New-York tribune., 1901-07-29
ONE IN THIRTEEN TO GET FARM.
DETAILS OF THE SYSTEM BY WHICH NAMES
WILL BE DRAWN.

El Reno, Okla, JUL ZS-Au is expectancy to-
night among the thousands of homeseekers here
ever the grand lottery that begins tomorrow
morning There are 1900 claims to be distributed.
and each of the 16 s65 persons who have registered
in the last fifteen days has about one chance in
thirteen Of winning. It is a long shot, but every
apparently feels confident OF being numbered
among the lucky. and, in consequence. the best OF
good nature prevails. While the scene lacks the
great excitement Of the run" which has hereto
fore been a part of other land openings In this
part OF the country. the last act in the throwing
open settlement of the Kiowa- Commanche reser-
vations will not be without life and animation
The drawing will take place in the centre OF the
city. and will be Witnessed by thousands OF per
sons. II Will take place on large platform. in
the open, around which the soping hillsdes form
a natural amphitheatre.
The actual drawing will be both novel and
tremely interesting. On the platform will be two
oblong box wheels, each fifteen feet In length one
to hold the names the applicants for homesteads
in the FL Reno district and the other for those OF
the Lawton district. In these wheels will be
placed envelopes containing the names Of all the
registered applicants The envelopes first will
have been brought the platform in packages
consecutiyey numbered A corresponding series
of numbers upon slips will be placed in another
receptacle, from which they will be drawn out at
random The packages of envelopes bearing the
first number drawn will be the first TO be placed
I'm the drawing box and well distributed when an
other number will be drawn and another package
OF envelopes distributed. and this course will be
continued until all OF the envelopes shall have
been placed in the box wheels. after which the
wheels Will be revoved for a sufficient length OF
time TO insure a thorough mixing Of the envelopes.
In each wheel there five apertures from
which the envelopes will finally be drawn Ten
men, one for each aperture. will perform the actual
dra awing The order in which they will begin will
be determined by lot.
The first envelope drawn viii be No. /. which VIII
be at once opened and the Identification slip which
it contains will have corresponding number. and
the and residence which appears upon the
slip will be publlcly announced This course will
be pursued. numbering each envelope and its con-
tents cOnsecutively. until twenty-five numbers
shall have been drawn from box, when
equal number viii be drawn from the other box
sued until five hundred names shall have been
drawn from each box. when. if the commission
made for drawing simultaneously from both boxes.
After the names have been drawn and
nounced they will be recorded and notice pre-
pared to be mailed to the whose name Is drawn.
every envelope in the boxes shall have been drawn.
Only thousand envelopes, five hundred for
the first day the drawing will proceed with great
rapiditv and il is expected that the last en-
veope will have been Grawn by Thursday night.
The lucky Will be permitted to file claims in
the order in which their numbers have been drawn
from the wheel. Each of the applicants for home
steads has been permitted TO inspect the land
beforehand to select claim In case he she shall
be lucky enough to draw a number.
Besides the three commissioners appointed
superintend the drawing and the ten men who will
draw the envelopes from the wheel. space the
platform will be provided for newspaper reporters
Commissioner Richards declined tonight to dis
close the names of the ten men who win draw
lections will not be made known until just before
the drawing shall begin.