Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-09-03
HITCHC0CK'S EXPLOIT.
Secretary Credited with Stopping Spoil
aticn of Oklahoma.

Credit is given Secretary Hitchcock
In the interior department for saving
to Oklahoma thousands OF acres or
land rich in minerals. oil and other
wealth possession of which, according
TO Il statement issued recently, was
sought by band of land spectators,
SAYS Il Washington correspondent or
the New York Herald. 1t is estimated
there have been saved to Oklahoma
holdings of value between $1.OoO,0OO
and 100000.
Early in March," says the state
ment, Secretary Hitchcock learned
that an amendment had been slipped
into the statehood bill in the senate,
known us the Warren amendment, by
which alleged mineral locations under
the federal mining laws on Oklahoma
school lands would be validated ana
the new state would have 10 pick out
other lands in the place of those thus
lost. The secretary reached the con
clusion that the claims of the parties
who would benefit by the amendment
were entirely without merit and that
the whole scheme bore some reSem
blance to Il raid upon the treasury
When the bill, with the Warren
amendment. was in conference com
mittee, according to the statement. Sec
rotary Hitchcock sent to the committee
a brief declaring the alleged mineral
claims of the parties were void: that
the parties knew they were VOID: that
their invalidity was not due to amy
mere technical defect but 10 the fact
that the claims We're set up in violation
of the express enactment of congress,
and the only reason for making the
claims was that the parties had laid
plans for slipping into the statehood
bill measure like the Warren amend
meut.
Representatives of the government
told the committee the beneficiarieS of
the measure were an organized band
who had been trying for several years,
ever since the first discovery of oil in
the Cleveland region, to get the min
eral lands without making adequate
payment. They had fled alleged claims
all over the territory, so that if the
measure passed all the mineral wealth
of the territory would be acquired by
them without compensation.
After detailing the successful subsd-
tuition of n leasing clause drawn by
Secretary Hitchcock for the Warren
amendment the statement concludes:
When the people of oklahoma were
celebrating the passage of the state
hood bill il is probable they did not
know the new commonwealth came
near losing some of its most valuable
possessions, besides having Il blot on
the victim of INSCRIPTIONS spectators
on it's first entrance into the Union.
The most valuable mineral lands
belonging to the territory are probably
those near the town of Cleveland, i'll
Pawnee county. one school section
alone. containing oil and gas. is esti-
mated TO he worth 100000 and there
are others in the immediate vicinity. 1t
is also reported that an oil and gas
field is being developed in Kiowa coun-
ty, near school lands. and there are
also rumors of discoveries in Greene
and Comanche counties.
There are also deposits OF cement,
gypsum and salt in various parts of
the territory, and it has been claimed
by prospectors that Beaver contains
considerable deposits of lead. copper
and silver. All lands known to contain
oil or other minerals will probably be
leased soon after the creation of the
new state"
..r.