Evening journal., 1892-04-16
FARMS FOR SQUATTERS
Mad Rush Of Thousands for the
Sisseton Lands.
THE CLAIM FII.ERs ARE NOT IN IT

Picturesque Descriptions Of the Opening
for Settlements Of an Indian Renerva-
tion-The vast Horde Lod IN Its wild
Race by Kentucky Thoroughbred.
LEDoERwoop. s D., April l6-At i've
minutes TO noon a cavalry bugler, with 3
long yellow plume streaming from his hel
met and a brand new bugle suspended from
his shoulder by a bright yellow cord, rode
to the crest Of the hills which separate
Browns valley from the Sisseton reserva
tion. Scattered along in an uneven line to
the north aud south Of him were three com.
panies Of cavalry each man fully armed
with saber revolver and carbine. Back OF
these were grouped, OF rather herded,
heterogeneous mass OF men-white yel
low and black-all nationalities of the eau
casian race, with a liberal mixture Of half.
breeds. There were women in the crowd,
too, and here and there could he seen lit.
tie baby held in the arms Of its mother az
she sat on her horse determined TO be one
Of the first to enter the promised land
which was to be opened.
The wild Rush Begins.
A splendid Kentucky thoroughbred car
ried a man who had thrown aside every
thing which could impede him in the ride
for the reservation. Next to him, on
wiry broncho, was a halfhreed who rat on
| his horse as II part Of Further down the
( line was huge negro, black as charcoal,
| astride diminitive mule. All were i'm
J patient for the race TO begin.
Az the sun ueared the meridian Major
| Bernard glanced at his watch The bugleI
lifted his instrument TO his lips and the
crowd Of land seekers gathered up their
reins and awaited the signal. AT last Major
Bernard, watch in hand, nodded to the
bugler, who began to sound the reveille
AT the first note there was a crack from
the carbine OF the soldier next to him,
which was quickly echoed by one further
down the line. The shots rang out clear in
the crisp air, and as the volley ratified down
the lines ON either side il was answered by
the hoof beats Of hundreds Of horses spurred
| on by riders reckless of life OF limb In the
ride for land. A cloud of alizah dust rose A.
the motley army charged for the line of the
reservation, and soon all that could be seen
from the crest of the ridge was a black
mass Of huddled hofsemen closely pursued
by a whirl OF yellowish dust. The man on
the Kentucky thoroughbred got a good
start, and when the line was reached he
was ten lengths in advance of the next
rider, a TAN cowboy who rode like a Cen
taur, but who was at disadvantage as e
his mount
Out Of sight.
Behind the two leaders strung out a Ion,
line OF horemen, men in bnggies Others il
: spring wagons and other still in huge prai
RE schooners, the latter being brought NJ
by man from Pike county, Mo-, who's
wife, children and household effects werl
} contained in a Conestoga wagon drawn by
, yoke Of oxen. On and on went the flynn
, column, and within half an hour the las
: man and vehicle had vanished from sigh
beyond the foothills, aud the soldiers at thl
word wheeled and returned TO camp, thei
duty in opening the reservation being I'm
} ished.
There are now fully 5000 settlers on tn
/ Sisseton reservation. These are pretty wei
! divided between the northern and easteri
borders The squatter is monarch OF all b
z surveys The iler Is literally out of tn
I running Governor Mellette had 80 dep
q uty sherifs on the reserve heavily ar1ne,
Z and instructed 70 maintain onier-peace
y ably, II possible; forcibly, il necessary. The
: checked several rows before serious result
s ensued. Wells are being dug everywher
. and all the squatters apparently intend g.
+ live on their land. In a couple OF week
, breaking plows viii be at work everywhere
o There viii be good lands open to settlemen
o for weeks, as not half the land has bee
taken up at this hour Colonel Bernard Ia
received orders 10 hold the troops mere uI
til Monday, but they are not needed.
i Not n Boomer Killed.
: There was great deal OF III feeling Il
j. places and in several instances boomer
e came 10 blows but not a death from violenc
o occurred Ida Burnett, a graduate of tn
- University Of Minnesota, a strikingly hand
T some girl, is now the possessor of th
9 choicest quarter section about the tow
. site Miss Burnett has Just suspicion @
Indian blood in her veins and is a descend
ant Of the Sioux race. She has been allote
land on the reserve. Behind the tastes
Z team obtainable she was drawn to the tow
: site from the agency The start was mad
: at Cunhre and the girl was first on the fielt
y She staked out her claim and straightwa
went TO work on the erection of shanty
I. assisted by her driver