New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-16
A WILD RUSH FOR LAND.
OPENING OF THE SISSETON INDIAN RES
ERVATION.
THOUSANDS OF HOME-sEEKEES CROSS THE LINE
AT TIE BUGLE SIGNAL-MAKING THE RACE
on HORSEBACK AND IN WAGONS
-QT ALTERS AGAINST FILERS.

-QUATTERS AGAINST FILERS.
Minneapolis. April ID" The journals dis
patch from Browns Valley. Mimi. says: The
sharp. clear note Of buglc at noon to-day, the
almost simultaneous crack of carhine: then
a vollcy from the whole lar-reaching line of cav
airy ms the signal was taken up and carried in
a reverleratng report to thousands of waiting
ears. few more haltng shots becoming fainter
as the distance increased, and the Sisseton Res
crvation was at last open. The military withdrew
from the border and rejoned their companies
From the brush all along the shore of the
Minnesota River from ravines hitherto held 70
be unpopulated from every conceivable spot Dor-
dcring on the reservation that could shelter
man, horse or wagon, sprang h0rdeS oil hoihe
seekers. On Wednesday night the town was illicu
with men: last night there were Only le" u
he seen No one seemed TO know where 'le
crowd had vanished. 1t was not a dihcult proo-
lem 70 solve however. Early yesterday morn
ing men. twos. thrces and fours, carrying laIeh
sacks, slcdge hammers, axes, spades ana o'he'
implements, were 10 he seen standing away up
the ravncs. Several hundred slipped quietly ou'
of the town this way. and all last nlSn' 'nc
border was lined with them. Ihcy were 'ii SUI ~
and conditions of men. Some VINO hau Hc''i
,,o.sc1 . niqht ont of doors in their lives slept
the uainD EfOuUu WIN ''"'~'''
.t,rrv slsv above them. The Journal representa-
,;,-. won't ont ON horseback along the line early
this morning The west shore OF tie Like
Tr,versc l. thc border liLc OF tie reservation lor
almost lis entire length 4 fleet OF raitS ana
o,her hastily improviscd crafts laden with house
hold ooods so that their gunwacS came within
fcy inches Of the water. Icy along the shore
AWAITING the strokc OF twelve. Many OF their oc-
cupants had not tasted food for tNenty-iohr hour'
There they sat stoedI as Indians ana more ae
tcrnined. Hundreds lined tho way all along tn
border from lankinson south.
N Wheaton was the greatest crowd, for 1t
was the nearest point to the desirable lahdS
CAPTAIN Burger. Of - Paul, was there with about
h.ty settlers under his care. There are now Iuly
900 settlers on the reservation These aIe pretty
well divided between the northern ana eastern
horlers The sqnattcr is monarch OF all lie surveys
The flcr is literally out Of the runnlne 'lhe
.roprnar representative viewed the rush from m
advantageous position on the high blum west oi
the town. Perhaps not over 400 men
engaged in the scramble over the line 10 the
West. bat for all that, ii was spectacle not
easy TO forect With tho crack Of the carbincs,
100 horses dashed madly forward, urged to dcs-
pcrate speed by their excited riders. They were
bouul for the Sisscton City tnwnsltc. Strue-
Cling along in the rear came loaded wagons with
from two 10 six hor.cs each. They were lashci
numerically by their drivers. The cracking OF
,,-liDs the dull thunder of hoois in the damp
sod. and the yels of the drivers rs they strug-
rled for the lead, filed the air with unwonted
din. Still further TO the rear came those WITH
o,, convcvanccs. struggling forward with their
kits Ct tools until the reserve was dotted WIN
them. -
The mounted crowd was soon beyond the
rance IL vision. and as they disappeared 'hey
were considerably strung ont, the leaders eNl'
IDENTIFY saving their strength for hard run a'
The finish. Ida Barnett, graduate OF the TN
vcrsi.y or Minnesota. a stIikirsy hahdsoHe pi'''
j. probably by this time the posscssor of the ch'ic-
c.t ,ection about the townsite To the northwest
Sle has lust a suspicion Of Indian blood
in her veins AID j. descendant OF the Sioux race
She has been allotted land on tie reserve Hehind
tho fo.toq., team obtainablc she was drawn TO the
,osp site from the agency. The start was inA'c
a. ,untrc. and the girl was first on the HELD
She ,tal;cd ont her claim and straightway went
to work ON the erection o. a shanly, assisted py
her driver.
Governor Mcllcite had 80 deputy shcrihS on
,bc reserve heavily armed and instructed to- main
,,in order pcaccably il s-ibc, forciby II hec'S-
.,rv They checked several fights before serious
ro.nlts crsucd Wells are being dug everywhere
and all the squattcrs apparently intend to lve on
their land. In a couple OF weeks ploug"s VIII
bc at work everywhere. There VIII De goou
land. opcn 10 settlement for weeks, aS not nan
,bc land has been rallcn up at this hour. oolonc
n.ru,rI las received orders t. hold the troops
here until Monday but they are not needed.
Last NIGHT party of nearly 200 under the
leadership Of "Okahoma Charley attemptFd
"a slim across Lake Traverse under cover oi t'
lorknc-, and gain the reservation They pl"ihci
f. clude the soldiers until noon. when military
authority would ccaS", and then se'cu Ihelr
claim. drunken member Of The party talked,
however. and a detachment of soldiers met them
A. they landed. conliscalrd thclr bo''s anu "'oN'
them from the reservation
The capturc of the Wheaton bridge by locating
firm, i. only part of hi; scheme which came
to U,ht to-day. Landowners all along ihr east
U,o of thc reservation south Of Lake Traverse
and Browns Valley lad been approached by
,oent. of t,ir combination and permission
secured 10 prss their men over the iahd
I'm some cases the willy agent theh
made deal with the landowner whose iahd
ran ND 70 the reserve lire not to allow any othcr
partes 70 cross his land 10 get on the reserVatioh
1lc cxtcnt 70 which the srhcnc may have been
su,ce.sfully opcratcd in favor Of the combination
Of locating firms cannot be known.
Rcports have been received from Nanbay'
Icdor~,yool Wimot and other points around the
reservation f. the effect that thoN, towns, 50 iu
If uf. all the week are now wcll-nigh deserted
every one engaging in the great race E>ep thoT,
,yho had no interest in the lands were interested
in watching the husrlinS crowds. At Wat'rtown
all the land-lovcrs had gone except the thonSahl
who fcl, secure in their belief in the validity ol
Glings over squatiers' rights Those remaining
lined up early in the day, and promptly made
thcir filings, but the work was slow All were
Good naturcd. however, the bright day ana the
near approach Of the longawatcd hour cheering
them amazingly.
Thc Sisscton Indian rsoryation surplus lahdS
that were opened 10 settlement at noon to-day are
Iocot.d in the northeastern corner OF Sonth haNo'"
covcring the most of Robert County. tapping
ovcr on the edge Of Marsha and Oar couh'leS