Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-01
A VISIT TO FL RENO
q. w. Williams Returns From
Oklahoma City.
FOOD AND WATER ARE ABUNDANT
z Mr.. Williams contradicts Reports Re-
sarding Hardships Encountered by
Land Seekers-Describes FL Reno
and Manner of Registration.

and Manner of Registration.
From Tuesdays Daily.l
The stories about the scarcity of
water and food at Ell Reno, Oklahoma.
are all false, according to the state
ment made to Courier reporter this
morning by G. w. Williams, of South
Qttumwa, who returned home Satur-
day night from short trip to the city
above mentioned, having gone there
for the purpose Of registering as one
of the thousands of people who want
to own some of the new land which
was opened yesterday.
FL Reno.
Mr.. Williams spent nearly a week
at 81 Reno and was very favorably I'M
pressed by the city, its surroundings
fnhabit it. He describes Ell Reno as
city Of about 1000 population, which
has for the past few weeks been in
creased by several more thousands of
outsiders. II is comparatively young,
as cities go, but Its buildings are of the
most modern and substantial styles.
Nearly all the business houses are of
brick the streets are well laid out and
in good condition, and comparatively
good order is kept considering the
number and class of people in the city
now Mr. Williams says I'll Reno has
a splendid system of waterworks and
that water is plentiful. This last fact,
which disproves the stories as to the
scarcity of water, is evidenced by the
sprinkling of the streets during the en-,
tire day.
A ''Wide Open" Town.
Ell Reno is described as a typical
western town, wide open" in the vie.
est sense. There are dozen saloons
there, and reliable authority puts the
average daily receipts for each at ST.
900. Saloons, together with games of
chance where the player really has a
chance, are licensed, while hundreds
of fakirs conduct Skin. games" with
which they fleece the unsuspecting
farmers. 1t is amazing to note how
many Give ones" are relieved of their
cash via these games, in which they
have not the slightest chance of win
ming, but which seem to them only too
easy-until they have Joined the army
of the "broke."
The Manner of Registering.
The system of registration as de-
scribed by Mr.. Williams, is an excel
lent one, and it seems queer that it
was never before thought of, as it IS
at once SO simple and expeditions. The
registering is done in a long hall, On
/, each side of which is seated line OF
clerks. For common citizen who
wishes to register, not more than
twenty minutes. Mr.. Williams states
is required from the time he first en-,
tiers the line until he has his papers.
The Declaration.
To begin at the first, however, it is
we'll to state that the man who intends
to register goes first to a notary, be.
fore whom he swears that his fnten-
tions in seeking to own some of the
land to be opened are good. This IS
called ones declaration" and costs
twenty-five cents, the only expenditure
called for in the process. Two copies
are made, and the land-seeker pockets
one, taking the other to the building
where he is to register.
No bitches"
From the door of this hall out fol
probably a hundred feet, are two ropes
enclosing a path: One has to make
his way to the door of the hall be
tween these ropes. He must go to the
foot of the line as he cannot get under
the ropes and steal a place from any
one else owing to the guards station
ed at intervals of a few feet along tht
path. These guards serve a double
purpose, for they have sticks, with
which they keep the crowd divided in
to groups of about six OF eight by lay
Ing the sticks across the ropes behind
each successive group as it moves to
ward the door of the hall
At the last named point there are
several ushers, or policemen; while OF
either side of the hall itself is line OF
government clerks The ushers dis
tribute the new arrivals among the
clerks, the intention being to have
each clerk waiting upon one man, will
second waiting to register.
Registration is Speedy
OnlyUa few minutes are required tt
register unless one has an old soldier;
papers. The clerk takes one of the dec
larations," sees that it is all right, thef
makes memorandum of the name ant
address, age, personal description, age
and place of BIRTH. OF the one who i.
registering. This. memorandum il
placed in plain, envelope, which il
sealed and dropped into a drum. Thu
land-seeker then has his remaining
copy of his 'decalartion" to show tina
he is land-seeker. This is pass in
to the new land which he can visi
and look over with. view to pickin!
/. out the most desirable sites. in cas-,
he has lucky number when thu
drawing occurs.
Veteran Papers Take Time.
For those holdingold soldiers papers
the time required to register Is longe
than for common citizen, owing tt
the chance for fraud in the discharges
etc. Sometimes half day must b.
put in before one of the holders o
these papers can register. But as 70
waiting in line, which was reported
Y Sfnr1i&1u Gi1uor