The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-30
"SOONERS" MADE
FINAL ASSAULT
GobbIed Up All the Choice Lo-
cations in Walker Lake
Reservation.
INDIAN POLICE WERE EASY
BRlBED WITH MONEY AND A
FEW DRINKS.

Thorne. New. Oct. 29-With the firing
OF a mighty blast Of dynamite from the
Top or Grant peak the highest point in
the auJacent mountains, the Walker Lake
lhuidn reservation was opened at noon
To-Day At the given signal hundreds of
searchers for gold hurried helter-skelter
over the boundary lines of plain ana
mountain, and before the great cloud OF
smoke which rose into the air from the
dynamite explosion had dTifted away, a
spectacular race of automobiles, race
horses and vehicles was on. So great
was the ruch across the desert from the
me nearest Hawthorne that number OF
persons narrowly escaped being trampled
over and in numerous instances injuries
were reported
Horses were ridden until they dropped
and men recounted their i'll fortune when
their autos became stalled in the deep
SANDS Jaded and overcome by thirst
numbers of prospectors barely summoned
enough strength to make their locations.
Waited and Got Left.
Those who had waited for the signal
from the top of Mount Grant by rushing
into the reservation found that all the
most valuable claims in the vicinity OF
the rich DUtchman, Cottonwood and num-
erous creeks emptying into the south
western part of Walker lake had been
taken up by men who had rushed in the
night before. Even men who employed
launches TO take them across Walker lake
from the eastern side found that their eff
forts were of no avail as they were much
too late TO be on an equal footing with
the men who had disregarded all law.
Indian Police sribed.
The opening of the reservation was not
as imposing as it promised to be on ac-
count OF the fact that countless num-
bers of miners had been attracted into
1T during the night and early morning
completely overwhelming the Indian po-
lice, of whom there were but fourteen 10
While the opening was taking place. spe-
cial Agent Frank Parks of the general
land office was waiting for an answer to
his dispatch sent to the land office at
Washington last night. urging that the
opening be postponed on account of the
Irregularities that he had discovered
Parks pointed out that the Indian police
who had been named to guard the lines
were not only inadequate and inefficient
but they had taken money and LIQUOR as
bribes and were intoxicated most of the
time.
Discomfort Is Great.
He stated in his dispatch that on ac-
count of the lax methods observed hun
dreds of prosDectOrs had paid no atten-
ton to the time set for the opening. This
news spread rapidly through the camps
where bona fide prOSpectors had gathered
TO make rush. and as a result there
was a great deal of discomfort
Reports have reached here of the num-
erOuS shooting affrayS in the vicinity of
the old Arastra gold mine. which was
the objective point for hundreds Of for
tune seekers who had arrived only to find
that the land had already been taken
up. Then they attempted to get small
sections with the result that blood was
shed in numerous instances although no
fatalities have been reported
May Be Declared InvaIid.
Special Land Agent Parks deplores the
fact that the rush was allowed to take
place. when il was known that the laws
of the United States in regard to opening
q reservation had been evaded. He says
that there is yet a possibility that the
present opening may be declared invalid
and a new one called for
Sub-Agent Robert LovegrOve made the
sensational statement this morning that
United States engineers who We're sent
here for the purpose of carrying out rec
Iamation work on the portion of the
Walker Lake reservation that has been
allotted to the Indians had occupied their
time in placing launches on the edge Of
Walker lake for the purpose Of partici-
pating in the rush. contrary to the law.
which states that all persons shall keep
off a reservation until the time fixed for