Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1904-07-14
ALL WERE REGISTERED.
A Total Of 3,612 Took Certificates N
Bonesteel Yesterday.

" " osOtG OOk NSCIIUCdS00 X
Bonesteel Yesterday.
Bonesteel. $. D.. July s.-As promised
by Commissioner c. X. Richards Of III
general and office, every man. woman
anc old soldiers proxy. who desired to
register here yesterday, had the oppor
UNITY, add last evening nearly 1000
people were at liberty to cave Bone
steel.
Precisely 3.612 men registered, includ-
ing the old soldiers who registered by
proxy. Early I'm the afternoon PA wom-
en- had filed their papers and were at
liberty to leave the mushroom city. Few
people from Bonestcel and this immc-
diate vicinity registered yesterday.
They preferred to let the visitors file
their papers which would enable them
TO leave for their homes. The special
train over the North western which left
here at 40 last night. carried away
nearly 1000, while the train which left
at l o'clock this morning took out nine
coaches. All incoming trains We're
heavily loaded. and Boncstcel looks for
II constant stream of homeseel~rrs for
the next sixteen days. 1t is said that
at no time will the number exceed the
1000 or 4.200 people who were i'm the
city yesterday. though Ronesteel is pre-
pared to care for from 5000 to 5000 at
any time. The lodging houses were
half empty last night and the special
concessions literally ven begging.
The crowd III Homestead is not n gath
ering of cutthroatS or dcadbeatS. TIL
fact that every man WHO files on Il;
quarter section or Rosebud land viii
tie required to pay $3.50 down has kept
out an undesirable. itinerant element.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS nay be made after the
$3.50 is paid. but the certificates of reg
istration are not transferable. If n
party draws a quarter section and is
entitled 10 file his homestead papers,
he must pay the $3.50. If he then de-
sires to relinquish his rights to anoth-
er. he may give "a written withdrawal.
The party Ia whom the withdrawal is
given may present his entry papers and
the Withdrawal of the original entry
man. thus having the first right to file
OF the relinquished claim. But he
must pay another $3.50, and the original
entryman ~forfeits not onIy his S16O, but
also his right of homestead. The gov
eminent. which considers every man
entitled to II quarter section of land.
thus pays two debts with the same sec
ton, and retains the $3.50 besides. 1t is
not thought that many will %relinGuish
their homesteads, or that there will be
many who will offer to pay back the
Si6O paid the government, and put up
the second $3.50 besides. There is no
trading Or dickering i'm Bonesteel.
though locating agents are coming
i'C''NS Wy iii6 ~ u u ~ loI
locating claims and 81 and $1.50 for no
tifying after the drawing takes place.
The government has made provision
for notifying all who draw land on the
2Sth of July. and the real estate agents
and notaries are thus collecting n fec
for something which is absolutely UNI
| necessary.
People of Eollesteel resent the state
ment of some papers that 81 is being
charged by notaries for filling out pa
pers and making the affidavit. No
notary has been reported who has
charged more Than % cents. The an
nouncement by Commissioner Richards
that he would not tolerate a charge OF
over a quarter of a dollar was final, and
signs with letters two feet long were
Immediately erected. to the effect that
papers would be filled out and the ac-
acknowledgements taken for % cents.
A little trouble was threatened yes.
terday when 1t leaked out thai notaries
/ mad nlled paper Out or the 4th of July
and dated them on the 5th. Commits
sfoner Richards said hat he would not
throw out the papers. but that II posi-
tive information was obtained against
any notary. he would see that the
notary did no more business while the
registration was going on. He said fur
ther that he would take steps with the
governor of South Dakota to see that
the commission OF the notary is re-
NoHCts tIIu Ills III DldCeu OIL ~ ever
lasting blacklist.
Practically all The non-residents in
Bonesteei have registered. and the Of
ices closed early last evening, though
they had intended to run late In order
to give all a chance to get their certifi-
Gates of registration. The offices opened
early this morning and a short line
waited the announcement Of Inspector
/ McPhall at Z o'clock that the registra-
ton for the second day had started.
After noon today it was possible for
anyone to step up to the office ami
register IN two minutes.
Chief of Police Jim Melon has had
few complaints Of robberies or at
tempted robberies. His men patrol the
streets day and night in sufficient
numbers to guarantee safety. The
crowd OF colOred bawds and hoodlums
considered the only dangerous place in
the town. To pander to the lowest
vices and tastes of man. at least 200
negresses are in Bonesteel. They have
constt ucted dance halls under tents.
brought in their pianos and bucks. and
prepared to do a large amount OF
grating and thieving among those
whom they entice to their quarters.
But they are given the cold shoulder
by the visitors. and at no time yester-
day or last night did a crowd infest the
negro quarter or visit the c~reoles.
A mall fire last night in a saloon
on the main street caused the fire de-
partment of BOnesteel to turn out,
and tie hundreds of people who
watched the five citizens come ciowly
down the pike with a heavy hose cart
Jeered for an hour. Bonesteel has
plenty of water. but no fire protection.
and were It not for the fact that 1t has
rained here every other day for two
weeks h many frail structures would
be In danger OF being erased from the
map. Rain fell for an hour last even
fng m cooled. the atmosphere. which
was overheated during the day.
CROWDED At vANkToN.