The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-01-16

providing for the sale of segrega' ed
coal and asphalt lands OF Choctaw
and Chickasaw nations, embracing all
told nearly one-half million acres,
and which the state of Oklahoma at
one time contemplated purchasing,
! was introduced in congress by Rep
| resentatiye c. d. Carter, of Ardmore'
Friday. after a final conference with
| the tribal officials now in Washing
/ ton. In addition the measure pro
yides for the sale of all unallotted
Indian lands in the two nations,
chiefly valuable for grazing and tim
Der. and thus wind up the affairs OF
the Choctaws and under its provisions
the secretary of interior is all pow
errul. as it is left to him to dispose
of the property in a manner that
he sees fit.
He may sell the mineral to one cor
porl,ion or in many small tracts,
and do likewise with the surface OF
the Chickasaw nation, which has tan
talzed congress for years. All tod,
more than one million acres of land
are affected by the bill, inasmuch as
the unallotted lands embrace the
would-be forest reserve, which the
government would like very much to
conserve but which it will be un-
able to do without the consent of the
Indians, and because of lis ability
to persuade congress to appropriate
the money necessary with which to
purchase the property from the Choc-
taw and Chckasaw nations.
In short, the bill provides:
Cd For the appraisal of coal and
asphalt lands by a commission com
posed OF the coal and asphalt trus-
tees of two nations and a third man
appointed by the president.
(2) The sale of surface and min
eral separately, but practically at the
same time, under rules and regula-
tions prescribed by the secretary of
the interior.
CD The appraisement of the sur
face by tracts, according to the gov
ernment survey of the land, except
such tracts as are chiefly valuable
because of their proximity to towns
or cities, and these are to be subdi-
vided into lots, or tracts, containing
not less than five acres.
(D Coal and asphalt deposits in
each lease are to be appraised sepa-
rately from the surface.
(5) Unleased coal and asphalt de-
posits are TO be appraised separately
from the surface according to the
tracts used by the United States geo.
logical survey about a year ago.
Co Coal and asphalt leases are to
be given preferential right.
For sixty days to buy the mineral
rights covered under their leases and
not to exceed 20 per cent of the
surface actually used in present min
ing operations or necessary for fu-
ture operations, provided that such
purchase shall be taken and held as
Il waiver by the purchaser of any
land and right to appropriate to his
use any other part Of the surface OF
such land, except fer the purpose of
prospecting and for ingress and
egress, rs hereinafter reserved: pro
vded. further that If any lessee shall
fail to apply to purchase under the
provisions of this section within the
time specified, the secretary of the in
terror shall designate and reserve
from sale such tract or tracts as he
may deem proper and necessary to
embrace improvements actually neces
sary for future mining operations |
under any existing lease. and dis
pose of the remaining portion of the /
surface within such lease, free and |
clear of any claim by the lessee eX-
cept for purposes of prospecting and |
for purposes of ingress and egress, as
hereinafter reserved
Subject to Prospectors.
"a The surface shall always be
subject to prospectors for coal or as
phalt and the right of underground
ingress and egress. and TO haul
through from other lands without
to the surface owner,
and the further condition that the
mineral lessees shah have the right
to acquire such portion Of the sur
face Of any tract or tracts as may be
necessary for the conduct
Of mining operations, or removal of
deposits of coal or asphalt. upon en-
tering into an obligation TO make
payment for the surface thus taken.
be used at a fair valuation for the