The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-08-09
THE BULLDOzER
WITH SIX SHOOTER
Is Not Conspicuous in Set
tIing Town Lot Titles in
The New Country
Special to DAILY Leader.

every claim in the entire district
would have been taken yesterday and
The business site of Lawton would be
crowded with contestants quarreling
over their claims. II viii be at least
two weeks before what will be Law
tons leading business street will take
form and nearly two months before
the land Office rush subsidies. The
new system OF opening government
lands has proceeded for enough to
prove it's advantages, as well as lis
disadvantages. Contests viii be re-
duced to the minimum. There are no
bulldozers with six shooters driving
lawful homeseekers from their claims,
and little litigation is probably to fol-
low The homeseekers will be much
better prepared to begin their inn
provements and the business condi-
tlons will be far more sa isfactory
than under the old system.
The percentage Of bona fde home
seekers who will enter lands is, how
ever. much smaller than in any form
er opening.
About one-Half Are Real Farmers.
All kinds and conditions Of people
are lined up before the land office.
More than 90 per cent perhaps, Of
those who have drawn numbers per-
hitting them to select homesteads
appear to be farmers by occupation.
This is especially true OF the Texas,
Arkansas and Indian territory crowds.
In The towns along the Indian territory
border every eligible inhabitant, but
the tenants in the Indian territory
who have been paying tribute for years
to he Indians. far outnumber the spec
uiators In the towns.
Is Is estimated here that 25 per cent
of those who will enter homesteads
win relinqulsh their claims to bona
nde homesteaders for a consideration
within six months. The "hoboes" and
the tradesmen will not locate per
manently and the concesus Of Lawton
opiIion is that The sooner the claims
pass to farmers that will farm the
better Il will be for the town and the
country.
Thousands of those who have come
to Lawton have already run out of
money and the telegraph wires are
crowded with dispatches asking
friends 10 relieve their distress.
Ice Ten Cents a Pound.
The lemonade and lunch stand bus
mess is so badly overdone that there
is no longer much money in it. Ice
sold at five cents a pound this morn
ing and by noon It had reached ten
cents. The COS of living has not de
clined All the money which is
brought into the community comes
from the persons, who viii enter home
steads. The wise ones among those
who have drawn numbers will not come
here long in advance of the day on
which they must Their notification
cards inform them of the date when
they can make entry. It is folly for a
person whose number is 1000 or more
to attempt to select a homes cad now.
Even il he should select 100 tracts of
land that would be acceptable to him,
the chances are that all of them would
be entered before his number was
reached Three days is an abundance
of time in which to consult a 'locater'
and examine The land not taken. II
the persons who have drawn high
numbers pursue this policy they viii
save themselves both time and money.
Ice sold at ten cents a pound In Law
ton at noon today.
Where They Hide Their Money.
Women have always been credited
with displaying more ingenuity in Sc,
creting money in their clothes than
men. The auction sale OF town lois
at I-awton has proved the contention
false. Under the government regula-
tions only cash viii be accepted for
los Even certified checks We're turn
ed down Those who bought had The
cash in hand ready to deposit with the
commissioner It was this knowledge
which filled the country with high
waymen. Until yesterday there was
no bank on which TO draw OF in which
TO deposit. Those who came to buy
town lots had to bring their money
with them and risk getting past The
robbers. One Of the earlier purchas-
ers Of lot yesterday was a country
man, His business lot cost him 1910
and as he approached the window OF
the uiggfonar'a offipo n r,ol,o he