The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-08-01
Big LOTTERY OPENS
Uncle Sans Big Fortune Wheels
Begin to RevOlve at El Reno.
FIRST DAY ONE OF EXCITEMENT
Thousands Of Home Seekers Watch
the Proceedings With Deep In.
terest, Hoping to Be the
Lucky Ones.

terest, Hoping to Be the
Lucky Ones.
Oklahoma's great land lottery was
begun at Ell Reno in earnest Monday
and when the commissioners appoint
ed by the federal government adjourn
ed the drawing for the day 1000 of the
choicest of the $4,000 16O-acre claims
in the Kiowa-Comanche country had
been awarded.
The first name drawn from the
wheels was that of Stephen A. Hol.
comb, of Paul's Valley, I. T., for a
homestead in the Ell Reno district, and
the second Leonard Lamb, of Augusta:
o. T. These two men selected the
two choicest claims in this district.
The capital prize winners, however.
proved to be James R. Wood, of
Weatherford, 0. T., whose name was
the first to come from the Lawton dis,
trict wheel, and Miss Matte H. Bea,s:
of Wichita, Kans., who drew the sec
ond number in that district.
They will have the privilege of max.
ing the first filings in the Lawton dis.
trict. and will undoubtedly choose the
two quarter sections adjoining that
town. These are considered the most
valuable in the territory and are, it
was estimated, worth from $4,000 to
$4,000 each.
The day was one of keen excitement,
replete with interesting scenes. It is
estimated that fully $4,000 persons
witnessed the drawing. The immense
throng was wrought up to the highest
pitch. The drawing of the first names
was followed by mighty shout that
reverberated between the hills and
the prairies. Each succeeding winner
for time was met with shouts of ap.
plause and merriment- All was pleas
antry. Every man, though he did not
draw prize from the wheels, had
steadfast faith that the next day would
surely see him the possessor Of slip
reading him a title clear to 160 acres
Of Oklahoma's land.
Hundreds Repeated.
It has been found that many hundred
applicants have repeated" and that
other applications are so illegible'
that they will be thrown out. Over
this much discord has resulted, and
the outcome may be an appeal to the
courts.
The drawing had been set for
o'clock, but the transferring of the
bundles of envelopes holding the ap-
plications from the general receptacle
into the wheels, which was by lot, was
so slow that it was 1850 o'clock before
the first name was drawn.
Must Get Married.
When Is names had been taken from
the Ell Reno district wheel, attention
was turned to that representing the
Lawton district.
The first name brought out for this
district was that of John r. Woods.
of Weatherford, Okla, and the crowd
again went wild. This meant that
Woods would be able to claim the Sec
ftion adjoining Lawton town, one Of
the choicest in the entire country.
The second ticket was drawn and
Colonel Dyer cried out:
81 have the pleasure to announce the
name of the first woglan to draw
prize, Matte H. Beals, Of Wichita,
Kans."
Then Colonel Dyer gave her descrip
ton as % years old and feet 8 inches
in height, just the height of Woods.
Instantly the crowd caught the humor
Of the situation and thousands of
throats sent up the shout:
"They must get married."
The eighth winner in the Lawton
district was Minerva McClintock, aged
Is years, of Oklahoma City. She was
married Sunday and by this act for
feited her right to file for claim. She
might have chosen claim near a
county seat town worth several thou
sand dollars. The drawing was resum-
ed Tuesday at 9 o'clock.
A Washington special says: The de-
partment of justice received a tele
gram stating that Judge Erwin, of the
United States court in Oklahoma, had
denied the application of Lone Wolf
and other Indians for an injunction re-
straining the government from distri
buting land in that territory by draw.
iRgs.