The La Jara chronicle., 1906-11-02
FROZEN TO DEATH RESERVE OPENED
HUNDREDS OF SooNERs EVAOE
INDIAN POLICE.
WILD SCENES REPORTED
Opening Of Walker Lake Indian Reser-
vstion in Nevada Very Disorderiy-
Lax Methods Work to Defraud Hon.
est Land Seekers

Lax Methods Work to Defraud Hon.
est Land Seekers.
Thorne. Nev.-The opening OF the
Walker Lake Indian reservation Mon
day was not as imposing as it prom
ised TO be, on account of the fact that
countless numbers OF miners had
fiocked into it during the night and
early morning. completely overwhelm-
ing the Indian police. of whom there
were but fourteen to guard seventy
five miles of territory.
While the opening was taking place,
Special Agent Parks of the General
Land Omce, was waiting for
an answer to his dispatch
sent % the General Land Of
fee at Washington, Sunday night.
urging that the opening be postponed
on account OF the irregularities he had
discovered. Parks pointed out that
the Indian police, who had been named
to guard the lines were not only made
quate and inefficient, but they had
taken money and liquor as bribes and
were intoxicated most of the time.
lie stated in his dispatch that on ac-
count of the lax methods observed,
hundreds OF prospectors had paid no
attention to the time set for the open
ing.
This news soon spread through the
camps where bona fde prospectors
had gathered to make rush and as
result there was great deal of discon'
tent.
Re~orts have reached here Of nu-
merous shooting affrays in the vicinity
OF the old Arastra gold mine, which
1as the objective point of hundreds OF
fortune seekers who had arrived only
to find that the land had already been
taken up. They then attempted to get
small sections, with the result that
blood was shed in numerous instances.
although no fatalities have been re-
ported
Special Land Agent Parks deplores
the fact that the rush was allowed to
lake place, when II was known that
the laws of the United States in re
gard to opening Il reservation had been
evaded He says that there is yet
possibility that the present opening
may be declared invalid and new
one called for.
Sub.lndian Agent Robert Loyegrove
made the sensational statement that
United States engineers who were sent
here for the purpose of carrying out
reclamation work on the portion OF
Walker Lake reservation that had
beer allotted 10 the Indians, had occu'
pied their time in placing launches on
the edge OF Walker lake for the pur-
rose of participating in the rush, con.
trary to the law which states that all
persons shall keep off a reservation
until the time fixed for its opening. :.
With the firing of mighty blast Oh
dynamite from the top OF Grant Peak,
the highest point in the adjacent
mountains. the reservation was opened
at noon Monday. AT the given sienai
hundreds of searchers for gold hur'
rled helter-ske!ter over the boundary
lines Of plain and mountain and before
the great cloud of smoke which rose
into the air from the dynamite expio
sion had drifted away, spectacular
race of automobiles, race horses and
vehicles was on. So great was the
rush across the desert from the line
nearest Hawthorne that number or
persons narrowly escaped being tram
nled over, and in numerous instances
injuries were reported.
Horses were ridden till they
dropped and men recouhteu tiSi i'
fortune when their automobiles be-
came stalled In the deep sands. Jaded
and overcome by thirst, numbers OF
prospectors barely summoned enough
strength to make their locations.
Those who had waited for the signal
from the top of Mount Grant before
rushing into the reservation, found
that all the most valuable claims IN
the vicinity of the rich Dutchman, Cot
tcnwood and numerous other creeks
omptying into the southwestern sec
ton Of Walker lake had been taken up
by mer who had rushed in the night
before. Even men who employed
launches to take them across Walker
lake from the eastern side found that
thei, efforts were of no avail, as they
were much too late to be on an equal
footing with the men who had disre-
garded all law.