The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-09-26

are themselves mine owners and opera
tors, and are reaching out the helpful
hand TO others worthy Of aid
1t is notable that probably 70 percent
OF the Miami districts workers are
married men, most OF them being
fathers OF children They are depend
able, capable of earning large wages,
generous in assuring the comfort OF
their homes and families, consequently
first-claS customers Of cnterprising
merchants, with which the camps
abound
Indians Get Share.
The Indian is participating also In
the high stakes OF this new Oklahoma
flame which kindles a flame of hope in
the breast OF every man who plays il.
Eight Indian tribes are residents and
land owners in this mineral domain
the Wyandot,es, Peorias, Ouawas, Sen
ccas, Miams, Quapaws, Modocs and
Cherokecs and vast tracts OF acreage
are restricted By the Uuited States gov
crnment under a complicated system
Several OF these tribes are still ad-
judged incompetcnts, but certain re-
stric,ions have been removed from the
lands of the Miamis, Peorias, Wyan-
dottcs, OtlawAs and Scnccas, Leases
with mineral rights are difficult to Sc
cure at times from these trlbesmen but
great group of Indians who have
permitted development upon their prop
critics are rcveling in the accruement
Of untold wealth.
ROYALTIES, received without the
slightest effort on the part OF the re
cipicnt. pile up with fine regularity.
The wealthiest Indian in the entl,e dis
rict was paid by one company alone IN
August the stupendous sum OF $l7Sl
IN royalties. And he didn't turn hand
IN development OF his property during
that whole period.
Lands Increase in Value.
Lands that were assessed last year
At $50 an acre now are being assessed
1t $1,000 per acre and no complaint
has been filed Values are soaring rap
idly throughout the mineral belt and
men appear to be always at han
ready and eager to pay the price. The
| fier yardor and tense eagcrnc" OF
orospcctors may be indicated by the
statement that on one sixty-acre tract
,ighty-five test holes have been drilled
1t an average cost OF $3.50 each and
three mills are being erected upon that
single lease Development is so swift
and the prospecting rome so broad that
i is difficult to recognize a location
inspected a month before, for wherever
mill or two arise there do villages
grow phantom-like also.
| The suddcnness and extent OF flights
in land values would bewilder the con-
ervatvc manager OF Staid mercan-
lie enterprise Men arrive at quick de
cisions in the Miami distri1 and often
lines pay extravagant sums for insig
1ifcant tracts in the layman's estimate
One forty-acre piece Of ground has
hccn sold for cool million dollars and
staggering amounts have been given
for others no larger. Should the ties,
drills cuttings make revelation OF 4
GOOD ore face, methods much the same
! rs aOOptcO ny NCOulN nt tllt ldlnpuN NN
ahoma oil industry are applied. Eithe'
he lease making the excellent showing
s bought outrigh, or as much land A.
nbtainablc contiguous TO II is gbbblcd
up in haste by prospective operators OF
'pecula,ors and its price is secondary
consideration,
Lessee Has Control
II is true that in many oi the popu
lated parts OF this section establish
mcnt of permanent homes or business
houses is ptecarious because OF ,h'
mowers conferred upon lcssecS Of min
cral lands In most instances. Shoul,
the lessee wish to operate upon th'
site OF a home or mercantile house al
he need do is give thirty DAYS notiiiea
ton whcrcupon the occupant or ,enau
must vacate. The lessee is endowed b,
the terms Of his lease with power /,
remove whatever is in his way upol
the land he has leased so that he ma,
: prospect for ore and work his propert,
after his own manner
However IN A great many case
which cover a vast acreage. owners VIII
: have no governmental restriction, upo