The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-08-14
BIG LAND LOTTERY OPEN
Governments Unique Driving For
Romesteads at Ell Reno.
MULTITUDE CHEERS WINNERS

Sian Gets tho First Farm Prizs and q
Woman tho second-Many Thousands
OF Registered Home-Seekers Congre-
gated 10 Witness the CeremonY-Ten
Boys Draw Names From Wheels.
Ell Reno, Oklahoma. - The Govern
ment's big land lottery for the $4,000
free farms in the Kiowa and Co.
manche reservations was attended by
exciting scenes. More than 10000
persons had registered, and crowd Of
perhaps 10000 were on hand to see
the drawing.
The first five persons to draw free
farms were: James R. Wood. Weather
ford, Oklahoma Territory; Stephen
Holcomb, Paurs Valley, Oklahoms
Territory; Miss Matte Beal, Wichita;
Leonard Lamb, Augusta, Oklahoma
Territory. Winfield s. Laws. Langs-
ton, Oklahoma Territory. Offers of
as much as S25,000 to S50.000 have
made for these first choices, but no
sale is reported. The law says the
settler must live on the land fourteen
months before proving title. None Of
the first FIVE were present at the draw
ing. They had returned home after
registering.
All the night before the drawing
streams of prairie schooners. farm
wagons, buggies and vehicles Of all
sorts poured into the city. In the
natural amphitheatre formed by the
hills they took up their places. The
occupants. fevered by expectancy,
gave no thought to sleep, and the vast
camp was as full Of hustle as any
army preparing for an important
night march. Men and women who
had travelled hundreds of miles, lived
on short rations, slept on the ground,
endured the heat, dust and other hard
ships for days and days were in that
camp.
Ell Reno was awake early. At day
light hundreds of persons had assem-
bled around the covered platform in
the north part of the town, where the
drawing was to take place. Long be-
fore Q o'clock the entire population Of
Ell Reno gathered and anxiously
awaited the arrival of the judges.
1t was within a few minutes of the
fixed hour when Assistant Land Com
missioner Richards, accompanied by
United States District Attorney Dyer
and Judge Frank Dale, mounted the
platform, followed by their assist
ants. The envelopes containing names
and addresses Of those registered had
been packed in small pasteboard
boxes, about four hundred slips to the
box, thus requiring in the neighbor-
hood of four hundred boxes. These
were brought from the land Office in
a wagon, together with the large
wooden boxes from which the actual
drawing was made.
These large boxes are two and q
half feet square, by ten feet long.
and set in a framework so arranged
that the box may be revolved for the
purpose of thoroughly mixing the en-
yelopes.
The work of putting the envelopes
In the large boxes began at 9.55
o'clock. Commissioner Richards su-
perintended the Ell Reno box, Judge
Dale the Lawton box. Each held in
his hand cigar box containing num-
bered slips. These were drawn out
one at time and the small box with
the corresponding numbers was taken
up by land Office clerks and the con-
tents dumped into the large box.
Following this ten boys, five from
each district, who had been selected
for the work came forward and were
placed back of the large revolving
boxes. In the side of the box i'm
mediately in front Of each boy was
ali opening covered by 4 sliding lid.
The boys in front Of each box were
numbered one, two, three, four and
five, and slips of papc- bearing cor
responding numbers were placed in
small box. It was then announced
that one of these slips would be drawn
out, and the boy having the same
number would draw the first envelope
from the big box, the drawing to be
continued by the five boys one after
the other in order.
James R. Woods slip was the first
drawn from the Lawton box, followed
by Miss Bears. Without doubt Wood
and Miss Beal, who thus have the
right to make the first filings. will Sc
lect the two quarter sections adjoin-
ing the Lawton townsite. which are
believed to be worth $4,000 each.
When Colonel Dyer, in thunderous
tones, announced the woman's age as
twenty-three and her height the same
as that of Mr.. Wood. 10000 persons
shouted in chorus: "They must get
married"
AS the drawing progressed the land
spectators tried to buy claims from
some lucky ones. 1t is reported here
that 2000 persons who have illegally
registered more than once. may be
thrown out. There are 1000 sigma
lures that cannot be read.