Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-10-16

into lumber to build homes for the
ever increasing population, giving en-
ployment to hundreds of men at re-
munerative wages; and within the
last few years great oil and gas
field has been discovered and is now
being developed This gas field has
proven to be the second best in this
state, and when fully developed will
doubtless rival the great oil fields
of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
In the development of the oil and gas
fields in this county the company and
promoters of this enterprise have al
ready expended nearly a half million
! dollars in procuring leases from the
land owners, in the payment of rem
tails, in the purchase of machinery
and the payment Of labor This COM
pany has been successful in drilling
in number Of producing oil and gas
wells, and in each and every instance
it is paying to the land owner roy
atty Of one-eighth of the oil delivered
to his credit in tanks and pipe lines,
as well as a good and satisfactory
price for every producing gas well.
This company, of which our neighbor
and fellow-townsman DR. r. S. Collier
is, and has been the moving spirit,
has done more to attract capital to
his county, to develop its resources
and increase the valuation OF our
lands than any other man or company
that has ever operated here, and vast
ly more than all the Sewells and their
allies have done or would ever do be-
tween now and the thunders of the
eternal judgment.
After all these developments have
been commenced, and gotten fairly
under way, at an enormous outlay oi
money, time and labor, and after il
has become known throughout the
land that we have one of the richest
counties in natural resources in tht
State and just at the time when capt
tai is feverishly seeking Investment
here, the heirs of John W. Sewell clar
destinely crossed over from Cincinna
ii to Covington and there filed suit il
= the United States District Court for tn,
Eastern District of Kentucky, for thu
I purpose of taking from this compan,
] tract of land of some 200 acres o.
more in the midst of its field of opera
tions, which tract now has on it
number of producing oil wells. al
1 drilled in at the company y'sSsexpense
r This evidently is intended as tes
| suit, and If the Sewell heirs are sue
e cessful in this undertaking, any per
+ son of ordinary sense can readily Sc
j at a glance that they will not sto
= with this suit, but will by other an
I numerous suits proceed to recover al
c the mineral privileges John W. SeweI
t ever claimed to own in this count,
= TO do so they will bring their suits /
!, the Federal Court, which fact of itse
G makes it well-nigh impossible fo
o most of you to appear and defend o
6 account Of the great distance frol
/ here to Covington, and the great el
J. pense necessarily incident to a prt
/, ceeding of that character. This Is Oh
l. Of the difficult propositions that col
At fronts you whose lands are aifectC
n by these leases and deeds. The Sewe
ID heirs are too shrewd and too astute
.e bring their suits in this county, bl
s resting their cases on the ground
at diverse citizenship, and that Il
lr amount in controversy exceeds $500
,r by a Federal Statute they are pc
Sc mitted to bring their suits in the Uni
Sc ed States Courts, which of cour
re they will do.
rs But It will be insisted for the Sc,
rs ell heirs that they will give the Ian
Mt owners one-eighth of all the oil pu
q chased and marketed and for that re
to son the landowner will fare as W,
y, with them as he now does with I
of company developing his property.
he any is simple enough to be beguil
et by such promises, 1t is sufficient
lie say that no such people as the Sew
he heirs and their allies will ever p
IT. one eighth of the oil when their leas
ne only provide that they shall pay OF
Is twentieth; and any man who wol
allow himself to be fooled by su
NO sophistry deserves to lose what
nj has.
Z; The thing you men want to do
me to get behind those who have done
en- much toward developing the rescu
W; es of this county. Give them "
by moral support, and by every leg
n mate means in your power do W
The you can to help them win this $
IDS because IL they win, you win, and
ON we win the suit now pending the
ION ell heirs, like the Arab will (
he their tent and silently steal aw
in back to Cincinnati to return ney
ud more
,us The fight this company is nal,
red is not alone its fight, but 1t is the p
av- pies fight, and appeal to you Il
try that IL any of you are in possession
md any facts material to us in this c
ubt test that you make them known to
nds so that we may have the benefit
IDS, them now. Don't wait until the ba
lng is lost and then tell us you knew
tain things that would have been
al