The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-16
CHEROKEE HILLS
ONCE GAME HOME
Early Settlers Found
That Predecessors Had
Dug for Gold
MANY OIL - SEEPAGES
Streams of Eastern Part of
|. State Produce Big Fish
Crop

| Special 60 The world
TAlILEQUAH July l5.-Thirty
| years ago there was yet much game
! in tho mountainous regions OF In
| dian Territory, and there was con-
/ Siderable reference 20 the "veritable
| hunters paradise" II was also often
/ mentioned that vast wealth would
accrue to those who Opened up" the
| lead, zinc, silver and gold deposits
/ popularity supposed to exist In many
regions OF the territory.
Concerning the country in general
It was stated three decades ago that
years previous to the removal west
/ OF the five civilized nations the vast
| region later to be known as Indian
Territory was "sparsely peopled by
/ MeNicans who left excavations here
| and there" where Il is presumed
/ they sought to unearth precious
metal.
Many Shafts Sunk.
In the Cherokee nation the shafts
sunk varied I'm depth from five to
I thirty-five feet and sometimes as
many as six or eight could be found
within radius Of a square mile.
/ Because OF tho great amount Of
labor performed by the early pros
pectors as indicated in the holes
they dug some have been disposed
to believe that they made some sig
niQcant discoveries. But although
/ many persons have delvcd and la
| bored among the hills and valleys
of what was once the Cherokee ma
| ton they have thus far failed TO
bring Forth anything worth while
IN the way of valuable metal. such
as silver or gold.
1t was the suppositlon that the
ChiCkashaw and Choctaw nations
were filled with gold and silver.
Charters were granted by the Chick
aShaw government more than thirty
years ago TO no less than five al
legged mining companies and a vast
number Of shares were sold There
was nothing worth whRe done in the
matter Of mining and prospecting
and the supposed silver and gold
were never revealed. Nearly 40 years
ago gold and silver mining COM
pany was ot"gni2cd in the Choctaw
nation, Shafts were sunk and the
usual shares sold to all who would
buy. Assays made of tho specimens
secured were said to show S27 in
silver and IS In gold TO the ton
About that time, however, the vein
or lead" was lost, and the superin-
tondont died, both OF which had a
deterrent effect and the prospecting
came to close.
Oil Sccpagcs long Known.
Concerning oil Il was announced
30 years ago that petroleum crops
up here and there" in the Choctaw
nation, but Is more plentiful in the
ChickaShaw country and was also
TO be found in the Cherokee nation,
while lead appeared TO be abundant
in several Of the districts of tho lat
ter nation. II so. appearances were
deceptive, as no paying lead mine
has ever been opened up or de-
yclOped.
Concerning the hunters paradise
much Of IL lay in the Choctaw ma
tion, ITO be regarded as being second
only 70 the Rocky mOuntains' as the
haunt of game OF various kinds.
Bear. panther. cougar and deer were
10 he found in an extensive region
wherein there we're few II any set
tiers. Eight bear were killed by one
man In the fall season Of 1891, I'm
the Jack Fork mountain. Fish were
so abundant that II was mo trick"
TO catch dozens within the course OF
an hour or so. Eleven bass weigh
ing from one 70 three and one half
pounds were caught in an hour by a
man who wanted fish for dinner.
Tho annual fish fry or barbecue
was an interesting event in each Of
the Indian nations whore there were
streams of any sizo. Buckeye roots.
pounded and bruised were used with
which 20 intoylcate the fish. being
placed I'm small pens in shallow
water whicN emptied into the deep
water below Although many FISH
would flp1f ho1D1peelv an tho surfape
Of the water they would soon re-
cover IL placed I'm fresh water. In
this way only the largest and best
specimens were secured. the smaller
fish being allowed 20 float down into
the unvitiated portion OF the stream
and revive