Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1901-08-08
PLANNING TO SELL.
Their Holdings Can be Rslenquished
to Purchasers Who Stand Ready
to Make Filings at the Expi-
ration Of Sixty Days.

Ell RENO, 0. t., Aug. 2.-The13,OOO
homes Of f60 acres each In the Indian
lands have been drawn and from now
on the drawing OF additional names
Of those registered as claimants will
attract no attention.
Among the 1900 lucky ones prob
ably % per cent do not intend to occu-
py the lands they have won. While
they are not all land spectators many
ofthem were attracted by the gambling
feature OF this scheme and put their
names on the list just to see what
luck they would have.
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 many per-
sons TO El Reno and Lawton who never
intended to stay in the country and
who would be as helpless as children
should they try to prove up home
stead. In former openings the specu-
lator could make money with compare
tive ease. He could relenqulsh the
moment he made prior and valid set
tlement on his claim. Sitting in his
tent he waited and watched for a
homeseeker In search Of desirable
claim. Smith walked from his tent
and said to Jones: 81 have settled on
this claim but do not want to stay
here. II you win give me $1,000 in
cash l will relinquish. We will go to
the land Office tomorrow, and the
moment l relinquish you step forward
and file your entry on the land. OF
course you must be careful in seeing
that no one gets ahead Of you, as the
first man to file will get the claim.
Above all, do not let the land Office
officials or any other person know Of
our agreement, which Is collussion in
the eyes Of the law, and II proved
would make it impossible for you to
hold the land against the valid entry
man,
Jones paid the money, Smith relin-
quished; Jones filed on the land i'm
mediately and holds 1t now, and this
world is none the wiser. Smith made
81, 900 in a few days. The scheme will
be the same in this opening, with one
Important exception. The Presidents
proclamation stipulates that no per-
son who failed to draw number can
file on any of the land until after Aug.
8. Smith may be anxious to relin-
quish for a consideration, but unless
Jones has withdrawn a number CIV
ing him the same rights as Smith the
two cannot make deal. At the end
Of the 60 days, however, Smith can do
business with any person qualified to
make entry under the general home
stead laws. Spectators know this
and win conflne themselves to looking
for the best buyers during the 60 days.
Perhaps 1900 to 1000 claims will be
left for the wagon emigrants, and
others who have been in the country
for months and failed to draw a num-
Der. At the end Of the go days these
persons can go Immediately to their
land Office and file, or if they settle
upon homestead in advance Of any
other person they can remain thereon,
three months before filing their entry.
Many persons will squat upon home
steads, in the hope that they will not
be taken by persons who draw num-
bers. If the homesteads are not taken
when the land Office closes on August
6, the squatters are safe.
The streets to-day are lined with
prairie schooners laden with house
hold goods, and all are headed south.
Tho town, which last Monday accom-
modated about 10000 visitors, is nearly
deserted to-day. Last nights and
this mornings trains have carried
away hundreds, who remained for the
close of the drawing. The commits
sioners who have charge Of selling
town sites will leave to-day or to-mor-
row for their districts. The sales
will begin ON August 6.