The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-07-19
ORDER AT LAWTCM
Ten Thousand Homeseekers are ont ON
the Prairie

=
the Prairie
Fort Sill, Ok, July II. More thar
, 10000 persons are camped on Cash,
creek along its bottoms in the imme
diate vicinity of Fort Sill. In eigh
working hours eight clerks registered
l,O2O persons, but for every applican
registered five more came by prairi,
schooners. All during the day and
far into the night the wagons from
Texas, Southern Oklahoma and the
Indian Territory drove by the fort.
The farmers and campers were the last
to hear about the proclamation
Those who were prepared came as fast
as their teams could travel and
brought wo d that more were on the
way.
Thanks to the ingenuity of the pros
pective homesteaders themselves. a
system of registration was devised for
the Lawton land office which resulted
in bringing perfect order out of VIII I
gave indications of being disorder
and panic. The plan outlined was a
voluntary military organization Of
homestead applicants by companies.
70 what individual the credit is due is
in doubt. a hundred campers claim
the honor of having first suggested
the scheme, but the plan originated in
u community of campers from Texas
aud officers of the Third Texas volun-
teers first urged it upon the land oliic-
ials. by the time the clerks from the
land Office had arrived the campers
discussed the situation among them
selves and decided that if some form
of military discipline was not preserv-
ed by the men all those waiting cou. d
not be registered and quarrels avert
ed.
LAND OFFICE MANS CoMMENDA-
| TION.
j. Il. Hampton OF the land office de-
partment, who has charge OF the cleri-
cal force here, said at the close of the
first days registrations:
II had not thought of the scheme
until two or three men uf intelligence
came to me yesterday and suggested
the advisability OF organizing the ap-
plicants in companies Of one hundred
each with a captain in chargsto be
elected by them. told them 70 pro-
coed with their organizations and il IL
seemed to be satisfactory We would
give them an answer. The more
thought of the plan the more advisable
it seemed and finally Endorsed the
project and companies we're quietly
organized. Under the circumstances
we have only to deal with the captains
and they communicate with the men
We register THE captains in the order
of the companies and call the compa-
MES in the order of the numbers given.
In this manner company knows
about when its time for registration
will come and none of it's members
need worry.
"At 1870 l had received reports
from thirty-two captains of companies.
At g O'Clock forty-seven companies
had been organized"
The members of the various compa-
mics can be seen in clusters for a half
mile around the post. When Company
9 was registered last night word was
sent to the captains of Companies 10,
ii and II to have their men in line at
y O'Clock this morning. The captains
now know that ten companies can be
registered in one day. The captain of
Company 30 will know that it will be
necessary to assemble his men.
THEY LEARN THE LAWS, TOO.
But still greater advantage is in
the ease with which the homesteaders
can be familiarized with the steps nee
essary for them to take. When they
arrived their ignorance of the methods
to be pursued was alarming, not one
in five apparently had read the Presi-
dents proclamation. They asked each
other for information and erroneous
ideas were spread. Now each captain
can receive information direct and
explain the situation to his company.
The surprise here Is that the scheme
was not hit upon by some of the num-
erous experts who have tinkered with
the opening plan.
The selection of military post for
place of registration has proved a
great advantage to the clerks. With
in the parade ground the usual mill.
tary order and quiet prevail. The
crowd is not permitted to enter the pa
rade and the strict regulations guard
ing liquor are understood and respec-
ted. There is neither boisterousness
nor offensive language within hearing
distance of the parade.
! Eating houses, lodging houses and