The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-04-15
LOTTERY PLAN AS APPLIED TO
cEDED RESERVATIONS.
ALL HAVE EQUAL CHANCE
Drawings Conducted Under supervi
sion Of Government officials-No
Favorites Known.
Saturdays Daily Gazette.

From Saturdays Daily Gazette.
Occasionally one runs across an in
dividual who objects to the lottery
plan of the government to open the
Grow Indian reservation to settlers,
but happily the ''kickers'" column
does not contain many of these OBJ
jectors. Even if there were many of
them it would avail them nothing, as
the lottery plan to open Indian resr-
vations to settlement has become a
fixed policy of the government.
The lottery plan was devised by
Governor Richards, of the general
land Office at Washington, and was
made first to apply in the opening of
the Kiowa and Commanche lands in
Oklahoma territory last year. The
scheme worked so successfully and
met with such universal approval on
the part of the home-seehers who en-
tered the territory that government
officials have decided to recommend
it in every case where lands are to
be added to the public domain.
The plan is simple, and at the same
time it gives every citizen, rich and
poor alike AN equal show. 1t elimi-
mates the old-time feature of horse
racing to reach the lands Immediately
following the issuing of the presidents
proclamation. BY it's operation there
are no longer six-shooter contests for
possession of land and contests in the
local land Offices, on the ground of
priority rights, to be eventually car
ried to the secretary of the interior
for final decision. The lottery feature
brings about an orderly state of af-
fairs and relieves the b%ull-dozer of, an
occupation. .
Every man or woman who has not
heretofore exercised the right of
homestead has the privilege of regis
tering his or her name for a prize in
"Uncle Sans " drawing. Registration
usually remains open for a period OF
80 days at one or more points ad-
| jacent to the lands to be declared
open for settlement. The registration
offices are conducted by department
| officials and clerks who under no cir
cumstances are permitted to have any
pecuniary interest in the matter.
Each registration is recorded by name
and number and sealed in separate
envelope, and when the drawing takes
place the first name and number
drawn from the fortune box gives the
person named first choice of location
The second envelope drawn gives the
person named second choice and sc
on until the names are all drawn, OF
the lands by quarter section are ex
] hausted.
The selection of claims, after one
has drawn a lucky number, is made
from maps provided by the govern
ment and in the hands of department
officials. Each selection is checked
off and a record kept of the transac
ton as to the township and sub-di
vision. The whole transaction is pub
lie and officials and clerks connected
with the registration and drawing
make it a point to be courteous ant
obliging in the way of giving informa
ton to all touching upon the transac
ton.
In Oklahoma last year for the
Kiowa and Commanche lands upwards
of 1879, 900 people were registered 70.
homes. There were but $4,000 claims
in the drawing, and of course Their
were many disappointed. But Their
was none who claimed that tn
scheme was other than the only fai
one under which to conduct the open
ing of Indian reservations.