The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-06
RULES FOR THE SALE.
How the Land OF the big Pasture
VIII BE Auctioned.

Lawton, Okla, Dec 6.=Judge J. w.
! Witten, who will have charge of the
sale of the big pasture lands, today
announced the following rules for the
sale Of the land by auction. for which
| bids will be opened Dec. 10:
In cases where two men offer the
same amount for the same tract. 7
have adopted a rule that will be ad-
! bidder As we open the bids each will
! be numbered consecutively and the
first one opened. where the amount
| offered is the same from two persons
for the same tract, will be considered
the successful bidder. Prior to open
ing. all the envelopes will be thor
oughly shuffled. All this VIII be done
publicly and the name of the bidder
envelope is opened. No awards will be
made, however, but all Will be taken
to Washington, from where will be an
nounced who the successful ones are
There may be some Misrepresentation
IN reference to the submitting of pro-
posals Of purchase, but the department.
has done its best to give out every IT,
formation on the subject. For instance
1t is required that each proposed pur-
chaser send in a certified check for 5
per cent of the amount of his bid, and
while he may bid on as many tracts a.
he pleases, it is required only. that lie
send in a certified check for this per
centage for one tract, that of his high
est bid. If he is successful, this check
IS applied on the purchase price. An
other thing, no bid under IS an acre
will be received. That is the upset price
set by the government
What Will be done with the lands
that are not bid on?''
Judging from the interest in this
sale already manifested. there will be
no 'leavin's.' but. of course. some Of
this land is unfit for farming and may
not be bid on and whatever is left will
be- disposed of by Secretary Hitchcock
later as he may see fit To show Won
the demand for farms in the big pas
ture, can quote just one instance
where We recently received a bid from
man for $50 tracts. He made-a mis-
take i'll sending it to Washington, and
In bidding SO soon. of course. it could
not be considered.
Three townsites will be established
in the tract Of 10000 acres to be sold.
but the manner of disDosing of the
plots In these townsites has not vet
been decided on. 1t Will rest with Sec
tary Hitchcock"
The land sale. which Judge Witten
will have charge of is the last OF its
kind that will ever take place in tn e
United States. The big pasture is a
tract of 1900 acres set aside by the
government as pasture land for the In
dams, when the KioWa and Ccmanche
lands in Oklahoma were opened for
settlement. The c1amor for these lands
became so insistent on the part of the
general public that the government
finally made a proposition to the In
dams to sell the land and give the IN
dams the cash i'm lieu of the broad
acres. The Indians accepted at once
and the coming sale is the result. The
land will bring on an average Of ten
dollars per acre, putting $4,000, 600 into
the Golfers of the former owners. The
sale of town lots will probably add a
half million more to this.
Pater q a. )-Oh, drat. the -chiIdt Mater
You must expect babfesc to- cry when