The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-03
CREW IN A NIGHT
LawtOn Is a Town Of 10000
Inhabitants.
Has 400 Business Houses and
Newspaper.
HAS NO RAILROAD YET
But the Rock Island Is Hurry
ing That Way.
Politicians Are Already Active
ly at Work.

80 ~ " As
Fort sill, o. r., Aug. ga town of
10000 people to be known as L.awton
has grown up just outside the fort linn
its within night Following the close
of the land lottery at Ell Reno thou
sands of homeseekers who drew blanks
started for the three points picked out
by the federal government for town
sites in the new country, namely Ana
darko Hobart and LaWton. A ma jori-
ty of the people favored LaWton, which
is 25 miles inland, and thousands are
camped in and about the proposed town
site awaiting the sale of lots on Aug. s.
Already LaWton has 400 temporary
business houses, including a grocery
firm and newspaper, and three streets
has been projected. Every form of
gambling known on the frontier is be-
ing run wide open near the corners of
Mccoy and Goo Goo avenues. side by
side with fake shows of various deS-
criptions and to add to the scene a
thousand COmanche Indians have pitch
ed their tents nearby The Indians will
await their last payment for grass,
600 in the aggregate, which is due
them under the old contract. Hundreds
of persons have procured government
licenses to sell liquors, but it will take
two weeks of routine in following out
the laws of the territory before they
can open their places. In the meantime
LaWton will be dry.
The Chicago. Rock Island & Pacific
railway is pushing the construction
work on its extension into LaWton and
expects to have freight and passenger
trains running into the town soon. The
Republicans held a mass meeting and
decided to run a municipal ticket and
the Democrats are active The two
most valuable claims in the new coun-
try adJoin Lawton and Mr.. Woods and
Miss Matte Beals, the first winners in
this district, are expected to file on
them The claims are valued at be-
tween $3.50 and $40, coo each.
ALL HEADED FOR LAWTON.
Ell Reno, Aug. 3.-According to those
who claim to know the new country,
the last 1 500 of either district drew
though doubtless many of the first win
ners will make poor selections, leaving
good farms to some of the less for
tunate in drawing.
FL Reno is now overrun with 'locat-
ors'' who, for $50 guarantee to find
valuable claims for those unacquafnted
with the country.
E H Holcomb, commissioner in
charge of the sale of lots at Hobart,
left here for that place today. The
Rock Island track will be laid into
Lawton ready for use Monday The
first regular train will run from this
place to Lawton next Tuesday, start
ing at a m and returning in the
evening at 8.
The Daily Ell Reno American, for
which this special train service was
arranged, will decorate the coaches and
take a brass band to celebrate the oc-
casion-
The mail clerks here. both in the
postoffice and in the outside booths, are
still very busy Long lines of men still
form every day leading to each window
and every morning several were asleep
on the postoffice floor waiting for the
general delivery windows to open.
A Veritable caravan may now be
seen leading from FL Reno to LawtOn.
1t is still hot and dry here, but both
(sa7a 77or r5xr 2
full and still rising. caused by heavy
rains out west.
Miss Matte H. BeaIs, of Wichita,
who drew No 2 in the IAaWton dis
trict was in the city yesterday. en-
route to Lawton. She was accom-
panied by her brother. Frank Beals,
Santa Fe conductor, of Arkansas City,
Kas Miss Beals stated today that she
will select her claim as near Lawton as
possible, and is going to that place at
this time in order to look over the
land. Her mother and sister, OF Wien
ita will live on the farm with her, and
preparat ton will be made on her re-
turn to Wichita for moving to her new
home Miss Beals will be the second
person to file on land at the Lawton
office on August s.
Vehicles of every kind have been
loaded here with goods which will be
taken to the towns of the news country
Tents and booths have been taken
down and within a few days FL Reno
will resume her normal condition. Ey-
ery train out of the city has been
crowded with outgoing homeseekers.
The youngest homeseeker to draw
claim in the Lawton district was little
Ruth Donovan. the 1 year old daughter
of the late Judge Donovan, of Enid.
Judge Donovan was a soldier. He died
a few months ago leaving a little or
phan daughter, now only year old A
guardian was appointed for the child
and her name was registered for
claim under the law giving soldiers
widows and orphans the right to home
stead land on the same basis that sol
diers themselves can make entry. She
drew a claim in the FL Reno district
Her guardian can hold the claim for
her
The scheme of the Kansas Populist
leaders to establish a town In the new
has collapsed. Not a single one Of the
to establish a townsite. No less than
20 of them registered. Among the most
prominent We're. Jerry Simpson. Jerry
Botkin. John Curran, secretary of the
Populist state committee; H. N. Gaines.
editor of the Topeka Advocate, the Of
fetal Populist organ; Conner Davies.
editor of the Concordfa Kansan; ex-
Congressman E. r. Ridgeley. chairman
of the Populist state committee; Hugh
Lardner, of Fort Scott; L 7. Yount,
Topeka and ex-Lieutenant Governor A
NJ. Harvey. of Topeka.
The Oklahoma Republican statesmen
failed to score also. Not a prominent
leader drew a claim.
ONLY EIDE STREETS NOW.