The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-08-24
: ROSEBUD LAND LOTTERY
Incidents of Distributing the Prizes at Chamberlain s.
D. Crowd Cheered Wildly as oololer from
Second Nebraska Regiment Drew First

Here are some incidents of the Rose
bud reservation lottery personally con-
Quoted with such eminent success by
Chcle Sam and recently closed in the
frontier South Dakota village of Cham
berlain, says q 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
6ughly mixed, and a boy, chosen by
lot from a list of eight, had drawn
the first name and it was found to be
that of William Mccormick, the crowd
rheered wildly for the man who had
been presented a fortune of $4,000.
Mccormick is a veteran Of the Spanish
American war who served gallantly In
the famous Second Nebraska regiment.
By drawing the first number Of the
100000 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 We're then replaced in the
original boxes and these sealed and
numbered consecutively.
The big "churn" in which the en-
Hetopes were to be mixed was simply
solid wooden box 212 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
4tde. Then numbers were drawn from
that representing enough boxes Of en-
Relopes to fill the churn, and the boxes
with the corresponding numerals were
promptly dumped into the churn.
The churning process consisted in agi-
Eating the big box, which was hung on
Il swivel, by turning crank. This
was kept up for five minutes and then
tie drawing began. The crowd was
full of advice and righteousness.
Commissioner Richards of the gen
ersl land office, his assistants, Judge
W1keley of Omaha and Z. f. Sher-
al, II of Sioux Falls, and several 9th
Ars occupied places on 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-
srs, James Stevens, Edgar Clute,
Lionel Grandpre, Clinton Laughlin,
Lucky Somers, Lucien Baker and Da
tid Gahaway. When Ganaway's name
was announced the crowd thought it
WAS Gassaway.
"Well, make him vice president"
teiied somebody, and the crowd roared.
'tucky's the boy for my money"
toafed a man with a fog horn voice,
when Lucky SOmers' name was called,
AID he was, for he drew the privilege
IF taking the first name from the box.
When the box stopped revolving after
tbs churning process, Lucky stepped
forward, and there was silence at
ohCe. The cover was removed from the
small opening through which the en-
veiopes were to be taken out, and
Lucky, standing on big box so that
he would reach to the top of the churn,
Inserted his hand Che could not see in
side and drew out an envelope. He
handed it to Judge Wakeley, who ex-
AHMED it and passed it 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.