The age-herald., 1901-07-30
First Prize Went fO Stephen HOIcOmb and Shout Went
 Up from the Crowd THOUSANDS WATCH WHEEL
Keen Excitement Prevailed Throuah- out the Day and Many of the On lockers Sank to the Ground
 From Sheer Exhaustion.

Fl Reno. O. T.. July 2s-oklahoma.s great land lottery began here in earn- est today, and when the commissioners appointed by the federal government ad- journed the drawing for the day 1000 of the choicest of the 13,16O claims in the Kiowa-Comanche country had been awarded.
 The first name drawn from the wheels was that of Stephen A Holcomb of Paurs Valley, I. T.. for homestead in the EI Reno district, and the second Leonard Lamb of Augusta, o. T. These two men selected the choicest claims in this dIs- trict.
 The capital prize winners, however, proved to be James R. Wood of Weather ford O. T., whose name was the first to come from the Lawton district wheel and Miss Mattie H. Beals of Wichita, Kan. who drew the second number in that dis trict.
 They will have the privilege of making the first filings in the Lawton district, and will undoubtedly choose the two quar- ter sections adjoining that town. These 7 are considered the most valuable ip. the territory, and are. 1t Is estimated, worth from $2O.oOO to s4o,oOO each.
 The day has been one of keen excite ment, replete with interesting scenes It Is estimated that fully 8,0O0 persons witt messed the drawing. The immense throng was wrought up to the highest pitch. The drawing of the first names was fol- lowed by a mighty shout that reverbe- rated between the hills. and must have been heard for miles over the prairies. !
 Shouts of Merriment.
 Each successful winner for time was met with shouts of applause and merit ment All was pleasantry. Every man. l though he did not draw prize from the wheels today, had steadfast faith that I tomorrow or the next day would surely see him the possessor of a slip reading him a title clear to 160 acres of Oklahoma land. So, In the success of friends and relatives unfortunate ones today instead of bewailing their fate. cheered Justify as familiar names were called out from the commissioners platform
 When the close of the drawing for the day was announced at o'clock. hundreds who had neither eaten nor drank during the day sank to the ground where they stood from sheer fatigue or dragged themselves to better places of rest or to refreshment booths up town. The day was remarkably free from quarrels andS general satisfaction with the govern ments method of disposing of the lanuA was felt.
 It has been found that many hundred applicants have repeated" and that other applications are so niegible that {, they will be thrown out. Over this much discord has resulted and the outcome may be an appeal to the court. The drawing has been set for o'clock. but the transferring of bundles of envelopes holding the applications from the general receptacle into the wheels, which was by lot, was slow that 1t was 10:60 o'clock before the first name was drawn. Twen- ty-hve names were furnished. drawn from the Fl Reno district and then an equal number from the Lawton district
 First Name Drawn.
 When all was ready Behiler placed his hand in the aperture of the Fl Reno and. withdrawin an envelope, handed 1t to Colonel Dyer. It was passed to Chief Clerk Mccoy, stamped and handed back to Colonel Dyer. The commissioner walked to the front of the platform, raised his hand for order and in a loud voice ex- claimed: Stephen A. Holcomb of Pauls valley. I. T.. draws the first number"
 The crowd for three minutes apparently was as Hlucn uth6Hteu hs II every man had drawn prize
 Envelope number two was quickly drawn fonth and Colonel Dyer announced:i Leonard Lamb of Augusta O. T.. born in Illinois,
 In quick succession other envelopes were drawn and as the names were announced each one was greeted with a volley of cheers.
 When twenty-five names had been taken from the El Reno district wheel attention was turned to that representing the Law ton district.
 The first name brought out for this dis trict that of James R. Woods of Weatherford, and the crowd again went wild. This meant that Woods would be able to claim the section adjoining Law ton, one of the choicest in the entire codn- try.
 The second ticket was drawn and Colonel Dyer cried out: "I have the pleas ure to announce the name of the first wo- man to draw prize, Hattie H. Beala of Wichita, Kan"
 Then Colonel Dyer gave her description as 23 years of age and feet inches in height, just the height of Woods In- stantly the crowd caught the humor of the situation and thousands of them sent up the shout: They must get married" The eighth winner in the Lawton district was Minerva McClintick. aged 25 years. of Oklahoma City She was married yes terday and by this act forfeits her right to file for claim. She might have chosen N claim near county seat town worth sev- eral thousand dollars The drawing will is believed will be completed Thursday