The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-04-29

the control Of the water power sites /
OF the state at stake worth many mil (
lions. two companies are struggling /
to be first on the ground and acquire
the sites along all the streams that /
seem to afford a chance of water pow
er development, one is the Oklahoma
Electric company, with headquarters
at Oklahoma City The other is the
Washita Electric company, with pres
ent headquarters at Pauls Valley
The Oklahoma Electric company is
operating under a state charter The
Washita company is operating under
federal charter, granted In 1906 prior
TO statehood, and which Is supposed
to contain advantages that are worth
lots OF money. led Perry Of Coalgate;
IL. G.. Disney, of Muskogee and Joe
Thompson, OF Pauls Valley, are the
principal owners of the Washita com
pany and a crowd of Oklahoma City
capitalists control the Oklahoma com
pany.
The activities of these companies
was revealed the other day when a
number Of Muskogee gentlemen went
out on the Illinois river to look over
a prospective site, only to find that
the Oklahoma company had beaten
them to 1t and had already begun CON
Idemnation proceedings. Later II de-
veloped that the same company had
lstarted condemnation proceedings and
Isteps to acquire sixteen water power
sites in the state. The company Is
capitalized at five million dollars. 1t
has been found that this company has
started condemnation proceedings for
power sites at Weleetka, on the Cana
dian river, two sites on the Illinois
river below the mouth Of the Barren
Fork, three on the Washita, one on
the Blue in Johnson county as well as
others, to the number of sixteen.
The Oklahoma Electric company
has a state charter which permits it
to operate any place in the state. The
- Washita company has a federal char
ter and vested rights IN the old Indian
g Territory only But, practically all
; OF the valuable water power sites are
D in old Indian Territory, and it Is here
D that the battle will be waged. For
d the Washita company is even now on
: the trail of the Oklahoma company,
= and there is not likely to be a single
o site acquired on this side of the state
e without a scrap by the two companies.
Under the provisions of the federal
franchise the Washita company has
VI tremendous advantage Not only
q does this franchise permit the condem'
= nation of Indian lands, allotted or un-
u allotted, for water power purposes
y but It also permits the company TO en-.
e ter any town or city for the purpose
l. of distributing such power. And II
y this clause of the franchise stands
D up, all this company will have to do
IS In the matter Of getting a franchise in
IS any city, Muskogee for instance would
be to serve notice on the city officials
o and commence erecting poles and
y wires subject to the city regulations
u OF sucn construction work
!, The Washita company now has a
water power plant at Pauls Valley in
the Washita river developing 1906
horse power. It has another site just
below that will develop 5000 horse
power. The Washita plants are tC
be the first developed and the powel
~ sold to Ardmore, GAINESVILLE and Okla
- homa City. The company is also TAX
, ing steps to acquire a site at Wele'tki
. on the Canadian river, that will furn
ish 5000 horse power Il is proposed
to supply Muskogee from that point
other sites available are two on tho
: Illinois river that viii develop 2 2,50l
i horse power two sites on the Blu'
= river in Johnston county that viii
- furnish between five and six Thousand
horse power. There Is apparently NJ
q disposition on the part of the com
1 lpany to come In on the Grand river, a
. present. because other companie
! have acquired some rights there. II
= addition to all these in the Kimach
i river where almost unlimited waite
= power can be developed and which ha
so far never been exploited. It's dc
! velopment viii be in future years
= Within a very short time a deman,
s will be made on the city officials o
n Muskogee to permit this company Il
!. erect poles and string wires on th
e streets and alleys, without further
Is formality in the way of the usua
It franchise. This will bring to a show
IS down the validity Of that clause of tn
g federal grant to enter towns and cltle
Il In the old Indian Territory This dc
!. mand would have been made yesteI
h day had It not been that the counse