The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-02
WEALTH FROM LEASES
Bonuses so Far Pass the
51.Million Mark and
to Go Higher
TO LAST FOR NINE YEARS
Government Insists That All
Leases BE Sold Before the
End Of 1881


PONCA CITY, July THE dlstri.
button Of approximately $1,000. 600
within any given district in tho world
would bee considered of the utmost
Importance and naturally Il becomes
n big boon 10 any community, and
particularly TO the towns and cities
fortunately located therein, and
when such a distribute. occurs scv-
eral times annually over n period Of
numerous years, somo idea may be
obtained OF what rho payments 10
the Usage Indians mean TO this por-
tion Of northern oklahoma The
cities Of ponca city Pawhuska,
Fairfax and ltOmlny are the chief
bonoficlaries OF these paymonts. al
though tho various other towns In
Usage county and some Of those
along the borders receive consider
able benefits also.
Tho money. paid 10 tho OsageE.
comes almost entirely from oil. This
fund is created principally from
bonus money paid by oil mon for
leases on Osage Indian land ana
also from tho royalty paid by these
same oil men 70 the Indians. one
Hixth OF the oil. brought from moth
er earth belongs TO tho Osagos and
this creates another big sum. At
the present time this onc-siXth is
amounting to over $4,000 daily.
Bonuses paid by oil men Tor leases
Tn tho Usage, have amounted TO s5l,-
100000 thus far ana on Wednesday
OF this week this total was swollen
approximately six million more M
the result of another Ealo of leases.
when It IA considered that only
third OF the leases has been sold TO
oil men thus far, this would mean
on tho same basis that over $780,
100000 Will bo paid the OsaEcs In
bonuses alone. And under govern
mental ruling all these must be sold
within the next nine years. The
present policy Is to hold about four
such sales annually. and the payment
OF money to the Indians ls also made
quarterly.
Wright Handles the Coin.
The amount OF money handled at
the Usage Indian agency In Paw
huska annually In an immense sum-
totallng something over 500, 200 600
for 1921. All this coin is handled
through ]. George Wright, the Usage
agency superintendent, and he at
tains the distinction therefore Of
handling more funds annually than
any other official In the Indian serv-
Ice. Since no has been in charge Of
the agency n billion and half dol
lars have passed through his hands.
The second quarterly payment to
Ing the past week. II total OF near
seven million dollars being distrib-
uted. There are 2.200 names ON the
Usage citizenship rolls, and each Of
these receives $4,000. The lands OF
the Osages wero allotted To them in
1907 and only those living at that
time were placed on the rolls. Chill
dren. born since that date, do not
participate. In cases. where II was
known children would be born dur
ing the year of the allotment. the
unborn were placed on the rolls.
Ponca Man Heads Iist,
IL has meant something TO be an
Usage with "A big family, born prior
TO 1907, for each ono was allotted
something over 700 acres of land and
all of them are sharing In the big
quarterly payments OF hard cash
An Indian with n wife and five chill
dren has controlled about 5000 acres
OF land and IL receiving, where the
children are not yet OF age. S2l,00C
per payment on the present basis
The distinction OF having the larg.
est family belongs to an Usage clti.
zen, who lives In Ponca City. He is
Clement (Babe) DeNoya, and al
though several OF his children art
now of age and are married, yet n
the time of the allotment and FOR
years thereafter he controlled II
headrighis, including his own. hi
wife and nine children, This family
has received as much as $40 600 al
one indian payment and together
they own 400 acres of Usage land
The peNoya Is ono of tho mos
prominent families among tn,
Osagos, including numerous separ
ate families, practically all Of whom
I've IN Ponca city. families noted fol
the unusual beauty OF the daughters
Like Many Of tho other Usage famu,
les the DeNuyas are of French de,
scent also, due 10 tho intormarriaE,
with the tribe Of the early Freucl
voyaGers and traders.
Postmastcr's Strict Ruling.
the Usage payment checks ara dis
trlhuted principally AZ Hominy, Fair
fax Pawhuska and ponca city. Oc
casionally thcre are checks munc,
TO other towns, where the Osagc
may he living now, ana this is par
tiCularly true as 10 several Pacific
coast cities where several famllie
OF tho younger OsaEos have locate,
in recent years Because of govern
mental regulations in dlsuibutlui
these payments, the greatest car
must be taken in seeing that the,
get 10 the right persons, and in or
Cor % make this absolutely ccrtai
Postmaster Fred Kirby OF Ponc
city has held that an envelope, con
tanning such "A payment check. vii
be considered by him the same a
registered letter. ana that only tn
person 10 whom 1t rightfully belong
may obtain II al the postoffice. II
announces that he will refuse to Civ
q pay envelope even TO a white hus
band or white wife OF an Usage
Kirby says that due 10 slmiarit
OF names. confusion has resulted a
times and I'm some cases Indians haV
failed TO receive their checks.
Another batch" OF money is {
be paid TO the Osages In the uea
future as the result of a recent rul
ing made by the Indian departmeu
al Washington. which instructs tha
all the funds Of deceased Indian
shaA be paid 70 executors and ad