The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-05-11
10
ANDS BY
I0TTEEERlY \
Applicants Must Register Their Naa1ss
with Government Officials.

WASHINGTON, d. c. May ILL.,
Unco Sam will so into The lottery
business for little while, as the out
come Of legislation enacted by Con
sress at the session Just ended for
opening TO settlement lands IN sew
eral Indian reservations in the Vests
4 Applicants for lands in these reser-
vations viii have TO register their
names ,rith government officials ap-
pointed 10 conduct the drawings. In
the SIXTY days after the opening OF
the reservation the lucky seekers Cor
homes, determined By lottery. viii
have the chance 10 select the land
they want III this Way obey will be
protected from the wild scramble
with the usual attendant bloodshed,
which has characterized the free home
entry plan in the past. There are no.
table advantages in the plan. 1t not
only determines the order OF cholce-
but keeps a record OF the people who
have entered the new lands and how
much they owe the government Tor
the land they have taken up
The reservation lands TO be disposed
of this time are not to be opened to
the public free of all charge. as was
done in the Oklahoma and other OPEN
i1sgs several years ago buC Will be sold
al Il fixed charge. The following facts
show. IN brief, the opportunity for
the home seekers and how they must
have money to get started this tlhie,
instead OF only dash and daring as be
fore.
Lands ere In Northwest.
Lands to be opened in Montana.
1.10n000 acres. to be sold at S1.25 an
acre; limit for any one entry, Gao
acres: opening in August Rosebud
reservation. South Dakota, $4,000
acres, at So an acre; opening in July
Red Lake reservation, Minnesota, 400
GOO acres: practically same conditions.
Devils Lake reservation. North Da-
kota, 104.416 acres; most fertile lands
in that section OF the West, S4.oo an
acre; opening in July
Government officials IN Washington
who will have general direction OF the
plans of execution are confident that
the coming drawings Will prove more
successful and satisfactory to every
one concerned than have any OF the
past attempts of the government to
help along the home seekers OF the
West.
Previous attempts to distribute free
land have been attended by the great
est disorder, and sometimes by loss
OF life The Oklahoma opening was
the focal point for 10000 anxious and
adventurous people, most Of them try
ing to get something for nothing, with
the idea of disposing of it as soon as
they could realize anything on it.
The real home seekers were put at
a disadvantage by these land butch
ers, and IL, 200 quarter sections of land
intended for homes went through a
roundabout ownership without any ad-
vantage to the government ana great
disadvantage to the home seekers
BY the new plan it is hoped to OBJ
viate all these difficulties. Every ap-
plicant must be registered before he
draws. When he draws a number and
goes out to select his land he must
pay fixed price an acre Tor all he
wants to take up. Having done that.
he will be protected in his rights by
the government by civil law In all
cases and by the military arm OF the
government wherever and whenever
necessary.
The real home seekers will take up
the land in larger proportion than De
fore. while the prZe-seekinS despera-
do will lind lls former advantage over
the quiet. peace-Ioving citizen no lon
ger exists.