Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-08-05
William Mccormack Of Lancas.
ter County. heb., Gets the
First Farm.
THE ATTENDANCE LARGE
Commissioner Richards Prorp MA
the Work-iowans, Nebraska,
and Dakotans Predominate in
the List.

Eagerly aW9lleu uTdWlHS III uislAiDAtiSh
IF the lands in the Rosebud reservation
opened bright and sultry.
The great wheel from which the
numbers were drawn was placed in a
position about s o'clock and the grand
stand was comfortably filled with Of
acials. newspaper men and distinguish
ed guests. Among the latter We're
Congressman Burke. National Commit
lteeman Greene, and Internal Revenue
Collector Ellerman, all of South Da-
kota.
Land Commissioner Richards With
ais assistants, Judge Wakeley. OF
Omaha, and p. #. Sherman, OF Sioux
Falls, were early on the grounds.
shortly after 0 o'clock the envelopes
containing the names of the registered
aspirants were placed in the wheel and
Everything was In readiness.
Method of Drawing Explained.
Geo. C. Hunt, of Washington, in
spector OF special agents. had charge
Of the platform, while the police pre-
served order in the crowd. X was e;0E
4. m. when Commissioners Richards.
removing his broad brimmed Panama
hat, stepped to the rail and, resting
his hand on the big chtrn, faced the
crowd. Instantly hats We're removed
and a eeep silence ensued. The first
words of the commissioner were dis
tinctly heard.
Attention. please he cried. an6
drawing a typewriter copy OF the in
structions from his pocket he read it
and explained, as he proceeded, the
plan TO be carried out In the drawing
The boxes from Bonesteel, Chamber
lain, Fairfax and Yankton, containing
the envelopes, were numbered with
out reference to locations. The clerks
drew the corresponding numbers,
placed in a hat, and the boxes We're
then dumped in the churn.
Eight boys, Arthur Rogers, James
Stevens, Edgar Clute, Lional Grandpre.
Clinton Laughlin, Lucky Somers. Luz
clan Baker and David Ganaway, all of
chamberlain, were chosen to draw the
numbers from the churn. -Four VIII
work one day and the other four the
next until the entire loo, 900 envelopes
are drawn.
Big Day for Chamberlain.
In the valley west of and skirting the
bank of the Missouri and surrounding
the big platform erected by the govern
ment, about 1000 people stood this
morning, awaiting the opening of the
drawing. More than 1000 of them came
from points outside a radius OF fifty
miles from Chamberlain. They We're
early on the ground. many appearing
at daybreak.
Governor w. A.. Richards, commits.
%sioner of the general LAND Office, and his
force of twenty-five clerks, headed by
John McPhaul, were astir early. The
big blue painted box in which the en-
velopes were dumped was brought tic
the platform n until the hour for the
opening arrived was guarded carefully.
This box, after the drawing. will be
taken TO the st. Louis fair, n exhib-
tied at the government building.
The day dawned COO n bright. A
brisk breeze swept over the platform.
The business men and their clerks,
many of whom a registered. closed
their places and joined the throng at
the platform. Before 8 o'clock the plat
form was occupied by Commissioners
Richards, Judge Wakelcy of Omaha
and p. f. Sherman of Sioux Falls, the
committee in charge; Congressman
Burke, author of the Rosebud bill; the
government clerks, members of the
press, and a number of prominent citi-
zens.
They're OFF,
At exactly 10 o'clock the clerks fin
ished filling the churn and two men,
one at each end OF It, gave the box a
mighty whirl, and simultaneously a
great cheer arose.
They're off" shricked the throng.
"Step lively. boys" spoke Commits
came out to draw for positions at the
apertures, which were numbered 1,
2, 3 and 4. Arthur Rogers. Lucian Bak-
er, Lucky Somers and Edgar Clute
were the four chosen by lot for the
first days drawing.
Lucky" Somers was the lucky boy
to be chosen to make the FIRST draw,
at hole No. 8. He was held up in the
arms OF a clerk in view OF the crowd.
and a great cheer greeted him.
Lucky Somers. whose name is sig
nifcant, will draw the first number
a. - 80
Lucky reached, annie a great silence,
into the churn, and a moment later
handed to Judge Wakely the envelope.
AS the Judge, with trembling hands.
opened 1t the slip was seen to bear the
stamp of the Chamberlain Office. Slow
ly the slip was unfolded and handed to
Commissioner Richards. who examined
1t deliberately while the crowd waited
in silence.
Crowd Cheers First Winner.
Hurry up" spoke a pale faced man
In the front row Of the crowd. The
Commissioners glanced at him, and then,
turning, shouted:
THE first number Is William Nc
Cormick, whose last postoffce address
born In Philadelphia, is a soldier. and
was registered by an agent. William
Powell. of Chamberlain. s. D."
A confused murfnur arose. Evident
~ there was much disappointment.
Then q cheer, 'Hurrah for Billy Me-
Cormick." and 'Hurrah for Chamber
laini'
AS the names were drawn the inter
est grew. There were cheers for Ole
M. Olson. No. 20. and a round OF hand
clapping and waving of 'kerchiefs by
the women when the name of Anna
n. Adams. No. "a. of Bentonville. Kan,
was announced
The first prize. drawn by Mccormick
OF Pennsylvania. Is estimated worth
$4,000. as 1t is ssunied he will take a
quarter SECTION adjoining one OF the
townsites.
Talus Rugge Of Tea. S. D.. is *
pected to take something stronger,
when he receives the telegram an
nouncing that he was No. 2. FIe is a
farmer.
aS.At IL o'clock the first 100 names had
been drawn. Commissions Richards
said no others would be publicly IN
nouncea. AS fast as a list spf fifty
lnanestsxere prepared they were post
ed on two bulletin boards, sixty yards
from the platform.
The crowd melted away at this an-
nouncement, only q few 1ocoters and
land agents remaining. The first lVe
showed that twenty-fv Nebfaskans
had drawn. Iowa came next ano