The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1954-04-30
$1,000 Acre Lease Sale Now Set for MAY 18th

The jumbled oil situation in
western Glacier county was par
TALLY untangled the latter part
of last week when the Bureau of
Indian Affairs issued a Notice
of Sale of Oil and Gas Mining
Leases on Allotted Indian Land
through the Blackfcct Indian
Agency at Browning.
The time and date of sale is
set out in the notice as two
o'clock pm. on May 26. 1854, in
the office of the Superintendent
of the Blackfeet Indian Agency
in Browning. and the total acre.
age to be offered for leasing is
II ,203 90 acres.
The land covered is all allott,
ed land, the Tribal land having
been withdrawn by the Blackfcct
Tribal Council. This is a portion
of the land recently requested
by the Union OIL Company to be
put up for competitive bidding
and is located exclusively along
what is commonly called the
mountain front" in the Brown,
ing area.
The original application of the
Union Oil Company was for
around 10000 acres of land. in.
Guiding both Tribal and allotted
land. and extended from a poin,
20 miles or so north of Brow n.
ing to the southern border of the
reservation. After having orig
inally approved the application.
the Tribal Council later asked
the Indian Bureau not to order
the sale until further clarified,
ton could be worked out. APP.
parently the Tribal land has been
excluded. and the sale will in,
clude only allotted tracts.
The original application was dc.
scribed as covering six or seven
separate blocks. or structure The
land now being advertised appar,
emily Is divided into smaller
number of blocks" and is locat-
ed exclusively in Townships %.
30. 81 and 80 in Ranges 10. II
and - West. Browning is locat.
ed in the northern portion of
Township 30, Range - West. so
most of the land to be offered
for leasing Is mostly to the south
east and west o. Browning.
After the filing of the applica
ton of the Union Oil Ccmpan!
last month. the Continental Oil
Company filed an application &c
have another large tract of land
in the same general area put W
for leasing. The two applications
ovcrlappcd in places. and cover
ed the same general area. but
included different tracts.
The Continental application
was still pending before the Tri
hal Council the first Of this week
but II Is understood the applica
ton in all probability will be- ap
proved. and passed on TO tho
Secretary Of the Interior for fin
al action.
In the meantime scisniograph
ing operations are being stepped
up as spring weather permits
more active field work. and cv'
cry indication points to an &c
tive year of drilling operations
once the lease problem Is salts
factorily worked out.
Little or nothing Is being heard
of the so.callcd Cullen proposal
The Cullen representative. who
was active here for several weeks
attempting To sell" the general
idea Of himself and associates
left last week for Washington
and no definite word has beer
reported from him since.
II Is understood that the tribal
planning board was instructed b!
the Council T." insist on a definite
proposal from the Cullen people
by the frs, Of May. or no further
consideration would be- given The
proposal. The first Of May Is al
hand. but no definite word In.
been announced from the Caller
representatives.
The notice. being sent out b,
the Agency consists Of IL type
written pages. giving the rcgula
tiOns and requirements bidder
will have to meet. and giving III.
legal description Of the lands L
be offered ter leasing. Copir.
may be obtained from the Agcn
cy Superintendent In Browning
Mr.. Guy Robertson. The con,
I plctc lcga! description Of til,
lands to BE- offered for lcasin,
Is on file IN The Glacier RcpOrtrj
! office. AMI anyone Interested ma!
+ inspect the same II they so dc
sire.