The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1904-08-03
The ROSEBUD
An Unlucky Number Of Redwood Land
Seekers Return Alive.


the continent, risking lives and en-
during numerous hardships that
they may have chance, and very
slim chance at that. to draw 16O
acres of land of doubtful value? The
above question, or something very
like, has probably occurred to near
| ly every person who has noticed
the stupenduous figures attained at
the various places of register, near
the Rosebud reservation about to
be opened to the paleface. It is not
an easy question to answer. In
many cases the desire to obtain land
cheaply is undoubtedly the cause.
But this can scarcely be the reason
for man to journey from Texas, a
state where the population compared
to area is so very small
Probably the most nearly correct
answer to be had is the innate gamb-
ling instinct so common to Ameri-
cans. The fact that there is an ele-
ment of chance with the stakes
large, added to the unlimited adj
vertising which that fact has re-
ceived. accounts in great measure,
at least, for the countless swarms of
humanity that have focked to South
Dakota during the present month.
A party consisting of Charles
Everett, w. S. Southwick, George
Evans, v. M. Persons, L. P. Lar
son, Frank R. Lobdell, Frank G..
Hubbard, w. N. Carter, VIM. Milne,
Otto Goetze, George Jaehning and
Frank Harrington of Redwood Falls
and George A. Dunwell of Oklaho-
ma City, who was visiting here,
returned from trip to Yankton on
July Goth. The party, which, it
was discovered, numbered exactly
thirteen, left the Sunday before
over the Northwestern via Manka-
to, thence over the Omaha to Alton,
Iowa, where they they were COM
PEELED to wait from 4:2O a. M until
2 p. m.
Alton is pretty little village of
not very large proportions, but
Boosting of a wide-awake set of bus
mess men and one of the best news
papers, the Alton Democrat, in
northwestern Iowa.
The train on which the Redwood
ties were to embark for Yankton
pulled into Alton about 1915 and
was at once boarded by the dele
gates from this town, who secured
several seats so situated that all
were close together. This situation
had it's draw backs as well as it's
advantages, for while it is very
pleasant to sit and talk of passing
scenery or stuff peanut shucks
down your neighbours neck, it is
not quite so enjoyable to awaken
from a short nap to find that some
jocular friend had relieved you of
your YaIuables, or just as you are
leaning towards the arms of Nor
pheus, to be rudely awakened by a
stream of ice water gurgling along
the vertebrae. Such little pleasan-
tries we're by no means the excep-
ton, and in a great measure helped
to keep Southwick and Pete from
despair.
The scene in the railroad yards at
Alton was one of indescribable con-
fusion when more than 1000 wild
eyed land-seekers had to change
cars. There were old men with |
canes, and women with babes in
arms, all scrambling for seat, and |
shouting and pushing. Finally
more cars were switched onto the
line and three trains, composed en-
tirely of people enroute for Yank-
ton were made up and got under
way.
Between this point and Yankton
lies, as someone was heard to re-
mark, 1.-THE prettiest farming coun-
try that God has put out of doors. "
Great rolling fields with superb
natural drainage, and crops that
show careful tillage and splendid |
soil. The main crop appears to be
corn, but rye and wheat are also