Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-25
EXCITEMENT In WAUSAU
f0meSteaderS Are Making Extensive
Preparations to Take the Water
Reserve Lands.
The Wild Scenes in Oklahoma Will
be Re-enacted on a Smaller
Scale.
Much Litigation is Expected to Ensue
From the Present Intricate
Unsettled Affairs.

WAUsAU, Wis, Dec. 19.-Wausau is
today experiencing the liveliest times in
Its history. Oklahoma o;er again on a
scrihing the wild stampede of thousands
of prospective homesteaders. The streets
are rendered almost impossible by the
| thronging crowds. Hotels are packed to
sutfocation and scores of people will be
compelled to sleep out of doors tonight
for want of a place of shelter.
Congressman McCord scarcely dreamed
of such scenes when be introduced his bill
in the house restoring to settlement the
water reserve lands Of Wisconsin, and the
people OF the town must certainly have not
realized what was coming, or preparations
would have been made for the rush.
Just now it does not seem possible that
the settlement upon the lands thrown open
tomorrow can be effected without serious
trouble and perhaps bloodshed. Deter
mined MN who have come here from dis
tant points to get their hands upon the
promised land will not relinquish their
prospects without resistance. Neverthe
less the competition is in the nature of a
lottery. Perhaps there are 1000 men
who have decided to gain possession
of half dozen valuable home
steals. Only a few can draw the
prizes, and the rest must get blanks
out of Uncle Sans wheel of fortune
Every man is striving to outwit the other
and no strategem that can be brought into
play will be overlooked 1t may safely be
said now that it will take years to olsen
tangle the web of litigation that is being
spun by these greedy settlers here today.
WbIIo Tho c,cyyyI otop1iy,r, -, Eno no
fore the land Office, awaiting the opening
settlers have adopted different course
Perhaps 900 of them are now encamped
in various portions of the district where
the lands lie. awaiting the coming of
midnight. When that hour arrives
they intend to step across the
| boundary line into the section they have
decided to squat upon and take possession
| Most of them are heavily armed, and if
any attempt to Gust them is made, some
| lively shooting is sure to occur. The men
who have decided upon this course are
mostly in the employ of various lumber
| companies, and the action of the corpora
lions who have hired them is based upon
the best obtainable legal opinion. The
law seems to be curiously complicated in
| this case.
| Congressman McCords bill opens the
| land for settlement On Dec. 20, and this, of
course, means midnight between the 10Th
and Goth. The land Office opens at 9
| o'clock tomorrow morning. Here's the
rub. Judge Cate, of Stevens Point, Neal
| Brown and other prominent attorney of
| this city, have advised that settler can
squat on the land at 1901 o'clock tonight,
hat {,,x,
of the same tract made in the land
office, they can hold their right and
file their entry within thirty
days afterward, The fact that the land
Office will not be opened till o'clock to-
morrow morning precludes any possibility
of simultaneous entry. The squatter who
however, occupies the land previous to IL
@ clock tonight will lose his rights, but
of course great care will be exercised in
this respect.
The men who are at this moment stand
ing or sitting in line waiting for morning
are evidently not in the least disconnected,
and the foremost man seems to think that
the only thing needful to get the pick of
the newly opened tract is nerve enough to
remain in the cramped position he occu
pies until Register Kickbusch and Receiver
| Saunders announce their readiness to accept
| filings.
The headquarters of the land office dur
ing the present rush are in the court house,
and the square has been filled with NOV
ing mass of humanity all day. To pre-
vent more than one man getting at the
window at time, the officers bave cut a
| little square aperture in the wall large
enough to make frame for the face, and
alongside the building have put up box
of heavy pine boards, which will barely
admit the customer S turning around. In
| side of this the line begins.
The first man to take possession was
| Louis Farmer, resident of Stetten, who
took seat on little DOL at o'clock last
night, since which time he has scarcely
badged out of one position. Shortly after
Farmer had ensconced himself in position
Mark Bells, a we'll known young man of
the city, son of wealthy citizen,
| took his place behind. Stragglers
came along later and took
up their positions alongside the wall Of the
court house. At 3 o'clock this afternoon
there were nearly 200 persons in line. and
| before morning twice that number will be
in waiting. The line extends near y two
| blocks in length. Some have brought re-
| Ginning COTS, ana wrapped In warm clOth-
ing are taking things comparatively easy.
The crowd about them keeps the patient
| file in good humor.
The hundreds who were not in time to
get advantageous positions in the line are
bowling loudly at the city authorities for
allowing the line to be formed. Mayor
Mueller and Chief of Police Mahoney have
been appealed o in the matter, many de-
claring that the formation of the file
should never be tolerated. These
| two officials have been in
consultation all the morning and have not
yet decided how to act in the matter. The
land officers decline to take any action,
declaring that it is a question of law
resting solely with the municipal authori-
ties. There it stands, but if any attempt
is made 10y the special police officers to
remove the men from their positions, trou-
ble will arise.
EAU CLAIRE, Wis, Special Telegram,
Dec. ia man from Hayward led the
vanguard of the rush for the places at the
entrance TO the United States land Office