No Diamonds, No Dames

A Standard Oil expert once said he would drink all the oil you could find in the red-bed country of Oklahoma. Like many a white man, he was wrong. By 1920 oil was pouring from Oklahoma's Indian reservations. Like all her tribe, Lete Kolvin owned 160 acres of reservation land, but she never got rich herself. She married a Negro, died poor, left her 160 acres tied up in lawsuits.

Last week in Sapulpa, Okla. a judge instructed the Sinclair and Minnehoma oil companies to pay to the heirs of Lete Kol-vin $7,413,286 in cash, and to surrender the 160 acres of Oklahoma land, a gasoline plant, and 15 producing wells. Half of Lete's fortune went to her 65-year-old half sister. The other half went to Willie and Floyd Mayweather, nephews of Lete's husband.

Reporters rushed to find Willie and Floyd. They found two strapping young Negroes, 34 and 27--family men, "not hell-raising gents," they modestly described themselves--working in a Kansas City packing plant. Neighbors also dropped in, expecting that there would be a party.

"Ain't going to be no party," said Willie firmly, and Floyd solemnly nodded.

"Furthermore," said Willie firmly, "we ain't buying anything."

"Amen," said solemn Floyd.

"No diamonds." "Amen." "No loud clothes, no gold watches, no high-class dames," said Willie firmly.

"Amen," said Floyd. He glanced at Willie's wife, pondered the future of no parties, no buying, no diamonds, no loud clothes, no gold watches, no high-class dames, then said, with the resolution of a man who has just inherited $1,853,326, "Amen."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.