The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-25
HiRgips's Friend Barnsdall.

On NAV 10 Of this year FRANK WAY
LAND HIGGINS, writing on the official
stationery Of the State Of New York to
the President of the United States in
behalf Of his friend THEODORE n, BARNS
DALI of Pittsburg, whom he described
as lone of the principal developers OF
the oil and gas section Of the Southwest.
said OF Mr.. BARNsDALL, some OF whose
transactions in Indian Territory oil
lands had been disapproved by Secre-
tary ETHAN ALLEN HITCHCOCK OF the
Interior Department:
81 believe Mr.. BARSspAIL has acted in good
faith in this matter"
" But, believing. as ! do, that great injustice
In being done Mr.. BAHHsDsIL
" but his Secretary HTcHcocK'sl rulings. I
fear. are governed more by prejudice against
individuals than by practical knowledge Of the
subject In hand"
The controversy in which Mr.. BARNS
DALI was involved with the Interior De-
partment had been in progress for some
time when the Governor of the State Of
New York furnished a certificate Of
character for his Pittsburg friend. 1t
did not come to an end when Secretary
HITCHCOCK read Governor HTGeISs's
letter. On June 7 Mr.. BARNsnALL called
on the Secretary in Washington to talk
the matter in dispute over. Mr.. HITCH
COCK described to Mr.. BARNsDALL the
offence Of which he was guilty in these
words:
what you did and Mt. GurrKr did, through two
different companies, was to enter into an arrange
ment with each other by which the Guney md Galley
interests were transferred to your proposed com
pany-the Oklahoma and Usage company directly
in the face of that clause which 's at the head OF
every lease you have, and In the body OF 1t, Trans
ferable only with the consent Of THE Secretary OF
the Interior"
MIR. BARNsDALL confessed the viola
ton of this clause in his leases, and
| asserted that Mr.. GUFFEY had promised
| to give him good title to the property.
! Later in the conversation Mr.. HITCH
coCK said:
Another thing. you not only acquired from
GUrYRY and GALLEY the leases that had been given
| 10 them, hut you also entered into some arrange
| ment with reference TO these drilling contracts that
was absolutely irregular. . ' . Now. I don't
want TO say anything harsh or discourteous or lha,
| will hurt your feelings. but that drilling contract
wss simply Il device to get around our restrictions
and limitations"
The Secretary denounced another en-
terprise of Mr.. BARNsDAId's as 'abso-
| Mtely irregular" and an effort to get
around the positive. contract you made
| with u.s." Mr.. BARNspALL was much
distressed. This dialogue took place
between him and the Secretary:
"Mr. B~1KSspML-It 10 very hard, Mr.. Secretary.
You see that ! have not done anything dishonesty.
| showed you my contracts and everything. d.
The Secretary-we will talk frankly. You
say you have not,dons anything dishonesty. You
tried 10 whip the devii around the stump. We
cannot treat you di6srently from what We trea,
anybody else"
The Secretary was beginning to warm
! UP. The Governors friend spoke Of the
advice he had got from lawyers. Mr..
| HITCHCOCK remarked: 4.
Well. n you want to defy the Government, jus,
70 ahead and do IT,"
To defy the Government was not Mr..
B~ARNsDALL's plan. The conversation
continued:
The secretsry-The Testimony as given by you
In Pitsburg 10 Kr. wRioBr shows that you indorsed
notes OF clr,ks not financially able TO raise money:
and aaer The fcases were given that money was
patd back 10 the hank.
Mr.. BsnHspAlL~ Every dollar Of that money