The sun., 1919-02-02
LO! the Rich Indian.

Will soon be numerously represented
in all up TO date directories of mill
ionaires, and some are already we'll
qualified for listing. The 900 en-.
rolled members Of the tribe own
100000 acres of land, about one
tenth of which Is under lease for oil,
and the leasing Is going on under
such urgency by spectators that
friends Of the Osages In Congress are
trying to reduce the yardage Of red
tape involved in making the leases,
which now have to be approved by
the Secretary Of the Interior.
This interesting chapter OF the TO-
nance Of the Southwest oil boom
might not have been written were 1t
not for a dispute between the tribe
and Secretary LANE over the employ
ment Of an attorney to attend to the
Indians business in the tepee of the
White Chiefs reservation. Not being
able to agree with the Secretary upon
an attorney, the new oil millionaires
wanted to engage one Of their own
choice. To this the Indian Affairs
Committee of the House agreed, but
the enabling paragraph went out Of
the appropriation bill on a point Of
order.
Yet even that summary ending Of
the matter did not, fortunately for
lovers of romance, come so abruptly
as to shut off debate disclosing facts
of official record which would satisfy
the dreams of the most ambitious
writer of Oil boom fiction.
1t appears that when, upon excel
lent authority, 1t came to the knowl-
edge Of the committee, the chairman
being an Oklahoma member and him
self descendant of Indians, that the
Osages were In receipt of Incomes
from oil well royalties Of something
Ike ten millions year. 1t was deemed
expedient to send a subcommittee to
visit the tribe and obtain first hand
! information upon which to base fu-
ture legislation relating to that very
important branch of who's who IN
finance.
Said Mr.. HASTINGS, one Of the sub
committee, In the House:
Let me say to the gentleman that
the Committee on Indian Affairs visited
this Usage tribe about a year ago. The
Osaxes are the richest people in the
world. They have about 1900 and odd
enrolled Members. They have 1900. 200
acres of land. and about one-tenth OF II
has been leased for oil purposes Great
lakes OF oil have been developed under
meath their land, AS q result of the oil
produced. there 10 now being paid to
them annually per capita between four
| and Ave thousand dollars a year. 80 that
this tribe Is really the richest tribe OF
Indians in the world. They have certain
differences with the department They
cannot he represented UP here before the
committees of Congress- They cannot
send an attorney hero: they cannot send
their tribal council here"
Mr.. H. sTINos was imploring thu
House to let the Osages have a Laws
yer Of their choice to represent tho n,
in Washington. and to illustrate THEN
dire need Of sound legal advice BIZ
related that the tribe last year had &C
pay penalty OF 100000 on dd IN.
quent taxes on certain Of their iHirls
which an adviser provided by Wash
ington Incorrectly advised them we're
untaxed.
This did, indeed, wake up the House
and members began doing sums to
arrive at the principal of the tax @
mere penalty for nonpaymfint of
which was 100000 Mr.. DnLMAN
another member of the sub commit
tee, seeing that he had been provided
with such an attentive audio nee, took
up the story, saying:
I'VE talked with a great many OF the
full bloods and great maSy of lesser
degree OF Indian blood. and they unani,
mously desired to have an attorney regu.