Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-10-30

| w dSHlllSIOH, OCl- ou.-l ne interior
| department today received dispatches
| from agents in Nevada indicating
| when all the facts are known here CON
| corning the opening of the Walker
| Lake Indian reservation and the
| charges that thousands of persons had
succeeded in entering the reserve in
advance of the signal, Secretary Hitch
cock may be compelled to recommend
that the opening be declared invalid.
Thorne. New, Oct. 30-AlI the val
liable gold mining claims in the Walk
or Lake Indian reservation were locat-
ed in the darkness Sunday night in
willful defiance of United States law.
| When the rush took place into the
reservation vest erday those who had
waited for the signal found that all
the most valuable claims in the vicin-
| ity of the Rich Dutchman's. Cotton
wood. and numerous other creeks emp
tying into the southwestern section of
Walker lake had been taken up by men
contrary to law
| Loud Talk of Lynching.
Only the presence of the mounted
Indian police restrained the angry. dis
lapponted gold seekers from taking the
law into their own hands and lynching
the men who had crossed the line III
the darkness.
| A scandal of immense proportions is
brewing Not only did unscrupuOus
settlers ignore the law but serious
charges are made against officers of
the United States army.
Sub-Indian Agent Robert Lovegrove
makes the sensational statement that
| United States engineers who were sent
| here for the purpose of carrying out re-
clamation work on d portion of the
Walker land reservation had occupied
| their time in placing launches on the
edge of Walker lake for the purpose OF
participating in the rush. contrary 20
the law. which states that all persons
| shall keep off a reservation until the
| fixed time for its opening.
Much satisfaction is expressed over
the fact that these men were defeated
in their purpose. Their launches were
of no use.
Rush iS Spectacular.
The rush itself was the most spec
tacular thing of its kind ever witness
ed in the history OF the opening of
Indian reservations.
The signal for the rush was the fir
ing of a mighty blast of dynamite
from the top of Grant peak. the high
est point in the adjacent mountains.
As the crash of the explosion rent
the air hundreds of gold seekers. in
automobiles and on racehorses. dash
ed across the line in an indiscriminate
mixture. In the first impetus of the
rush many men narrowly escaped be-
ing overthrown and tramped to death
under the hoofs of galloping horses. or
being crushed between the automo
biles.
Sand Clogs Gold Seekers
The sand arose from the plain in
sitting clouds 1t clogged the wheels
of the automobiles as well as the boots
of the race horses. Many of the auto
mobiles became stalled in the deep
sands and those on horseback were
really at an advantage.
AS automobiles broke down or stuck
in the sand their occupants continued
the race on foot, joining those whose
horses had been overcome Men strug-
gled for breath. fought with each 9th
er, pulled each other down. in their
mad efforts to gain some slight advan-
ta2e in the race for gold
Jaded Men TOO Late.
1t was sorry, jaded. disappointed
lot of men who arrived finally at the
coveted FL Dorado. Overcome byl
thirst and exhaustion the gold seekers
barely had strength enough left to
search for locations.
Then arose a storm of Aanger and
curses All the choice locations along
the gold bearing creeks had been
taken.
The rush into the reservation was
followed by a rush out of it 10 re tele-
graph wires. which were Guicki- bur
dened with indignant protests TO the
secretary of the interior II is believ-
ed the whole thing will be declared in
valid and new rush called for with
troops to see that valuable claims are
not stolen under cover of darkness.
Congress BIamed for Scandal.
Washington. Oct 30.-The scandal
in connection with the opening of the
Walker Lake Indian reservation is to
be blamed on congress. and not on the
interior department. Congress enacted
"a law at its last session directing the
opening of this reservation under the
land laws of the United States Previ-
Gus acts had authorized the opening of
reservations under regulations pre-
scribed by the secretary of the interior. |
This method was attended with |
marked success Secretary Hitchcock |
calling for sealed bids for holding |
drawings Rnshes were prevented and
no scandal followed But as result |
of the action of congress. the only way
the Walker Lake reservation could be |