Evening star., 1915-04-11

worked along at great risks during the
past seventeen years on the land in
question stated that they had not found
the business nearly as profitable as
had the red men who owned the land
and received royalty on all the oil
produced.
The essentiality of oil to civiliza-
tion has lately been impressed 50
forcefuliy upon. the world that 1t Is
said the government seriously consid-
ers the necessity for its ownership OF
oil lands to supply it's needs In the
event of war.
The modern industry represented by
the huge oil derricks and pipe lines OF
Oklahoma has brought at least one
nation of Indians into its own as Tar
as the individuals of it's tribe are con
cerned in being the original landlords
of that part of this continent III Which
they have made their home the req
man pictured in his feathered head
dress on the American penny is sug-
gestive of the former wealth of the
nation being held by the Indian To-
day, when the white mans dollar has
developed part of the country upon
which the Indians still live, the Osages
have received such large oil and gas
royalties that they have been declared
the richest nation in the world Had
the white man never come to this con-
tinent these Indians undoubtedly would
have been content in their original wild
state, taking pleasure in their hunts
and ceremonials. but since 1t is a fact
that civilization has killed off their
buffalo and SO taken their livelihood
from them, the Usage nation may con-
slider that the star of fortune rose
about 1870
At that time the encroa chment of
settlers who were making their homes
in Kansas was so evident to the In
n tzr nd IN he mt "a lat n
Congress purchased the land upon
which the Osages had been living and
ceded them the territory they now
occupy. BY this deal the Indians un-
knowingly received lands worth mil
Hons of dollars on account of the oil
lying below Its surface. Today these
resources are so extensive that the
government In the capacity of guar
dian for the red man finds itself thrown
In direct business relations with some
Of the greatest financial powers OF the
nation II gains through this particu-
lar management Of affairs a cleaSer
knowledge of the business of produc-
ing and marketing oil. the most poten-
tial wealth making power of the pres
ent day. The hearing of oil men met
in conference with Secretary Lane was
notable for the almost unacceuntabIe
riches represented there
= -
At that time such large financial fac
tors as the Mellon interests of Pitts
burgh, Pa. reputed to be worth a hun
dred and fifty million dollars; the Prai-
RE Oil and Gas Company. the largest
OF the Standard Oil subsidiaries worth
probably two hundred million: the Tex
as Company, estimated at one hundred
and nifty million. the rich Wolverine
OIL Company, the Rothschilds' interest,
the zinc and smelling concerns of the
Guggenheims. the Foster lease and
the sublessees, as well as many other
companies. were represented. Dozens
OF millionaire and multimilIionaire oil
operators. among them Sam Untermyer,
M ". 3; Franchot. T. NJ Barnsdall.
said TO be the largest individual oil
producer in the world; H. F. Sinclair,
w. c. Mcbride. Julian Beatty, Francis
c. Downey. Charles Owen, Tim Spell
lacy. NJ. H. Npsher. together with
others. were also present, making in all
q representation Of every large pro-
ducing interest In the oil world
Naturally the question might be ask
ed why such agitation in connection
in just one word-a lease"
Nineteen years ago, when James Big
heart was the principal chief Of the
Usage nation, about $4,000 acres Of
land. or about 1000 square miles-a
tract more than fourteen times as large
as the District of Columbia-was
leased directly from the tribe. through
ward b. Foster Of New York city. The
development Of a large part Of the
territory was made by the sublessee,
known as the Illuminating Company,
engaged in producing OIL When the
original blanket Foster lease and the
sublsases expired at the end Of ten
1sess they were renewed Tor snotheE