Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-08-13
ROSEBUDLANDLOTTERY
Incidents of Distributing the
Prizes at Chamberlain, S. D.
SOLDIER WINNER OF THE FIRST.

Second Nebraska ReRIment-Greek-
ed Anna VI. Alden of DentOnviIIe,
Kan, as 1.-The First Lady of the
Rosebud"
Here are some incidents Of the Rose
bud reservation lottery personally con-
Quoted with such eminent success by
Uncle Sam and recently closed in the
frontier South Dakota village of Cham
berlain, says a special correspondent of
the st. Louis Post-Dispatch. Twenty
four hundred farms were the prizes.
When the big churn had been whirled
for five minutes and the names thor
Oughly mixed, and q boy, chosen by
lot from a list Of eight, had drawn
the first name and 1t was found TO be
that Of William Mccormick, the crowd
cheered wildly for the man who had
been presented q fortune of $4,000.
Mccormick Is a veteran of the Spanish
American war who served calamity in
the famous Second Nebraska regiment.
BY drawing the first number of the
10000 in the big lottery he earned
first choice of the $500 quarter section
farms to be given away.
The method of drawing was simple
enough. One hundred and seven thou
sand envelopes. perfectly plain, were
received In their original boxes. The
name and address of one applicant for
lands written on card were placed in
side OF each envelope, which was then
sealed. The envelopes with these in
closures were then replaced in the
original boxes and these sealed and
numbered consecutiyely.
The big "churn" in which the en-
velopes were to be mixed was simply a
solid wooden box pig feet square and
10 feet long. 1t was not nearly large
enough TO hold all the envelopes, so
the numbers of the sealed boxes were
placed in a hat and carefully mixed
in full view of the assembled multi
tude Then numbers were drawn from
that representing enough boxes OF en-
velopes to fill the churn. and the boxes
with the corresponding numerals were
promptly dumped into the churn.
The churning process consisted in aGi-
tating the big box, which was hung on
a swivel, by turning a crank. This
was kept up for five minutes and then
the drawing began. The crowd was
full OF advice and RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Commissioner Richards of the gen.
eral land office, his assistants. Judge
Wnkeley Of Omaha and +. +. Sher-
man of Sioux Falls. and several 9th
ers occupied places OH the platform.
The crowd could sec everything Eight
boys, all living in Chamberlain, had
been selected to do the drawing for
the first day. They We're Arthur ROg-
ers, james Stevens, Edgar Clute.
Lionel Graudpre. Clinton Laughlin.
Lucky Somers, Lucien Baker and Da-
vid Ganaway. When Ganaway's name
was announced the crowd thought it
was Gassaway.
well, make him vice president"
yelled somebody. and the crowd roared.
"Lucky's the boy for my money"
rOared n man with fog horn voice,
when Lucky Somers' name was called,
and he was. for he drew the privilege
of taking the first name from the box.
When the box stopped revolving after
the churning process, Lucky stepped
forward, and there was silence at
once. The cover was removed from the
small opening through which the en-
velopes were to be taken out, and
Lucky. standing on n big box so that
inserted his hnnd (he could not see in
side and drew out an envelope. He
handed II TO Judge WakeIey. who eX
amined II and passed II TO Mr.. Sher-
man. and he IN turn to Commissioner
Richards. The crowd was holding its
breath. There really didn't seem any
excuse for men moving so deliberately.
Hurry up, please, l want to get
turnip crop in" shouted pale faced
man at the front of the stand. His
voice was thin and piping, and in the
tense silence the entire crowd heard
him distinctly The commissioner had
tust turned TO the crowd 10 make bis
announcement. but the crowd had
new idea The thin mans anxiety to
get to his farm and plant his turnips
before II should be too late carried the
throng or its feet. and in an instant It
was shouting with laughter. But the
interest was too earnest for this TO last
long Commissioner Richards held up
his hand for order. and he got II.
William Mccormick. whose last post
Office address was Lancaster. Pa.
draws the first chance" he announced.
The crowd was not pleased at first
Nebraska. South Dakota and Iowa fur
nished three-fourths OF the applicants,
and here came a man all the way from
PENNSYLVANIA 10 draw the $4,000 first
prize, for the first quarter section. sure
10 be used for a town site. was figured
easily worth this sum.
Who IS heT" demanded somebody
after n spasmOdic effort at cheers had
resulted unhappily. The commissioner
had turned to the record books and had
the information at hand in Il moment
Hes twenty-seven years old. five feet
six inches high, unmarried, was born
in Philadelphia and served in the Sec
ond Nebraska in the Philippines during
the Spanish war" called out the COM
missioner.
That made II all right. The winner
was a Nebraskan and soldier OF the
famous Second Nebraska shat saw