The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-03-08
OK[AHONA'S DEBT
TO SENIOR OWEN
William M. Harrison Gives the Public
1service Record of Muskosee
citizen.
Mugkogee. okIa.. Feb. %. l9l2.

| Editor Muskogee Phoenix:
Having recently heard the question
asked what has Senator Robert l.
Owen done for Muskogee, and the peo
pie of this state prior and subsequent
to statehood" and being conversant
with the record, both public and pri.
vate, of Senator Owen, and being de
sirous of not only giving credit to
whom it is due but to give publicity to
a record wherein and by which private
and public benefit has resulted to our
homec ity and to the people of the
state generally, | desire to submit the
following in answer to the inquiry,
speaking from an intimate personal
acquaintance with this distinguished
gentleman since 1889, and from his
record since he began his public ca
reer:
In 1882, 'S3 and 'S4 he was president
of the Indian Territorial fair, which
collected together at Muskogee the
people of Indian Territory at the only
fair then held in the state. ,
From 1885 to 1889 he was United
States Indian agent for the Five Civil
lied Tribes, with headquarters at Mus
kogee, and he made it an agency of
Importance and conducted tribunal
for settling civil disputes throughout
the Indian Territory.
In the winter of 1883 and 'S9 he
went to Washington and appeared be-
fore the judiciary committee of the
house of representatives when David
B. Culbertson was chairman, and de-
manded the establishment of the Unit
ed States court for the Indian Terri
tory. He was authorized to make the
preliminary draft of the bill and the
court was Immediately established
with jurisdiction from Arkansas to the
Panhandle and from Kansas to Texas,
making Muskogee the judicial head
quarters of the country which now
comprises the state of Oklahoma.
In the winter of 1SS9-9O he went to
Washington and secured an extension
of the national banking act to apply
over Indian Territory and he estab-
lished the First National bank and
was elected president of this institu-
ton for ten successive years.
He took an active part in establish
ing legal code for Indian Territory
by the extension of the laws of Arkan-
sas over Indian Territory which be-
gan the development of government in
this section.
He was the leading attorney for the
Choctaws and Chickasaws in the leas-
ed district cases recovering $2,991,-
$4,000 for these Indians, which con-
tributed an important sum of money.
He helped collect $S24,00O.00 for the
old settler Cherokees and five million
dollars for the other Cherokees. The
distribution of this money contributed
substantially to Muskogee, and his fees
earned in these matters We're invested
largely in Muskogee.
He assisted in removing the restric-
tions from the lands of the freedmen.
This added much to the early develop
ment of Muskogee and the surround
ing country.
Without the removal of the restric-
tions upon the allotted Indian lands
the up-building of Muskogee would
have been impossible No event has
ever been so important, not only to
Muskogee but the whole of Indian Ter
ritory, as the act of May 81, 1908, due
to the activity and direct efforts of Mr.
Owen. He made his campaign on this
issue and obtained the passage of this
bill in less than six months after he
entered the senate.
The establishment OF public build
ing for Muskogee to cost $500,O00.O0,
and which will be magnificent mon
ument to Muskogee, was the result of
his energetic direction and capable
He obtained as gift to the city of
Muskogee the present site of the jail
worth at a fair calculation $200,000.OO.
He caused Muskogee to be made a
reserve city. being the first city so
designated in the state, and thus added
over two millions of dollars deposits
to the Muskogee banks, and thus caus-
ed Muskogee to be advertised through
the Associated Press regularly in all
the great newspapers of the United
States which carry the record of the
financial exchanges.
He has worked diligently for the
of the Arkansas river
causing a survey up to Muskogee and
on to. Tulsa to be made by the engi-
neers of the war department and esti-
mates to be made of the cost to de-
~..o. Of OIL