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Show points being involved. July 26 the Department referred to this office the opinion of the Assistant Attorney-Geneixl dated July 19,1901, in which it war held that-any claim of these protesting companies of an exclusive right to use snd operate tele-phone lines within the Cherokee and Creek Isnds, respectively, an not be sustained. * * * Whether right8 properly and regularly acquired under any tribal law will be injuriously affected by the granting of any specific petition for a right of way under the act of 1901 is a matter that may properly be taken into conaideration in determining whether auch petition should be granted. It is stated in Department letter of July 26 that considei%tiou has been given this feature of the case, and that nothing is found in the contention of the Muskogee National Telephone Company which would warrant the Department in refusing the application of the Arkansas Valley Telephone Company; that the act of March 3, 1901, relative to the granting of rights of way for telephone and telegraph lines contains no inhibition as to paralleling lines already constructed or in course of construction; that a monopoly can not he claimed by anyone; thut the object of the act of March 3, 1901, was to give parties oper-ating telephone lines in the Indian Territory, or desiring to do so, a right over the lands of the different nations, and that if the usefulness of the protesting companies can not survive competition it is not the fault of the law. The protest of the Muskogee National Telephone Company was aocordingly dismissed and the application of the Arkansas Valley Tele-phone Company approved as of date July 26,1901. S. J. Bear.-Informal application for permission to construct a tele-phone line from Chickasha, Chickasuw Nation, lud. T., extending west-erly through the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache Reservation, was referred to this office by the Department April 8, 1901. A copy of tbe regulations prescribed under the act of March 3, 1901, and instructions in the matter of preparing applications were forwarded the applicant by this office April 20. Roy A. Baird.-Informal application was fled in this o5ce on the 11th of last May for permission to const~ucat telephone system in the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache Reservation to connect Fort Sill and other points in that reservation with the Southweste~hT elephone and Telegraph Company at Wichita Falls, Tex. May 20 instruc-tions and regulations were furni~hedth e writer. Clsremore Telephone Company.-T. G. Rucker, president, June 21, 1901, submitted an application, accompanied by maps of definite loca-tion, for permission to constrnct and operate a telephone line along the right of way of the Kansas and Arkansas Valley Hailway Com-pany from Wagoner, Creek Nation, Ind. T., and extending thence northerly through the Creek and Cherokee nations to the south line of the State of Kansas, a distance of 79 miles. The application and |