Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1901-08-07
ARIZONA AT FL RENO.
Homeseeker ". H. Thayer, Tells of the Situation as Seen by Him at the
 Oklahoma Drawing.

Li IlCHO, OhldhOLiet, ouly OO. NLul tor Journal Miner Thinking per haps you would like to hear iron this neck of the woods, I will crowd up to table located in the center ol the office of the Kerfoot hotel and pen you brief sketch of the Uncle Sam lottery. Everything goes of smooth and every one is good natur- ed and well pleased with the deal The little city of Fl Reno is taxed tC all of its capacity and more, too, tc accommodate the home seekers. The school grounds are large and every nook and corner is covered every night with sleepy home seekers scarcely any one of them having as much as a napkin to cover them. The weather is warm, dry and plenty of dust, good water and plenty to eat The gamblers are happy and reap a big harvest. All kinds of sure games. think there is more beer and whisky used than water. witnessed ball game at the park Sunday; saw two good fights; no one killed in them. We had two dead men for supper last night. Newspaper men are reaping big profits as they always do and are getting rich. I stood at the lottery machine most of the day yesterday to see my number and my Rough Riders number roll out, but they did not show up ye5 so I will lay for them today. I met w. A. Richards, assistant commissioner, here at the hotel.
 There are men and women here from every state ana territory. I only met one man from Arizona. He is from Flagstaff. One half of Missouri is here. California is in the deal. Oklahoma has drawn at least one half of the prizes so far. There were 1000 drawn yesterday. There were 167 ,0O6 applicants to draw for 3,432 quarter sections, making one chance in twelve and a half.
 Today we are promised with rain. The sky is cloudy. I live in a tent with seventy five others, There is some little stealing going on, nothing but little money and pocket books, no lynching or hanging yet; too busy to look after such small affairs yet. The city has a population of 1000. There are anywhere from 10000 to CO., GOO here today. Nearly every one goes from here to Lawton in the new country as soon as the drawing is over. Lawton will be the Chicago of the new country. There are all kinds of shows here and a midway, same as the Worlds Fair, and in many cases this show beats the Worlds Fair, as every one came here to get rich in one turn of the box. The lottery boxes are made of pine lumber dress ed, about twelve feet long and three feet in diameter hung on an iron shaft.
 There are two of these machines, one for the Lawton and one for the Fl Reno district. They have iron cranks and turn like a churn. They remind me of going to four mill where the machinery grinds your grist. Everybody is satisfied that the dealis square, exceptthe sooner" There is no railroad to Lawton yet. The stage lines carry the people in there from Marlow, a point on the Rock Island, seventy-five miles south of here, thence by stage thirty miles. The Rock Island will soon be com pleted to Lawton. The Indians have got the most of the good bottom land.
 There is any amount of capital go- ing to LawtOn and careful calculators estimate that city of 10000 in the next ninety days will spring up there as a commercial center.
 I shall remain here a day or two un- til after the drawing and then go to Lawton and take in the real estate boom and look after my farm, also my soldiers farm, if draw any, perhaps would be well to say.
 " IT Tbovor