock With the further
suggestion. Get raef in congress- Il
is hardly possible howsSer that ary bin
offered In congress IN behalf %, the ler-
rtory woule be 1efcatd q IN the in'er-
est Of spectators II The citizens OF Ok
lahoma demand THEN rights.
No longer than last April there was a
meeting IN oklahoma city for The sur-
pose If ge.uns possession Of these oil
hands for oil development. Il IS alleged
that this meeting was attended by a re-
publican who holds a pisition IN the ma
sonal Organization Of his party. a hunk
er living in western Okls home, the zen
eral agent 81 4 well known nook cem-
pany and territorial ONCE holder who
was solicited to ACCEPT tre view that ,hs
lands could be leased for agricultural
purposes and lhen used i0r mineral 'ur-
poses Delegate Mcclure was invited Y
attend the conference. woman who
holds territorial o.1ce exerted herself
In urging upon different persons the iea-
soaahlcncss Of the proposition discusses
al this n ceiling Il b mol charged thai
these promoters contemplated anything
TO the disadvantage Il the conpany. n
their public statements they declared
ihns the territory xhould se Eieen q fan
portion Of the earnings Of the on wells
Il was ne political and partisan aspect
OF the conference that provoked criu.
oism.
4he mineral question Aas arisen ln 3
more assressIve form AZ Cement calds
county .rhor. fho Acme Cn4otni Ielat.