The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-03-28
Frank BoMerman Warns his Deca.
tur County Friends Against an
Oklahoma Land Shark.
Dover. OKLA, March 1e. 100,

4
To THE OLD SOLDIERS OF DECATUR Co:
A great many old soldiers who have
received circulars from certain land
shark in Kingfsher, whose initial are b.
". g., asked me to go to him and thor
oughly investigate the matter for them.
This have done, and, as near as I can
find out, he is first-class confidence
man, and absolutely cannot do what he
claims he can and will. He told me he
expected to file about 900 claims, and
that they would be all filed in three min
utes after the country was opened. This
is absurd. An old land office man. told
me that about six filings an hour was the
best time that could be made. This man
is not so powerful as all that. Besides,
within an hour and a-half after it is
opened, a man can ride to the very
heart of the country. So, if he was right
at the land Office, he could only file
about ten claims before every claim
would have stake on it; and prior SET
Element beats everything else. Besides,
one man can only bold his place long
enough to file two claims. Then he must
go back and line up again, and when his
turn comes he may file two more. But
by this time everv quarter will have an
actual settler on it land probably a doz-
en).
This man claims he has filed for 100
old soldiers in previous openings. He
did file for good many. but he filed
them away out on the Texas line, where
no one else wanted it. There is plenty
of government lard out there yet.
1t is a Misunderstanding that old sold
iers have any great advantage over the
civilian. He can file through an attor-
ney, but that attorney cannot success
sively file more than one declaration
and one for himself; and If the country
opens with run, which believe it will,
he will nave tof make the run or take
chances of getting to file before it is
staked. A Responsible man told me they
would have strung this man up by the
neck at Pond Creek, if he hadn't hid
out. In that opening he skinned the
soldiers the same way he is trying to do
here. He offered me SIS for each old
soldiers declaratory papers that
would get him with an accompanying
fee of $40.
take this'way of warning old soldiers
in Decatur county against this man, as
know he is well advertised there. No
man should send any money to any one
claiming to be declaratory agents.
saw man from. Ringgold county come
into the Office. He took him into the
back room and gave him his speel. He
came out convinced, gave him $40 and
bis papers and said he could look for
several more soon from his neighbor.
hood. l went back and l suppose he
gave me the same speel (of course this
standing was that one man could only
E1c.N 10 ODD ,ikf ~ 10
but claimed he could file 1000 in ten
minutes. asked him how? He said,
CHOW / do this no one knows, 2 All car
tell you is this: This is Republican
administration amt it," eyes" swell
the Republican party wants this Terri
tory to come in Republican state
Don't that sound reasonable?' eyes,"
"Well, now, this is about all can tel
you. II you will just think moment
! SO ont of every 100 soldiers are Repub
licans. Now I,stand in with the head
pusbersi Of the Republican party. VIM
Grimes, the Territorial central commit
teeman, is in Washington now, fxinf
a this thing up for me-" This is his talk.
Well, | went out and began to investi
. gate the matter, and found that WIN
, Grimes was out of town, but in St. Loui
on pleasure trip. have carefully in
vestigatedi this matter and find, to tn
best of my belief, this man is taker il
. high standing; and there are plenty Q
men in Kingfsher near enough like hin
! to recommend him.
Oats sowing is about over here. Cattl
are still on the wheat, and both cattl
; and wheat are looking fine. Apricot
are in bloom, and spring is here, gran
and glorious. We will begin listing cor
about the first of April. Hoping thi
, may escape the waste basket, am
Very Resp'y, FRANK BowERMAs