The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-11-12
Small PER CENT OF
n THEM ARE SEGREGATED
Hundreds Of Acres Probably
VIII Be Sold for Grazing
Field Prices

ogist, Norman, Okla)
1t has been estimated that the to.
tai aggregate OF all coal lands IN
Oklahoma is approximately six and
one quarter million acres of which
less than one-half million acres are
segregated. The nearly six million
acres OF coal lands remaining has
been allotted in seyeralty to the cit
izens of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chick
asaw and Greek tribes, or remglns
as unlotted lands which are to be sold
to the highest bidder now in a few
weeks: 1t is my opinion ti.at there
will be hundreds of acres OF this
unallotted coal which will sell at the
prices of grazing ard agricultural
lands.
The coal lands of Oklahoma belong
to three general classes, segregated
unsegregated and unallotted. The
segregated lands consist of approx
imately half million (437,743) acres
OF the best coal lands of the Choctaw
and Chickasaw nations that were set
Apart by special legislation and ex-
4 empted from allotment as common
property for those Indian tribes and
is commonly known as the Choetaw
coal field. These lands contain sew
eral beds of coal Of varying thickness
but which have an aggregate average
thickness of about seven feet and re
j, present that portion OF the field which
has the time of segregation only about
six or seven years ago. was consider
ed valuable for mining purposes. How
ever. population, mining equipment
and demand for fuel nave so changed
in the short time since the segrega-
tion OF the Choctaw fields that there
is a much larger area OF coal contain
ing land, which is unsegregated, that
Is beginning TO be looked upon as a
good investment because it contains
coal and can usually be had at the
price of agricultural ana grazing land
while some of It Is among the unal-
lotted lands soon TO be sold.
Large tracts OF this unsegregated
land lie in the immediate vicinity OF
the main segregation. but the largest
area is what is known as the Chero-
kee-Creek field that lies north OF the
Canadian river Ii often happens that
some OF the toughest, most uninyiting
lands of the northeastern Choctaw
nation contain unsegregated coal
values, which are unallotted.
Workable Coal.
In considering coal laads the ques-
tion. what constitutes a workable
coal bed" is an ever recurring one
which depends On so many factors
that each individual oceurance must
be decided upon its own merits. In
many parts of Europe coal beds only
f2 to rs inches thick are mined to q
\ depth of more than 5000 feet, while
lin parts of America. mine operators
contend that less than four fee. oil
coal is not workable The standard Is
fluctuating. As the demand increases
and the supply diminishes Goals tha'
were OF no value become valuable. In
West Virginia and Pennsylvania Goa
lat was left as worthless few years
ago is now being operated. and l.
"a. more valuable under present eondi
ytlons than were the thicker Goals OF 9
few years ago: while IL the lndiar
lands were to be segregated today
instead of six or seven years age
there would be hundreds OF thousands
of acres set aside which were left fres
for allotment. The government now
consiuers all land containing. II In
ches OF more of coal as too valuable
in fuel possibilities TO permit ii to b
homes.eaded.
Quantity Of Coal Per Acre.
1t Is generously considered tna
there are approximately 1.5O0 tons 0
coal per acre for each foot IN thick
ness, of the coal bed Or rs tons pc
inch. With this In mind 1t Is readily
seen that quarter section of LAM
containing an Is inch bed oil cca
has great possibilities. This togethe
with the fact that our best fuel eS
perts estimate that, at the presen
rate OF consumption, the coal field
OF the world will be exhausted b
the close of the present century, max
II appear worth ones while to procur
some OF Oklahoma's coal lands Will
they may be had at such figures a
now obtain In the regions 0. the III
segregated coal fi&ds. ia