The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1955-12-02
All Time High Price Of 1926. l6 Per Acre
Bonus Paid For 2 Tracts Indiun Woman
Gets SCI 900 For 240 Acre Truct--su|e
Average Of $3.50 Per Acre.

ior oil companies for leases in
the four townships in the ex-
treme northwestern corner Of
the BIaekfeef Indian reserva-
tion at the lease sale held in
the High School Gymnasium
in Browning on "Wednesday
afternoon Of this week.
The sale exceeded by q wide
margin any prices previously
psid for leases on the reserva.
tion, including maximum prices
per acre for individual tracts.
and average per acre prices for
the entire number Of leases sold.
One allotted tract. belonging TO
Mamie Burns, Of Babb. consist.
ina Of $50 acres, brought bonus
bid Of s9l 1000, while the highest
price paid for any tract was
made by Gulf Oil Company. and
euIf.stanoIind as a combination
bid Of S326.l6 per acre.
The total amount Of money
paid by the different bidders at
the sale came to $2.26l.s3. all Of
which. with the exception Of the
one allotted tract amounting TO
$1,000. was for tribal land, thus
snriehins the BIaekfeet Tribal
funds by $2.170.174.73.
There were ~ tribal tracts
put up for sale. and 81 Of these
tracts were sold. The prices
ranged from . low bid Of $3.50
per acre, TO maximum Of
S326.l6 per acre, with the aver.
age per acre price for the entire
acreage sold being $500. There
we're only two allotted tracts put
up for sale, one with $50 acres.
and the other 40 acres. There
was no bid for the 20 acre tract.
The allotted tract was listed as
Unit No. IS, Allotment No. 1853.
described as SEN. EhSWM.
sWhsWM. Sec. IA. Twp. 36N.
R. l4W.. and is only two miles
from the Canadian border.
Most Of the high bidding was
for acreage In the extreme north
Of the four.township area in.
Guided in the sale. The follow.
Ing major companies and brok.
ers submitted bids: The caIifor.
mia Company. She'll. Texas Com.
psnY. Superior Oil Company.
sfanolind.GvIf. Gulf Oil Co..
Bsrniee and vinson L. Cox.
The complete abstract Of the
sale had not been completed al
press time. and all details are
not available. Next week a more
detailed account Of the bidding
will be published.
Most Important Sale
The sale was by far the most
important and involved the
greatest outlay of money on the
part of the bidders, that has
ever been held in Montana.
The land in the four townships
was put up for auction at the
request of the California Oil
Company, but while the exact
figures are not obtainable this
week, it is understood that the
california was outbid on a con
siderable portion of the choicest
acreage, but they probably got
me largest acreage spread over
Inc entire four-township area.
Union Oil Company of Cali
iiornia, which company holds a
large acreage further south
along the mountain front, and
drilled the famous Morning Gun
well, southwest of Browning
which has been abandoned as a
non'producing discovery, did not
enter into the bidding at the
wednesday sale. The Union is
now drilling a second well or
Ineir high priced acreage near
edrt Butte, and 1t is under
Stood they will continue their
drilling operations on other 10
eauons next spring.
The results of the sale indi
cate that there will be an extern
siVe drilling campaign opened ir
me area in the near future
me developments Wednesday
Indicate that the mountain from
area on the reservation will
possibly become the greatest oil
sno gas producing field in the
enare northwest.
Lucky Indian Woman
Mamie Burns, the lucky holder
" Ine allotted land that brought
vi 900 bonus, is an old-time
esident of Babb, where she
uoids some other property which
as provided her some income
u The way of rentals in the past
sae Is about IS years of age
eud blind, and has one son.