Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-02-23

unsold school land for oil and gas
mining purposes,
The State OF Oklahoma has mil
Hon acres of land unsold and unleas-
ed for oil and gas II Is the desire Of
/ this board 10 10 permitted to lease
that land Tor oil and gas as rapidly
as they can find operators to develop
+ H. II Is to be hoped that the legisla-
turc will, In its wisdom, pass such
laws as will best encourage tho oil
and gas men to test the state land for
oil and gas purposes
Tho following is the statement OF
Mr.. Marland concerning some Of the
evidence that SO far has been made
public:
GotcbO Facts.
The School Land at Gotcbo was ad-
vertised TO be leased as whole, or
in any part This can be shown by
the advertisement.
Testimony Of the GOtebo witnesses
/ to the effect that had the land been
advertised to be leased IN small tracts
/ that many citizens Of Gotebo. and tho
vicinity, would have bid on small
tracts and developed the same, can
be refutcd by the advertisement
II can be shown that the witnesses
themselves knew that the land could
have been leased in small tracts, and
that they did not care to avail them
selves Of the opportunity.
Tho testimony OF these witnesses
that had the land been leased in
small tracts, that the development
would have been more rapid. Is un-
true, and 1t can be shown by them
themselves that Marand has been at
all times ready and willing to sub
lease small tracts, without cost, to any
one who would develop the same.
The testimony that / have drilled
only two wells can Ne refuted by the
same witnesses. and it can be shown
by them that / and my sub-lessees
have drilled seven wells, up to date,
on Gotebo school land, and that the
only reason We have not drilled more
Is that the school land le,secs, back
( ed by these Witnesses themselves,
have prevented us from doing so.
The testimony OF these witnesses
that ! desired to lease the Gotebo
lands to hold until the West t-Rosser
well was completed and my land
tested. can be refuted by themselves,
The fact can be shown that the lease
was made before the well was COM
menced, and the location OF the well
was not known AZ the time tho lease
was made.
Regarding the testimony that the
West Rosser Company paid fifty
cents an acre in advance on their
leases in the vicinity Of school land
at Gotebo ii can he shown that these
leases had run for a long time with
out any rental prior to the date of the
payment. and that the payment was
made only on few leases, and made
after they had located their Well
It can be shown by Mr.. Rosser
that they never paid ont any sum
such as fou rthousand dollars or any
thing near that amount.
1t can be shown by Gotebo witness
es that my leases have not retarded
the development of the field there,
but that l and my sub-lessees have
done more to prove the extent, or the
lack of extent. of the field in the past
six months than was ever done be-
fore: our drilling not being confined
to a small area. but having beet
done over considerable extent OF
territory.
1t can be shown nat the majority
of the people Of Gotebo are not unfa-
vorable to my lease, but that the wit
nesses, who are attorneys for the ag-
ricultural lessees. agricultural lessees
themselves, or rival bidders, repre-
sent the general sentiment.
at can be shown by the Gotebo
witnesses who have testified against
me. that there was no secret meeting
at the Hotel Skirvin, but that all the
people named by them assembled In
room at the Hotel Skirvin for social
reasons only. and did not discuss my
lease or the investigation.
1t can be proved by Rosser and
West that the well drilled by them
was intended to be drilled only six
teen hundred feet, and that the well
, was stopped for the reason, as Mr.
West and Mr.. Rosser claim that II
could not be drilled any deeper. II Is
not true, as stated by the witnesses,
that they stopped this we'll because OF
the fact that the land adjacent to II
|, was school land leased to me, but 1t
, can be shown by them that it was
/, stopped because IT was impossible, or
, considered Improbable, to drill 1t any
: deeper.
, II can be shown by the Gotebo wit
, nesses that an opportunity was given
{ to people of that locality to BID tof
leases in small tracts. and that the
, testimony to the contrary was iaise
. The testimony of Mr.. Hyde, Mr.
4 Wisnell and Mr. Clark to the efec'
= that no attempt was made by the oil
. and gas lessee to settle damages win
r the agricultural lessee. can be fully
T. and completely refuted. The oil and
$ gas lessee has, in every case. made an
= attempt to settle with the agricultural
> lessee for the damage done to his
I crops. improvements and surface In
y terest An examination OF the law
and of the lease will satisfy the COM
o p,ittoe that the agricultural lessee is
amply protected in his rights and
c,r enforce the payment to him, by