Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-04-04
Oklahoma Greatest Oil Field
Known in the Entire World.
Curtis Tells About Mineral Values Of New State
Tulsa Rated as Indicating lligest Type of Pro-
gress and Prosperity by the Noted Writer. =


there are now twenty-nine independ-
ont rcfineries, all Of which are pro
ducing and selling oil In bulk In the
open market. Some Of these refiner-
les are cooperative. They buy their
crude oil al from Il 20 90 cents bar
rel and sell It for Il TO 20 cents n gal
Ion, Some Of them have important
by products. wax and lubrlcatlng oil,
which add To their profit
There are altogether about 150 in
diyidual producers, more or less inde-
pendent, but there Is not much COM
petition, as the price Of crude oil Is
regulated by the law Of supply and
demand Just like the price OF wheat,
corn pork and other agricultural pro-
ducts, Some Of the independent oper-
ators own their wells, having been
able to pur shase the land from mem
hers OF the Indian tribes who are al
lowed TO sell All allottees who are
less than half-blood and all owners
who have inherited allotmonts are al
lowed TO sell by the Government
Others are prohibited from selling for
q term Of twenty-one years.
The freedmen" that Is, the de-
scendants Of negroes who were form
erly slaves in the Five Civilized Tribes
are also allowed to sell their land.
They have been treated very gencr-
ously by the government although
they were not recognized as members
by the tribes and had no right TO vote.
These freedmen are taking better care
Of themselves and are more industri-
ous and thrifty in saving and invest
Ing their money than the Indians.
coo
About one-half OF the Indians are
wasting everything and probably an
equal number are making good use Of
their wealth and investing IT at a pro-
fit Several Indian families have be-
come rich. The Berryhill brothers Mt
the town of Sapulpa have the reputa-
ton OF being shrewd and careful busi-
ness men and are increasing their
fortunes by wise Investment. They
have recently erected n five-story re-
inforced concrete office building at
Sapulpa which does them great credit.
The Glenn family OF Sapulpa are also
prominent in commercial affairs and
have n reputation for business ability.
The Drew family IN Tulsa have also
become wealthy. and many other In
dams might be mentioned who have
shown capacity for business and are
quite as enterprising as any OF the
whites.
Unfortunately, however, large
number Of the Indian lessees are de-
praved and degraded and prefer to
live In disreputable old shacks on the
lands that they have leased and spend
their time loafing around the saloons.
They do not seem to take interest In
anything outside of the little commun-
ity in which they have always lived.
and do nothing but draw their dlvi-
ernment and spend them at the sa-
looms The government maintains in
dustrial Indian schools here and there.
and the state has a complete free
school system. The half breeds and all
have any white blood in their veins
usually send their children, but the
fulf-bloods do not take much interest
IN education and allow their little
ones 10 run at large.
Altogether there seems to be Just
as mrch human nature In an Indian
az there is In white man. suppose
that II an equal number Of white peo-
Pile were placed here under the same
circumstances and were allowed TO
draw regular dividends sufficient to
feed and clothe them without having
10 work. they would soon sink into
the same degeneracy that at least one
half of the tribesmen show Indeed
those who have made n study of the
question are Of the opinion that the
average Indian Is doing better than
white men would have done under the
same circumstances, Idleness Is pret-
ty apt to he followed by decay.
600
What is known as the Glenn Pool
Is now the center OF oil production In
Oklahoma-a pool OF oil discovered by
a "squawman" named Glenn upon the
lands allotted TO his Indian wife and
daughter Ida. II has produced more
abundantly than any other oil field
ever known, and has already yielded
at least 100, 900. 900 barrels. In 1909
about $4,000, 600 barrels were taken
out OF this field
At least *2o.ooo.ooo is invested In
the Glenn Pool district in pipe linz
tanks. pumps and other buildings II
is situated in about the center Of what
was formerly Indian Territory and
Sapulpa In the principal town. In
1908 II consisted Of n few scattered
Indian families. Today there are $500
cnterprising people with attractive
homes schoolhouses. churches and
well filled shops Most. OF the en-
ployes in the oil fields are Americans
who have come here from the oil
districts OF Pennsylvania. West Vlr-
ginia, Ohio and Indiana.
The wells are drilled In rows 200
feet apart and each IL covered with
a derrick about sixty feet high which
gives peculiar aspect to the country.
These are set as evenly and regularly
as telegraph poles. When a we'll Ia
first opened the oil flows freely. but
soon after II is necessary 20 use
pumps. There have been several won
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