River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-08-01
LUCKY ONES At & RENO.
Drawings for the $4,000 Home
steads in Kiowa-Comanche
Country Is Begun.
INTENSE EXCITEMENT IN BIG CROWD.

1
James II. Wood. CT Oklahoma. and
Miss Matte ii. BeaIs, of Kansas.
the First Names to BE Drawn
Crowd Suggests That They Marry
Indians Denied Injunction.
FL Reno, Okla, July 30.-The great
land lottery began at Il o'clock Mon
day morning. Twenty thousand ex-
cited, expecyant people damned and
crowded about the platform on which,
| from the wheels of fortune. the gov
eminent officials superintendent the
drawing of lucky numbers to those of
| the 100000 applicants who will re-
ceiye homestead among the $4,000
| in the Kiowa-Comanche country. The
approach TO the stand of the commits
sioners guarding the precious bundles
of envelopes containing the thousands
of applications was the signal for a
great demonstration, that was re-
newed with fervor from time to time
during the progress of the arrange
ments.
| Crowd Impatient and HystericnI.
When finally ten boys, five from the
| III Reno and five from the Lawton dis
trict, were lined up before the two
wheels, and awaited the word to draw
out the first envelopes from the re-
| ceptacles, the throng failed to control
itself. mighty cheer arose, was re-
peated again and again, and the null
| titude pushed closer to the platform
| Eager, drawn faces watched every
movement of those about the wheels.
| and necks were craned to hear the
name of the first winner 4 moment
later when a deputy marshal called
loudly for order, the crowd was stilled
instantly. At II o'clock Col DYER,
one of the three commissioners, read
the presidents proclamation relating
to the drawing. This finished, the en-
velopes We're placed in the wheels,
each was turned repeatedly to insure a
generous mixing up. and then in an
other moment the drawing was on.
First Names Drawn.
The first envelope taken from the
wheel contained the name of James
r. Wood, of Weatherford Okla. who
had registered for a homestead in the
Lawton district.
Matte H. Beals, of Wichita. Kan.
whose birthplace is in Miss souri,, drew
number two, also in the Lawton dis
trict
The multitude went frantic over
the announcement. but became quiet
instantly and listened intently to
hear the names Of the other FORUM
ates.
Without doubt Wood and Miss
Beals, who thus have the right to
make the first filings, win select the
two quarter sections adjoining the
Lawton townsite district and which
are believed to be worth $4,000 each
Crowd Makes Match.
When Col. Dyer. the commissioner
in thunderous tones announced the
| woman's age as %, her height the
same as that of Mr.. Wood. 10000 per-
sons shouted in chorus: They must
get married"
Number one in the FL Reno district
is Stephen \. Holcomb, of Pauls VAL
ley, Ind Ter. and number two is
Leonard Lamb, of Augusta, Okla.
Many "Repeaters."
1t was announced Monday that in
| tabulating the registration it was APP
parent that more than 1000 repeat
ers" had registered at various booths.
many giving the identical name, adj
dresses and personal description. All
| of these were thrown out and the APP
plicants will not have even the one
| chance they were originally entitled to-
| 1t is also reasonably certain that many
others registered under different
names They will be ferreted out
when filings are made. Besides these
| it is reported on good authority that
| the registration office has thrown out
| hundreds of applications because of
illegible writing, and against this
| there is bitter complaint 1t was found,
il is stated, that a majority of those
applications illegibly written, and
| which ii is presumed the rules will
exclude, are from the Lawton district,
where most of the homesteaders came
from, Texas, Arkansas and Indian ter
ritory.
| Deny Indians Injunction.
Washington. July 30.-The depart
ment of Justice Monday received a
telegram stating that Judge Erwin,
of the United States court in Okla
homa. had denied the application of
| Lone w off and other Indians for an
| injunction restraining the govern
ment from distributing land in that
territory by drawings.
Columbia Beats Constitution.
Batemans Point, Il. T., July 3o.-The
Old cup defender, Columbia, won the
| $1,000 Aston cup Monday, leading the
new asp,rant for cup honors. the Con-
stitution, at the finish by two min
utes IA seconds, shore time. The race