The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1901-08-02
LAND LOTTERY.
Attending Opening at
Ell Reno

Excitement Attending Opening at
Ell Reno.
Eli RENO, OF, July 29.-Okla-
homa's great land lottery was be-
gun here in earnest to day, and
when the commissioners appointed
by the Federal Government adj
journed the drawing for the day,
1000 of the choicest of the $4,000
160-acre CLAIMS in the Kiowa- Com
anche country had been awarded.
The first name drawn from the
wheels was that of Stephen A.
Holcomb, Of Paul's Valley, |. t.,
for homestead in the FL Reno dis
trict, and the second, Leonard
Lamb, of Augusta, !. /. These
two men select the two choicest
claims in this district.
The capital prize winners, how
ever, proved to be james r.
Wood, of Weatherford, O. T.,
whose name was the first to come
from the Lawton wheel, and Miss
Matte II. Bealls, of Wichita,
Kan, who drew the second num-
Der in that district. They will
have the privilege of making the
first filings. in the Lawton district
and will undoubtedly choose the
two quarter sections adjoining
that town. These are considered
the most valuable in the territory
and are, it was estimated. worth
from $40, 900 to $40, 900 each.
INTERESTING SCENES.
The day has been one of keen
excitement, replete with interest
ing scenes. 1t is estimated that
fully $4,000 persons witnessed the
drawing. The immense throng
was wrought up to the highest
pitch. The drawing of the first
names was followed by q mighty
shout that reverberated beyond
the hills, and must have been
heard for miles over the prairies.
Each winner for u time was met
with shouts of applause and merri-
ment.
All was pleasantly. Every
man, though he did not draw
prize from the wheels to-day, had
steadfast faith that to morrow or
the next day would surely see him
the possessor of a slip reading him
title clear to 1850 acres of Okla
homa's land.
So, in the success of friends and
relatives, unfortunate ones o-day,
instead of bewailing their fate,
cheered Justify as familiar names
were called out from the commits
sioner's platform.
When the close of the drawing
for the day was announced at g.
o'clock, hundreds who had neither
eaten nor drank during the day
sank to the ground where they
stood, from sheer exhaustion, or
dragged themselves to better
places of rest or to refreshment
booths up town. The day was re-
markably free from quarrels and
general satisfaction with the Gov
ernment's method of disposing of
the land was felt.
When twenty-five names had
been taken from the Ell Reno disr
trict wheel, attention was turned to
that representing the Lawton.
The first name brought out for
this district was that of James r.
Wood, of Weatherford, 0. T.,
and the crowd again went wild.
This meant that Wood would be
able to claim the quarter section
adjoining Lawton town, one of the
choicest in the entire country. |
The second ticket was drawn
and Col. Dyer cried out.
81 have the pleasure to an
nonnce the name of the first wo-
men to draw prize, Matte H.
Beals, of Wichita, KAN
Then Col. Dyer gave her de-
scription us % years old, 5 feet 8
inches in height, just the height of |
Woods. Instantly the crowd
caught the humor of the situation
and thousands of throats sent up
the shout:
They must get married.
Mrs. S. II. Airport, Johnstown, Pa,
says: Our little girl almost strangled |
- death ~ ..rat.p riho Inafore, an II sl,a 4