Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-05-03

est horse always wins the claim, while in
a drawing one stands as good a chance as
another. The drawing would do away
with many accidents, and perhaps many
deaths. III the racing scheme prevails,
hundreds of persons are sure to be hurt,
while many will be killed and others
murdered. Prairie schooners are now an
chored on the borders from as far east
as Ohio and as far west as California.
Location of the Land.
The tract lies between southwestern
Oklahoma. the Indian Territory proper,
and Texas. Efforts have been made for
the last ten years to open the lands for
settlement and the government only re
Gently reached an agreement With the
Indian owners. The opening will give
the American homeseekers their last OPP
p%ortunity to select homes from a large
body of government lands, for nearly all
available government land has been
homestcadcd ana even the supply of In
dian brides with homestead attachments
is running short.
The government permits each Indian
brave, squaw and pappoose that was
thirty days old or over when he bill
passed on June q 1900, TO select a quarter
section of land. This will take 100000
acres, and the Indians are each given
another 100 acres, to be allotted in large
bodies for pastures, in total another
10000 acres. In addition the govern
ment pays to the Indians over $ 10000 0O
for the remainder of the land. This gives
to each Indian, man, woman and child.
over one month of age, Sill. When the
reservation finally is opened the Indian
no longer will be the ward of the United
States government. He will be forced
to depend on his w exertions the same
as n other resident of the country.
The officials of the general land office
expect that the lands will be opened to
settlement about Aug. 1 of this year. BY
the terms of the act of Congress opening
this vast region, six months from June
6 last are allowed in which to make al
lotments, and the surplus lands must be
opened within six months thereafter by
proclamation of the President. The date
has not yet been fixed, but there is little
doubt that the official proclamation will
be issued in the near future.
For the last thirty years the United
States troops have been busy keeping
prospectors and settlers out of the prom
Used lands as they have come to be
known to those people familiar with their
fertile character. Regardless of the vigil
lance of the troops, prospectors have
eluded them and have carefully explored
the lands from one side to the other.
Under the plan of allotment the United
States government retains 10000 acres of
the land surrounding Fort Sill. the mill
tary post of the reservations. After this
deduction from the reservations and the
allotment to the Indians is concluded
there will remain over 10000 homesteads
of 100 acres each for settlement. .
The President will designate the county
seats in his proclamation opening the
country, and there will be no race for
town lots as heretofore, but they will be
sold at auction on the day of opening and
the succeeding days to the highest bidder.
No one will be allowed to purchase more
than one business and one residence lot.
The proceeds of these sales so to the
county to erect a court house and i'm
prove the roads and build bridges. A
double portion Of common school, college
and public school lands has been set
aside for educationalb purposes in the res
srvation.