Russell Crump's Archive

Selections From The Splinters

Perry, O.T. July 18th, 1899.

Mr. E. D. Kenna, General Solicitor

Dear Sir:

I wired you on Sunday in cipher, asking you to name personnel for a new corporation and lines to be included, for the commencing of work west of Guthrie.

Messrs Coyle & Gues have been at work on the right of way east of the county line, and have secured some sixteen or eighteen deeds and contracts and learned what is necessary to be raised in order to secure the right of way from Guthrie east as far as the Logan County.

We had a meeting at Guthrie last night and raised several thousand dollars towards the amount necessary, and I believe that the total amount will be raised by tonight, at Guthrie for Logan County.

I wired you today as follows:

"Surveyors can go to work on Guthrie line at once. Guthrie will raise its part, and our friends go to Still- water and Pawnee this week end satisfactory contracts can be made before grading commences. I write you today."

It is now all right to put the engineers to work on the line from Guthrie, and as I stated in my telegram, Messrs Coyle & Guss will go to Stillwater and Pawnee this week and arrange for the guarantee of the right of way through those counties and a sufficient sum from those counties and Logan County to seccure the right of way through the Indian Reservations to reach connection with our main line through Oklahoma near Bliss.

As soon as you have decided on the personnel of the corporation to be formed, and, as soon as the company is or- ganized, I will take up the matter of getting the necessary guarantee to secure the right of way, and feel safe in saying that the company can now depend upon it.

However, as this company will be organized as a new company, in order to build through the Ponca and Ctoo Indian Reservations, and to acquire the right to condemn allotted Indian lands, will have to proceed, in so far as the line runs through the Ponca, Otoo and Missouri Reservations and through Pawnee Country and a part of Payne, it will be necessary for us to conform to the provisions of the act of Congress of March 2nd, 1899, being Public No. 150, and by section three of that act, it is provided:

[end p. 9]

"That the line of route of such road may be surveyed and located through and across any of said lands at any time upon permission therefor being obtained from the Secretary of the Interior, but , befor the grant of such right of way shall be effective, a map of the survey of the line or route of said railroad must be filed with and approved by the Secretary of the In- terior. The company must make payments to the Secre- tary of the Interior for the benifit of the tribe or nation, of full compensation for such right of way including all damages to improvements and adja- cent lands, which compensation shall be determined and paid under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior in such manner as he may prescribe."

You will, therfore, observe that it will be neces- sary, before this line can be constructed, to obtain the con- snt of the Secretary of the Interior to its construction, and maps filed and proceedings will have to be had under the provisions of the regulations of the Department of the Interi- or, under the act of March 2nd, 1899, promulgated April 18th, 1899, a copy of which you have in your office.

I will be at Blackwell for the rest of the week. It is possible that I may get home for Saturday, but I am en- gaged in condemming the line from Blackwell to Tonkawa, and will have to give this matter my undivided attention until the right of way is in such condition that the contractors can work on the entire line.

Very truly yours,

Signed H. E. Asp

[end p. 10]

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