The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-11-05

saw the opportunity of a lifetime In
70 mer land openings the average
homestead wasl good for three or four
contests. The El Reno drawing had
prevented a repetition of this phase
and there was little likelihood OF home.
steaders indulging in daily gun plays.
but it was confidently believed good
and sufficient reasons for insututing
contests could be trumped up. II the
reasons were not sufficient to impress
the register and receiver OF the land
office they at least might be suffi-
cient to scare the homesteader. 1t
didn't take the officials of the land
office long to discover that the great
majority of these cases were nothing
hort OF attempts TO biackmail. In
all more than 2.30O contests out Of
maximum Of $500 homesteads have
been filed Less than one-third of
these have ever come to trial Hun
dreds of them were compromised by
intimidated settlers for sums ranging
from s25 to $500 and the proceedings
dismissed
Blu. where homesteaders refused to
be blacltmailed or intimidated and ap
pealed to the land office they were
assured Of their rights. As a result
there is a feeling of security among
settlers and a wholesome respect for
the law and the officials. The snitches
are going out of business.
It was inevitable that out Of 167 900
participants in a land drawing there
should be a number who drew claims
that were not entitled to them Many
of these fastened to relinquish their
land for a consideration. Others
we've conte9ted before they could
transfer their homestead right. There
has been and yet is a lively business
in buying and selling relinquishments,
but the number of such transfers has
been exaggerated The total number
OF filings at the land office has been
10000. AS there We're $500 claimants /
entitled to file under the original I
drawing the average fling to the
homestead has been about one and
one-half.
It has been stated by senator's In
Washington who knew nothing from
their own Investigations that not one
in three OF the persons who drew
numbers at FL Reno had remained on
their lands. The figures show that
more than one-half who drew claims
wanted their lands for, a homestead
The Settlers Wanted Homes.
Every inducement was offered those
who wanted to dispose of their claims
From $3.50 to $4,000 was offered for
rellnquishments. It represented so
much net profit to the claimants,
great majority of whom were poo.
Yet the official figures show that
majority Of those who drew claims
have preferred to undergo the hard
ships OF homesteading and thereby
secure homes of their own to accept
lag fairly good prices for their Telin-
quishment.
In the new settlers who have come
through the purchase of relinquish- !
ments the country has not been
loser. For the most part those who !
sold were settlers who could never
have made the most Of their opportun-
tiles. The homesteader= who have
succeeded them a.e practical farmers.
They have come from all points of
the compass While the southern
states, more particularly Texas, Ar
kansas and the Indian territory, were
most largely represented in the lists
published at the original drawing
states north of Oklahoma have pur-
chased a majority Of the rellnquish-
ments.
In the sectional divisions Of the
own population the same conditions
prevail When the Lawton public
schools were opened a little over Qua
rear ago the teachers asked the pu.
pills from what states they came.
More than three-hifth- were rrsm !
states south of Oklahoma This fall s
more than one-half Of the students in g