Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-07-30
One OF the Greatest Lotteries in His
tory Begins for the Oklahoma ..
Lands.
Thirteen Thousand Quarter Sections
of Land to be Disposed of Among
10000.
Federal Officers in Charge of the
Drawing-Details of the Lottery
Scheme.

greatest lotteries IN history was begun
here during the morning It was con-
Quoted by the federal government in
disposing of $4,000 quarter section
claims thrown open to settlement on
the Kiowa-Comanche reservation.
No public event in years in the
Southwest has attracted so much at
tention as this one-the initiation of a
new method of disposing of govern
ment lands. One hundred and sixty
seven thousand persons, each with
one chance in thirteen of winning a
homestead, watched the event here
or at a distance, for the applicants
come from every state in the Union.
The drawing took place on a plat
form built for the purpose in the open
air few blocks from the center of Ell
Reno. Situated at the foot of several
small hills, which formed a perfect
amphitheater, the platform was the
cynosure of thousands of eyes, Peo-
pie occupied every inch almost of the
space around about and every move
ment Of the government officials on
the small space below was watched
with the most intense interest.
Beginning of the Drawing.
The drawing began at 9:45 o'clock.
Twenty thousand excited, expectant
people jammed and crowded about the
platform. The approach of the COM
missioners, guarding the precious bun
dies of envelopes containing the thou
sands of applications, was the signal
for great demonstration, which was
renewed with fervor from time to time
during the progress of the arrange
ments. When finally the boys, five
from Ell Reno and five from the Law
ton district, were lined up before the
two wheels, and awaited the word to
draw out the first envelopes from the
receptacles, a mighty cheer arose.
which was repeated again and again,
and then the multitude pushed closer
to the platform. Eager, drawn faces
watched every movement of those
about the wheels, and necks were
craned to hear the name of the first
winner. A moment later, when
deputy marshal called loudly for or
der, the crowd~was stilled instantly.
At 9:35 o'clock Colonel Dyer, one of
the three commissioners, read the
presidents proclamation relating to
the drawing. The envelopes were
then placed in the wheels, each was
turned repeatedly to insure a. generous
mixing and then the drawing was on.
The first envelope taken from the
wheel contained the name of James R.
Wood of Weatherford, O. T., who had
registered for homestead in the
Lawton district.
No. 2 Is Woman.
Matte H. Beals of Wichita. Kan,
whose birthplace is in Missouri, drew
number two, also in the Lawton dis
trict. The multitude went frantic over
the announcement.
Without doubt Wood and Miss
Beals. who thus have the right to
make the first filings, will select the
two quarter sections adjoining the
Lawton townsite district and which
are believed to be worth $4,000 each.
When Colonel Dyer announced the
womans age as % and that her
height is the same as that of Mr..
Wood, 10000 persons shouted in
chorus:
f.They must get married.
No. in the Ell Reno district was
Stephen A. Holcolm of Pauls Valley.
I. T.. and No. 2 was Leon Lamb of
o. T., .:7s.-"
1t was announced during the day
that in tabulating the registration it
was apparent that more than 1000
"repeaters" had registered at the va
rious booths, many giving the identi-
cal name. address and personal de-
scription. All Of these were thrown
out and the applicants will not have
even the one chance to which they
were originally entitled. It is also
reasonably certain that many others
registered under different names.
They will be ferreted out when filings
are made, ...s. 7; 5..5 z,5 T. , ..