The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1908-09-11
VALUE OF SCHOOL LANDS.

h0tthi mas prepared the iuuuWiHB Htllbh
dealing with the status Of the schoo
lands Inasmuch as a vote is TO be ha'
this fall on the sale Of these lands th'
subject is one Of great Importance q thii
time. and all information concerning i
should be read with interest, in order thai
an intelligent vote may be cast The
article follows;
just at this time when the question Of
the sale or retention Of the school lands
is being discussed authentic information
as to the character, extent and value Of
che lands owned by the state viii be Of
general interest Lands we're granted 70
the state OF Oklahoma by the federal gov
ernment for three different purposes, but
all Of them are commonly elassed under
the general term or school lands.
By various acts Of congress sections l6
and SO in every congressional township
in the entire territory Of Oklahoma were
reserved for the benefit Of the common
schools Of the state; sections IS N the
Cherokee outlet Greer county and the
Kiowa. Comanche, Apache and Wichita
reservations were set aside for the higher
institutions Of learning Of the state and
sections 33 in these same districts held
for public building fund
In addition to these grants, under the
terms Of the enabling act a special grant
Of land was made to each of the higher
educational institutions amounting in all
to i.050.000 acres, No school, college or
public building lands we're reserved or set
aside in the Indian Territory side Of the
state. but congress- made direct appro-
priation Of $5.OO0.0O0 in cash lto the
common school fand of the state in lieu Of
common school lands in that territory |
Wherever an OF any portion Of sections 10,
36. ii or 33 we're lost hyreason Of Indian
allotments fractional surveys. large
streams. ETC. the governor Of the territory
was allowed to select lands Of equal area
In lieu Of the lands so lost, such lands be-
ing known as indemnity lands The total
area Of lands so selected is 3061sS acres
and while they are scattered more or less
over the entire area of the former territory
of Oklahoma. there are several points in
which they are massed in large contgu-
Gus tracts. What are known as the Kick
apoo indemnity lands lie In Lincoln, Okla
homa and Pottawatomie counties and
have total area Of i0i.439 acres So
1850 acres lying In Lincoln county, 2e,399
acres IN Oklahoma county and 1880
acres in Pottawatomie county There is
a tract Of 24.240 acres Of indemnity land
in the central portion of Woodward county
and one Of about 10000 acres Of indem-
nifty land in Caddo county $4,000 acres
In Comanehe county $4,000 in Greer
county and 1000 acres in kiowa county.
The lands in these latter counties are,
however. more or less scattered,
The total area Of common school lands
owned by the state ii i,4t3.s06 acres, q
which 2i465l acres are indemnity land;
the areao Of section l3 college land is $50,
207 acres. Of which 44.s73 acres are In
demnity lands the area Of public building
land is 9l5.065. Of which 48.863 acres
are indemnity selections, Adding to these
lands the i.050OOO acres granted to coll
leges by the enabling act gives a grand
total Of S13i.O75 acres Of land granted to
the state as gitt by the federal govern
ment
In 1891 upon the recommendation Of
Governor Steele aud memorial Of the
territory legislature Oklahoma territory,
by an net Of congress, was granted au-
thority to lease her school and other
reserved lands. This was an innovation,
all other territories having allowed their
school lands to lie idle or be wasted by
squauers until admitted AZ states, when
most Of them Immediately sold their lands
at a low price.
The experiment Of leasing the lands
undertaken by Oklahoma territory as a
pioneer proved a decided success. how
ever and the total net receipts from leas-
ing up to June 30, 1908. which includes
seven and half months under statehood.