Table of Contents

When the print is so faded that it cannot be read <.....> will be used . All transcription will be as found in the paper, misspellings and all

Unlike most newspaper the Tulsa Democrat does not contain preprinted national pages. The eight pages of the paper contains not only Tulsa news, but news gathered from all around Indian Territory.

Page 4, column 5

BUSINESS MEN TO HELP US.
The Kansas City Commercial Club Interested.
RESOLUTIONS ERE INTRODUCED.
Allotment is Favored and Congress is
Asked to Make a Speedy Settlement.
      Wagoner Record:- D. W. Rider offered a resolution at a recent meeting of the Commercial club of Kansas City, favoring the speedy allotment of lands among the Cherokees in Indian Territory. The resolution which is addressed to congress, says that the completion of the allotment proposed by the Curtis act is of great importance to the entire western country and the United States, as it would make an enormous increase in the productive power of this fertile section. It calls attention to the fact that two years have elapsed and not an allotment has been made and that by the present system ten years will be required to accomplish what should be done in two years.
      Gardiner Lathrop also introduced a resolution bearing on Indian Territory affairs. It state that it was impossible for the white in the Territory to tax real estate except in a few incorporated towns, or personal property for the maintenance of the public schools, and as there are tens of thousands of white children that are thus deprived of an education of any sort the Commercial club was asked to petition congress to establish a system of free public schools in Indian Territory until conditions shall have changed so that taxes may be collected to maintain a regular system of schools in the states.
     Both resolutions were referred to the committee on stat<tear> national legislation.

Page 5, columns 1-5

Page 5, column 1-2

FOR CONVENTION OF BUSINESS MEN.
Judge Yancey Lewis, of Muskogee, Favors a Big Meeting.
LETTERS SENT TO MANY MEN.
Upon Their Replies Will Depend the Calling of a Great Convention.
     Muskogee Times: - Last week the Times stated that Judge Yancey Lewis had written a circular letter to many of the representative business men of the Territory suggesting the advisability of calling a Territorial convention for the purpose of discussing the people of this Territory.
     An impromptu meeting was held at Wagoner last Saturday night, anent this question, the proceeds of which were published in the Times Monday. As the matter is of vital importance the Times today publishes Judge Lewis' letter. The following is a copy of the letter sent out: [letter follows]

Page 5, column 3-4

THE COMMISSIONER'S BILL INTRODUCED.
E. G. Tollett, Formerly of Tulsa, the Author
WILL AFFORD THE COURTS RELIEF.
Also Fixes Salaries of the Commissioners at $1500
Plus $100 of Fees.
      Vinita Leader:- It will be remembered that some months ago a bill was printed at length in this paper, which was prepared by United States Commissioner E. G. Tollett, of Wagoner, I. T., the object of which was to relieve the United States district courts in Indian Territory by increasing the jurisdiction of United States commissioners. Mr. Tollett's experience and observation prove to him that a large majority of the commissioners in the Territory are idle a great portion of their time, owing to their limited jurisdiction in both civil and criminal cases, while the district courts' dockets were over crowded, so civil business was frequently many years in being disposed of.
      The bill, as prepared by Tollett, met the approval of a large number of the leading members of the bar of the Territory, and at a meeting of the commissioners of Indian Territory, held at South McAlester on the 5th, the bill was indorsed by them, with the result that it has been introduced in congress by Representative John W. Gaines, of Tennessee, with the following amendments:
      ... The provision for an increase of salary from $1,500 to $2,000 per annum was changed so as to leave the commissioners' salaries as they are now, with the addition that they be allowed to retain fees up to $1,000. ...

Page 5, column 4

A New Bill.
     Pawnee County Courier: Chief Justice Burford, it is said, is preparing a bill for introduction at the present session of congress, which , if it becomes a law, will compel all cases arising in the Osage Nation to be tried at Pawhuska. At present only Indians are tried there and all cases in which whites are connected come to Pawnee for trial. Buford's bill provides that all juries for the Pawhuska court shall be composed of residents of the Nation, instead of being selected from Pawnee county as at present. Another provision of the measure calls for the appointment of two commissioners, with the powers of justice of the peace, to sit at Pawhuska and Gray Horse. Commissions are now appointed as part of the judicial system in Indian Territory.

Creek Payment.
     Muskogee Times: - School ma'ms and school masters can have their money if they send or come for it, as the payment was begun this morning.
     Hon. H. Clay Fisher, auditor of the Creek Nation, came up from Checotah this morning and was busy all day auditing and signing warrants contemplated in this payment.
     Gov. Porter put in part of yesterday and today affixing his signature. Indian Agent Shoenfelt also took his pen in hand and wrote his name on the warrants which are further embellished by the lithograph of the great Spieche.
     About $60,000 will be paid out, a considerable part of this will go to holders of warrants outside of the school warrants.

Page 5, column 5

Page 6, columns 1-5

Page 6, column 1

 To Authorize Water Works.
     A Washington special to the Globe-Democrat dated the 1st says: Senator Jones, of Arkansas, today presented to the senate a memorial of the incorporated town of Muskogee, I.T., praying the passage of an act by congress authorizing the construction of water works and the issuance of bonds therefor. The memorial recites that the losses occasioned by fires in Muskogee in the last decade have reached nearly $1,000,000 and the losses in other Indian Territory towns have been proportionately large. In order to stop the devastation of the towns by fires water works are necessary, and to build water works would require an issuance of bonds. There has been some questions as to the authority of the towns in Indian Territory to issue bonds for public improvements. The memorialists ask that such authority be expressly given by congress to all town councils of incorporated towns in Indian Territory. A bill granting the authority asked was introduced in the senate by Senator Jones and a similar bill was introduced in the house by Delegate Flynn.

 Somewhat Fishy.
     Exchange: - It is said that a minister of the Northern district wisely declined an addition to his salary on the ground that the hardest part of his work during the past year has been the collection of the same and it would kill him to undertake to collect $100 more.

Page 6, column 4

 CAPITAL WANTS TO COME
      When the Yoke is Removed
      Capital Will Flow Into the Territory
      Wagoner Record: - That the question of business will be settled in the Territory as soon as congress will allow us to do something for ourselves, is manifest by the eagerness of capital to come into the Territory.
      The Record is in receipt of a letter from A. H. Wait, secretary of the Sturgis, (Mich.) Electric Light Plant, inquiring if his company could secure a franchise to put in an electric light plant at Wagoner. If an equitable franchise could be obtained Mr. Wait is ready to build the plant.
      Mayor Hall informs the Record that he has received a number of letters from capitalists who desire to put in light and water plants at Wagoner.
      A Joplin, Mo., company offers to build a light plant and furnish their lights at a very reasonable rate.
      As soon as the proper legislation is granted out people, these improvements will at once come and then again many of our people feel that Wagoner should own her own public utilities, and it might be that these properties would be owned and controlled by the city, at any rate as soon as congress takes the yoke off we will have all these modern conveniences.

Page 6, column 5

Texas Cattle Coming:
<      A dispatch from Checotah, I. T., dated, January 30th, says "Since the ruling of the secretary of the Interior in favor of the lease holders of the Indian Territory, arrangements have been made to bring in thousands of cattle from Texas. Pasture lands have been secured around Checotah and the railroads will soon bring in cattle <hole> by the train load."

Page 7, column 1 - 2

TULSA DEMOCRAT, R. L. Lunsford, Editor
Published Every Friday
Rates, One Dollar a Year, in Advance
Entered at the Post Office at Tulsa Ind., as 2nd class matter

The Osage Journal, a little sheet that always reaches us looking like it was printed with tacks and inked with apple butter smeared on with a paddle, accuses The Democrat of using some its matter without due credit. If the Journal ill look again it will find the pieces referred to to be credit to the Kansas City Star and Sedan Lance, from which papers we clipped them, and from which papers the Journal had also clipped them and tried to palm them off as "original Washington dispatches." Why, the telegraph tolls on one of them would be more than the Journal takes in in a month, and if that paper, which is published at Pawhuska, should receive a telegram in any event it would have to come by the grapevine route, and would probably be in all the other papers the week previous to its reception at Pawhuska. We are sorry this occurred, for there might be such a thing as the Journal butting us off its exchange list and thus ruining us forever, as we could not possibly publish without it.

Page 7, column 2-3

The Fairview Bee has been removed from Fairland on account of lack of support. No sooner was the Bee discontinued than Mr. J. Hale Swinder started a new paper to go buzzing around and occasionally stinging somebody who gets too close to the business portion of its anatomy, in place of the Bee. Swindler ought to be able to make his way at Fairland either by hook or crook, and it is thought the new paper will survive.

Page 7, column 3

The Democrat has received final notice that the Creek tax must be paid. A ruling from the Postoffice Department, which authorizes us to do business here, has been asked for and refused. The Treasury Department has authorized National Banks, and the Interior Department has held that from them the tax can not be collected; the Postoffice Department has authorized the newspapers, but the Interior Department enforces collection. Could the newspapers unite in an effort to get a ruling?

Page 7, column 4

 Page 8, column 1-5

 Page 8, column 1

An Evening With the Poets.
      Following is the program of the Epworth Literary society of the M. E. church for February 13, 1900:
      Recitation from Longfellow, "The Day is Done," Frank Ryan.
      Reading from Bryant, T. J. Smith
      Recitation from Whitter, Miss Kate Hopkins.
      Recitation from Carlton, Miss Mary Watson.
      Reading from Byron, A. E. Ryan
      Recitation from Holmes, Miss May Hughes.
      Reading from Riley, Jacob Moran.
      Recitation from Mrs. Heamens, Miss Mary Moran.
      Reading from Burns, Arthur Bynum.
      Recitation from Gray, Miss Mamie Pender.
      Reading from Scott, W. H. Mosher.
      Recitation from Moore, Richard Goumez.
      Reading from Pope, John Moody.
      Recitation from May, Frank Seaman.
      Reading from Bret Harte, Mrs. W. e. Ryan.

 A. C. Archer for undertaking supplies.

M. E. Church - On Feb 17 and 18 Rev. J. T. Riley, D.D., presiding elder of the district, will preach at Tulsa Saturday evening and hold quarterly conference and on Sunday will preach at 11 o'clock and administer the holy sacrament of the Lord's Supper at the close of the service.

M. E. Church - Subjects for Sunday, Feb 11, 1900: Morning, Our Daily Bread, or Life's Routine; evening The Militant Church. - A. E. Ryan

Notice for Mass Meeting.
      Whereas, a convention having been called to meet at South McAlester, Indian Territory, on Washington's birthday, February 22, 1900, for the purpose of organizing the people of Indian Territory, and there agree upon the proper remedies for the evils and ills which prevail, and perfect arrangements for a concerted and systematic effort from the present distressing conditions.
      Therefore, a mass meeting of the people of Tulsa will be held in the Forsythe hall on Thursday night, February 15th, for the purpose of selecting delegates to represent the people of Tulsa at the above mentioned convention. J M Hall, Ben Colley, H J Collins. Committee.