The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-05-21
pED LAKE OPENING
,,vg SCENES AND INCIDENTS OF
THE GRAND RUSH.
,.,,t $50 File Their Claims
V .,ou, p~referrinH 10 Ffrs
IN the Land - Some EN-
u,ces Along Il boundary
several Ci"im" o" the Best
,,..e. of Land.

.itiDg Races
several Claimants on the Best
p,.ce. of Land.
cmor.ton. Mimi. May 1.-THE open
49, tba CrookStOn land office has
d! onI gone. In SO!n respects it
cur Iisappointmcnt. The first days
WIS, reached 80. There were 1900
HNnIo IN tnr hall on the land office
IrT If thc Rcrkptt block when .
p,oio,k came. and they were all inter
Va Many were present as sight
Us and the great interest conferred
y ,, tho head of the line. \ fight was
%s,arted between those in line and
. g who favored "A rough-and-tumble
,vIp of entry. The police regulations.
~s%Eycver, kept the crowd in line, and
n were good natured. Five minutes
before the hand pointed the hour the
,aader Of the tile, whose place was
rsnrped by a woman, climbed through
,be ransom and dropped To the floor
inside, He offered his papers. which
,ser, promptly refused. ana he was
elected from the room. One attempt
was made to break the line and force
an entrance. but the offender met with
refusal of his papers and this closed
the trouble.
There were six women IN the line,
and they all secured the claims they
rovcted. Mrs. Cunningham. the wO-
man at the head Of the line. is the
endowed mother of two children.
whose home is in ~. Paul. where she
supports them by taking in washing.
Through the advice of Surveyor Gen
eral Kcrwin she concluded to take 4
claim. She mortgagod her cook stove
to secure enough money to pay for the
papers. struck j. J. Hill for t%ransporta-
cater who knew OF Il choice claim made
out her papers gratis, and there are
fewer happier women in Minnesota.
The filings made are not an index OF
claims which will be taken. The line
contained more than double the num-
Der which took claims. Instances Oc-
cured where ten filings were offered
upon the same piece of land. The dis
appointed claimants We're not prepared
in all instances To take a second
choice. Those who wished 10 begin
Improvements before filing will begin
to arrive in force next week. The re-
mainder of the month should see Il
large number Of these come in ami file,
and their title will be indiSputable.
settlers Use Their Guns.
Thief River Falls, Mimi, May IL
The reports from the lands opened are
TO the effect that considerable excite
mpnt at the line was witnessed ut the
opening hour. About 900 settlers
showed MP for II race despite the con-
timed rain. 1t is also reported that
dhiculty was had between settlers
daining the same lands. Two men
are reported dead and another dying
from Il bullet. These reports have not
bee fully verified. Rains have rem
dered the roads impossible and it is
dltilcult 10 ascertain any facts. After
the rush there will be plenty OF good
iand left and II constant influx of set
tiers is expected during the coming
and fall.
The Run From Fosston.
foSStOn. Mimi. May 1T.-At O'Neill'S
The Irish brigade started off. in fine
styl" after after having saluted the
United States by firing off the big
twenty-pOund muSkct at q o'clock.
The boys were all feeling good and all
on foot III pairs and threes and tours
for their selections on Clear
water river. twenty-five miles due
north from FoSStOn, where they We're
ls0med 10 find Il colony of Swedes
rom Thief River Falls in possession,
the Swede colony having put the day
and night previous to the opening on
'he diminished reserve north of the
river ana made the crossing in boats
IN the early morning. There was tall
swearing at each other and there will
ae more tall swearing at the land Of
nee by cOntesting ~coloniSts when the
Llme comes to make entry. The two
elements were after the lands in the
same town. and there may he some
PERSONAL encounters in that country to-
ihy or tomorrow. A late arrival says
.iiat Ill several cases rs many as seven
were occupying II tract.
III section >, town of Queen. twelve
niles northeast of FOSston. a line was
formed. Il gun Il fired and the rush
'eSah in helterSkelter fashion. the
'utlhlng horses doing good service in
"'hhlng prizes for their riders. At
time the newspaper man left the
-Cnlilid Their" II not Il case of per-
'oual encounter at this point. At the
'ur east of FagerStiom's there We're
'hiy about twenty OF hand 10 make a
TuSii. but when they eagerly set up
LIe!r notices IN lands they were sew
raj times surprised To find from one
% seven other similar notices already
FpSt"d. Before q o'clock had arrived
mere We're several wagon loads of re-
-urhlng II in FosstOn for the pur-
OF having filing papers made out
preparatory 10 going To CrookstOn on
L"' morning train. Judging 10y ap-
I'arillceS there will be upward of Il
such 10 join the line at the
'ahd office III the morning.