Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-07-04
OPENING RESERVATIONS
Method to Be Adopted Being
Considered at Washington.
SEVERAL SUGGESTIONS RECEIVED.

SEVERAL SUGGESTIONS RECEIVED
Secretary OF the Interior Trying t,
Avoid u Rush-Scheme of Drawn.
For Homesteads Strongly Endorsed
Pro and Con Views On the Drnvvtne
System.
excellent progress made by the sur
Veyors and allotting agents in the Kio
wa, Comanche and Apache and Wichi
VI reservations has prompted Mr.
secretary Of the interior. to
take up the serious consideration OF
the manner in which the reservations
shall be opened to settlement, saws the
washington correspondent of the st,
Louis Globe-Democrat, writing under
the date of March 81. 1t is the urgent
desire of the secretary to avoid the rusb
"nlch mas always characterized the
opening OF new country in the south
west up to this time. The experience
OF the department with these rushes
has convinced the secretary that thew
develop conditions which the depart
ment wishes to avoid and which are
far from satisfactory to those who en-
gage in them. Months and in MANY
cases years are spent by those who par-
t1cfpate in perfecting their titles, and
money which had been accumulated
Tor the purpose Of developing the new
homeSteads has gone into these con-
tests. For the past two nights the sec
rotary has advised with officials of his
department who are familiar with land
operations until after midnight with q
view of reaching some arrangement
which will obviate the Objectionable
features Of a rush and will insure
equal rights to all those who wish to
take up homesteads. The secretary
does not expect to reach a conclusion
In the matter until he returns from st.
Louis and has had opportunity to go
into it further.
The schemes which have probably
mad the strongest backing are those
p~artaking of a lottery or "drawing''
One of the fears expressed
by the secretary if such a scheme is
adopted is that it will be charged that
the government is proposing a lottery
scheme, which would be contrary to
the lottery laws of the country. On the
other hand, it is urged that as proposed
the lottery feature would go no further
han does the lottery feature of draw
for juries sanctioned by the laws of
different states, which have proved en-
tirely satisfactory.
Several hundred letters have been re- |
at the general land office, each
one OF which makes a suggestion as to
the manner in which the reservation |
be opened or makes a sugges- |
ion for some one feature. The r~eserya-l
ions will be opened to settlement on a |
proclamation of the president, but pre-
Vlous to the opening the secretary of
he Interior will orange all details and
regulations. These will either be in
.luded in the proclamation or else the
PRESIDENT will direct that the opening
De under the special conditions which |
secretary by the proclamation is
to enforce.
AS a preliminary to the drawing
'cheme it is proposed hat the entire
rea of the reservations which has not
'een aiken up by the allotments to the
indians shall be mapped and plated.
area will then be laid out in home
leads, and each one will be numbered. ]
Every person who desires to secure a
in the new country will
hen file an application for it, together
Nth proof that he is qualified to make
he entry. These will be investigated
y the government officials to deter
line whether each one is BONA fde.
accompanying the applications will be
fee for the entry. These will be
ED simply as deposits until the draw
lgS are made, and those who are I'M
lccessful in the drawing will have the
eeS returned to them. A date will be
1t according to the plan proposed, aft
: which no further applications will
: received. Each of the applications :
i'll be placed in a plain envelope. All :
the envelopes with Enclosures will be &
aced in a great wheel or other similar 7
evice, and on the day set there will be
awnings from the wheel by q blind ,
lded employee. AS the envelopes are L
ken from the wheel each one will be \
until a number has been q
ached equal to the number of home v
eads on the map already prepared. Y
tier each drawing the wheel is to be n
rned a certain number of times to
oroughly change the position of ev- II
y one. After the envelopes are num- 81
red they will be opened one by one, -
I'd the name of the applicant will be =
with the number Of the :,
which his number calls for. -
.ne of the objections which has been -
ged against the drawing system is
it will not give the old soldiers an :,
chance with the others in the u
ntest for homesteads. Those who :,
ge the drawing system say that this -
true. They point that in the old ;"
lie rush b veteran of advanced -
airs had little or no chance against ..
: active young western man mount -
on his pony. armed and determined c
get the land by priority of occupa-
n If possible, but to get the land. AL Ia