Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-05-15
IN LINE. FOR LAND.
Already There ls q Crowd
Before the Crookstorl
Land Office.

a BEFORE the NTOOkSlOU&&g
Land Office.
80 t---- = = n. IA VI a3is XII 3s35S N II
CROOKTsON, Mimi, May IA line
was formed early this morning by
Register Dunlava, Ut the United
States land Office, which promises tO
be d memorable line in the history 81
Minnesota. 1t was the line which
will he kept in position from now
until the end Of the rush for tha lands
of the Red Lake InLiaD resery atiOn.
Some of the men who composed
the line this morning were spresum-
ably prospective settlers upon the
reservation, though there may be q
question as to their being able to
hold their claims against those who
comply strictly with the law and 60
upon the reservation after 8 o'clock
next Friday morning to begin per-
manent improvements, and then
come back to Crookston to make
their filings. In fact, Register Dun
lava this morning admitted there
were likely to be many contests over
such filings, but his position is that
priority of filing will be at the same
time and thereby occupancy.
When urged THAI injustice would
be done to q man who strictly cOm-
piled with the law and then had
some other man file upon the land
he had gone upon in good faith, after
9 O'Clock on FRIDAY morning. Capt.
Dunlava ssid that 1t did seem right
but that the only thing to do under
such circumstances would he to
settle the matter by a contest. II q
man went up on the reservation next
Friday morning and made his selec-
ton of land, and commencing his
improvements came back to CroOke--l
ton found filing made by some one
else, the date of which was even
minute after he began digging on his
claim. the fling would be no good.
1t appears plain that there will be
many contests arising out of Fri.
days filings, as there will probably
be many hundreds, perhaps thous.
ands, of men In line here who will
not attempt to go upon the reserva--;;
ton that day, but have already
picked out choice pieces of land on
which to file.
The trains to CroOkston are
heavily laden today. United States
Inspector Andrews arrived this
morning. and in a spirited speech to-
the crowd. which formed in line and
was being allotted. numbers, said
that he would arrest any man who
tried anv Oklahoma boomer busi-
ness here and prosecute him to the
end. Theileader Of aparty said to-
be Oklahoma boomers, made q
strong resistance, claiming his rights
as a citizen. The inspector will have
the building cleared tonight, and
will not recognize any parties as be-
ing entitled to be in line until the
actual hour of opening. It is claimed
that the boomers intend to hold
their places until actual settlers put
in All appearance on Friday. and
then sell their possessions in the line.
There is an extra police force on
duty. A
For more than a generation the tract
of land known as Greer county has been
in dispute between the United States
and the state of Texas. 1t is north OF
the Red river, and geographically has
appeared to be naturally the southwest
corner of Indian Territory. 1t embraces
not less than q million and half Of
acres. The recent decision Of the su-
preme court, which assigns it to the
United States government, will there
fore add that much land to Indian Ter
ritory. This ends the famous Greer
county litigation. Texas can congratu-
late herself. however, that she has
enough land left yet within her borders
to equal In size the whole empire of
Austria,