Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-10-29
WALKER RESERVATION
OFFICIALLY OPENED.


Hawthorne, Ney,. Or s9--Wiln th'
flrins OF a mighty blast Of dynamite
from tho top OF Great Peak. the high
est point IN the adjacent mountains
! the Walker Lake indian reservation
was opened at noon today. AT the CIV
en- signal. hundreds of searchers fol
! gold hurried helter-skaltor over tn
boundary lines OF plain ana mountain
and before the great clopd Of smoke
which rose Into the air from tho dyna'
mite explosion had drlfted 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 a
number of persons narrowly escaped
being tramplsi over and IN numerous
instances injuries were reported
Horses were ridden until they dropped
and men recounted their Ill fortune
when their autos became stalled IN the
deep sands. faded 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 by rush
ing into the reservation, found that all
the most valuable claims In the vicinity
OF the rich Dutchman, Cottonwood and
numerous other creeks emptytng into
the southwestern portion OF Walker
Lake had been taken up by men VINO
had rushed In the night before. Even
men who employed launches 10 take
them across Walkers lake from the
eastern side found that their EFFORTS
were OF no avail, as they were much
too late TO be ON an equal footing with
the men who had disregarded all law.
Tho opening of tho reservation was
not az imposing as 1t promised 20 be
on account OF the fact that countless
numbers OF miners had beon attracted
into Il during the night and early
morning, completely overwhelming
the Indian police, Of whom there were
but IA, TO guard rs miles OF territory.
while the opening was taking place,
Special Agent Frank Parks OF the
general land office, was waiting for
an answer to his dispatch sent to tho
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 10 guard the lines were not
oLly inadequate and inefficient. but
they had taken money and liquor as
brihes and were intoxicated most OF
the dime.
lie stated in his dispatch that on
account 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 prospec-
tors had gathered TO make rush and
az result there was great deal OF
discomfort
Reports have reached here of the
shooting ARRAYS in the vicin-
ity Of the old Arastra gold mine, which
was the objective point for hundreds of
fortune seekers who had arrived only
to ind 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 take
place. when II was known that the
laws OF the United States IN regard 20
opening reservation had been evaded.
He says that there Is yet possibility
that The present opening may be de.
clared invalid and new one called for.