The sun., 1901-07-28
WOMAN IN THE LAND SCRANBLE.
She Furnishes Odd and Sometimes Pathetic
Ins4dents n the Booths In Oklaheaa.


ST. LOUIS. July 27-Thers Is something
In the lottery feature Of the great land allot-
ment TO be made by the Federal Govern
ment In Oklahoma Territory next Monday.
which appeals particularly to women Per-
haps It IL because IL IL nice TO get something
for nothing without having to rush for 1t
and ight for It. At any rate probably every
State and Territory in the Union is repre-
sented at st Reno and Fort Sill by one or
more women who are anxious to put their
names In the lottery wheel. hoping TO draw
a quarter section on which to build home.
Most OF the women who appear at the
registry booths. Of course. are from Okla
homa itself. Indian Territory. Arkansas.
Texas and the far Western states But
there are others. girls from the cities, farmers
widows from the East. women old and young.
and apparently drawn from all classes, a
few Of them finely dressed and looking little
fitted for the rough life OF new and unde-
yeloped country. Newspaper correspond
ents returning from FL Reno and Fort Sill
tell Of some odd and some pathetic incidents
at the women's registery booths. Here are
some of them.
pretty girl not more than IS appeared
at the women's booth In FL Reno and signifed
her wish to register.
Are you married." asked the clerk
"No. sir"
a widow"
mo, sir"
The head OF famlly'"
"N-No, sir"
Then under what provision OF the law do
you seek a homestead?'
The girls face flushed. tears showed In her
In,
her throat before she answered:
Il am a mother. sir.
That's all right" said the clerk kindly
Here's your certificate"
A colored woman from Mississippi appeared
with a demand for chance to take claim
Married." she was asked.
NO. sab"
Widow"
"Yessah Use buried six husbands.
you are certainly entitled to register. :"
said the clerk And she did.
A raw-boned. muscular woman said she
was from the Chickasee country and she was
married.
mo, sir.
"Divorcedp"
No." Indignantly.
"Oh. yes can I'm the head Of the family. :.
To prove II she brought up her crippled
husband to testify that she had earned the
| living OF the family for years by running a
| small ranch. The clerk registered her,
| Il am the seventeenth one OF our family to
! register" said an old woman from Arkansas
| who is seeking a home in the new country
4 have sixteen grown boys and every one OF
| them has registered, We ought to get several
| claims out OF the bunch.
| One George II Brown has advertised that
| he wants to meet good looking young woman n
| eligible to register, with a view 10 matri-
| mony He himself has registered but he
wants to have an anchor to windward In case
| he isn't lucky, so he promises 10 marry any fair
maid who draws a good quarter section.
| girl from Iowa barely 20. who registered,
| told the clerk she wanted a claim that she
| might run a horse ranch on It,
| My father Is "a horseman In Iowa and
| propose to be horsewoman In Oklahoma
| said she
| Miss Mabel Dlggs, daughter OF Mrs, Annie
| /, Diags. State IlhraIfnn OF Kansas. Is at
| FL Reno and has registered AZ home she
wears an opal ring, II Ia proof that even
| Kansas women are not free from small super
| stItions that before ,eaving home TO draw
| for n claim she took the ring on for fear "
would bring her bad luck A she stepped
| OF the train ut FL Reno she found rusty
| horseshoe, And now she's sure she'll win
| home IN the Government lottery.
| Girls Of Is and rs are swearing that they are
| OF age. according to returned visltors IN
| order to take a chance In the lottery. They
| refuse to heed warnings that they VIII lose
any clam they may draw "a soon as the Gov
| ernment land agents set to work after the
| drawing to ferret out the frauds