The Iola register., 1901-08-09


get an offer of cash for relinqush-
ing his claim. The speculator is the
man who registered for the sole pur-
pose of selling what he might draw
out of the wheels that began turning
July 20. The fact that registration
cost nothing and carried with it a
chance of getting 100 acres of land
worth from 81 500 to $4,000, drew
thousands of persons to FL Reno and
Lawton who never intended to stay in
the country and who would be as help
less as children should they try to
prove up homestead.
The Presidents proclamation stip-
ulates that no person who failed to
draw number can file on any of the
land until after the expiration of sixty
days from August &. Smith may be
anxious to relinquish for a consid-
Grafton, but unless Jones has drawn Il
number giving him the same rights as
Smith the two cannot make deal. At
the end Of the sixty days, however,
Smith can do business with any per-
son qualified to make entry under the
general homestead laws. Spectators
know this and will confne themselves
to looking for the best buyers during
the sixty days.
Commissioner Richards said today
that, beginning August &, l25 names
in each district would be called daily
for sixty days for the filing of home
stead entries The land Offices will
not be open Sundays, which will re-
duce the actual Y orking days to fifty
two, just enough to aggregate 5000
entries for each district. The esti-
mate is made by the government Of
fetal that in each land district 1000
of the $500 members will not he taken
in the sixty days, because of home.
steaders who will be disqualified, or
who will leave the country, believing
their claims 70 be worthless. This will
leave only $500 persons who will make
entry in their respective districts.
A CHANCE FOR THOSE WHO FAILED.
Two thousand claims will be left for
the wagon emigrants, and others who
have been in the country for months
and failed to drawl,a number. At the
end of the sixty days, these persons
can go Immediately to their land Office
and file, or if they settle upon home
stead in advance of any other person
they can remain thereon three months
before filing their entry. Many per-
sons will squat upon homesteads, in
the hope that they will not be taken
by persons who draw numbers. If the
land Office closes on August 6 the
squattcrs are safe. Men who made
fraudulent registration will be watch
ed 10y acquaintances who will file con
tests after October g. and if fraud is
proved the contestant will get the land
if he has observed all the requirements
of the general homestead laws.
To comply with the Presidents pro-
clamation, the list Of names drawr
from the wheels are posted in con
spicuous place for the benefit OF the
public. Judge Frank Dale superin
tends the posting of the lists.
LIKE A MUSHROOM
Fort Sill, Ok, Aug. >. Enid was {
great town in its day, and so was Per
ry, but Lawton is town before it
day. Perry and Enid became cities o
10000 inhabitants after the Cheroke,
strip was opened to settlement. Law
ton has population of 1000 inhabi
tants and it is six days before it cal
become town. Before soul is 10
Gated on it's townsite it has thre
streets, 400 business houses and l,50
tents. Along the main road running
south of the townsite and separating
it from the homesteads which Mr.
Woods and Miss Beals will withou
donbt select, runs Mccoy avenue,
distance of one mile. Goo Goo ave
nue. is Immediately east of the town
site and is half mile long, Grand
view avenue bounds the townsite o.
the north. An avenue unnamed i
building this morning west of tn
townsite. Before this dispatch i
printed it will have name, and it
business houses will be numbered
An area of 800 acres between thes
thorough fares is barren, save for
land office in the very center, 80 by 6
feet, and frame building that will b
used for national bank just as 500
as u lot can be purchased at the auC
ton sale. Before it is II town Lawto
has a wholesale grocery and dali
newspaper,
Every kind of gambling devic
known to the frontier is in Operatio
near the junction of Mccoy and Go
Goo avenues. The bearded lady
here and the wild man of BorneC
snake charmers, the Circassian lad
and the tattooed man have come. Fol