The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-29
UNCLE SANS SIXTH LOTTERY.
PLANS FOR THE SHOSRONE LAND
DRAWING NEXT MONTH.
The sessme Declared 10 he the Fairest Yes
Devised --Precautions TO Shut Out
Spectators Free Farms TO he Given
to Home Seeking Men n Women

10 Home Seeking Men and Women
DENVER, July 2t.-with the public draw
ing for Shoshone Indian reservation lands
at Lander, Wyo., carly In August will come
the sixth test of the Governments lottery
system.
At the opening Of the Crow reservation in
Montana a few weeks ago the system worked
to perfection. Sixteen thousand persons
were registered In two weeks, and in the
presence Of q large crowd the names were
drawn from q box at the rate OF about 1000
a day and the prize winners announced,
In fact, since the first trial Of the so-oalled
lottery system at the second Oklahoma
opening, there has not been q single valid
objection raised against this method OF
throwing Indian lands open to white settle
ment, and the plan Of distribution will
doubtless continue until there are no more
Indian acres to distribute.
The old plan Of opening Indian reserva-
tions was to line all the home seekers at the
edge Of the coveted ground and let them
race for the prizes, There are suits still
pending as the result OF disputes growing
out OF the first Oklahoma opening In 1893.
Men who had killed fast horses In getting to
valuable claims found their rights disputed
by "sooners," who had orept on the ressrva-
ton despite all the efforts Of soldiers to
keep them off. The weak had no chance
against the strong, and the many evils OF
the system were so apparent hat the Gov
eminent officials madeu up their minds never
to have another rush for public lands.
w. A. Richards, Commissioner Of theG Cen
era Land Office and former Governor OF
Wyoming. conceived the idea Of putting the
names Of all applicants in blank, sealed
envelopes, and throwing all these envelopes
in a great box, from which they were to be
drawn, one by one. In order to ensure per-
feet mixing Of the names, the box was to
be turned at intervals and, after each revo-
luton, three envelopes would be drawn
forth by as many children chosen for the
purpose.
When Commissions Richards made pub
ic this plan there were warm objections on
the ground hat 1t wal q lottery, In direct
defiance of the Governments own laws.
The matter was brought before President
Mckinley and he was told OF the objection
to the new plan.
IF that Is the only oh lection I will sign
the bill at once said President Mckinley,
-as ] am convinced there Is no element OF
gambling in it,"
in reality this system OF opening Indian
reservations is merely a revival Of the old
est form Of land distribution" said Com
missioner Richards the other day. an
Bible days the LANDS were distributed by lot.
Names we're put in an earthen jar and drawn
out, In accordance with the same plan
which we are following to-day. So we nave
plenty of distinguished precedent for the
course we are following in distributing
these lands"
At the second Oklahoma opening, when
the Kiowa and Comanche reservations were
given over to white settlement, the plan
worked practically without a hitch, though
bright minds were seeking some way in
which the game could be beaten. One clever
chap conceived the idea Of registering sew
eral times under the same name, but this
plan was frustrated when Commissioner
Richards devised a card index for fling all
the names after registration. Thus the
names hat were similar had to come
together and the scheme was exposed. II
q man registered under false names
he courted a long term in prison, for
proof Of his right name had to be made
at the time of filing on his homestead. The
very simplicity Of the plan makes detection
easy.
many tests nave been made. For instance,
at the opening OF the Uintah reservation in
Utah there were 2S, 900 soldiers registered
by proxy. Mr.. Richards kept careful check
OF the soldiers who drew lande.. There was
an exact proportion OF soldiers drawings
of every Six registered. The names OF the
soldiers were mixed with the others, 20 the
exact ratio OF their drawings proved that
the chances OF success run in proportion to
the total number Of claims and the total
number OF registrations. When the regis
tration is high, the chances OF success are
small. The Crow reservation opening
offered the greatest chance. as there were
only Il. 600 registrations, against $500 claims
for distribution. So each mans chances OF
drawing something were between one in
two and n in three. At the Uintah open
registrations, against $500 claims, 80 the
chances Of success were much smaller.
II il the aim OF the Government officials
to keep the registration as low as possible.
This is with the idea Of Encouraging the gen.
ulne home seeker and excluding the born
IN the hope OF drawing the magic first num-
Der out OF the big box. The first number
Is the prize desired by every one OF the
thousands who'register In these land draw
inRa. AT the (rOw opening tneTe was q
standing offer OF : 10. 900 for the first numl er.
In the ca ger crowd that gathered about the
drawing booth on the opening day there
were men OF all walks NJ life who had taken
chances In the hope Of securing number 1.
The first name drawn from the box was
that OF Owen B. Williams Of Custer, Mon
tana a "suuaw man." It Ia this element OF
chance that makes these Government lot
tories such a fascination TO 80 many people.
In order to oonfine the registration to
those who actually intend to settle on their
h~omesteads, II they draw, the Government
will not name large cities as registration
points. Commissioner Richards was Sc
verely criticised by Salt Lake citizens be-
cause he refused TO make that city q regis
tration place at the Uintah opening, but
he e. explained that every citizen Of Salt Lake
would register, just for the sake Of "a gam
bler's chance" and the opportunities of
genuine home seekers would be 30 much
lessened. For this reason, small and out
OF the way towns are named, 30 that the
registration will he genuine. The MAJ
who pays railroad and stage fare 10 quite
likely to be In earnest in his desire to secure
a homestead. At the Shoshone opening
in August there are four Wyoming towns
named as registration points-Lander, Sho-
shone. Worland and Thernopolis. The
only one of these towns Boosting railroad
connections with the outer world Is Sho- |