The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-09-11
A MILLION ACRES OF
CHOICE LAND TO Be
ALLOTTED IN OCTOBER

~ vtubiIIS w
Take a Chance Among
$1,000 Others.
acres of fine farming land will be
thrown open to homestead settlement
In Trip county, South Dakota, In Oc-
Itober. When President Roosevelt af-
fixed his signature to the proclamation
a few days ago and the news was
flashed over the wires that the rich
n fertile lands of the Rosebud coun-
try in Trip county would be open to
settlers from October 8 to II. happiness
was brought to a vas number of
anxious and waiting citizens all over
the United States.
ton for the opening of Trip county
began to take definite form and result
cd in a bill being passed at the first
session of the last congress in the
month of February, 1907. This bill pro
ivided that the unallotted Indian chill
dren and those members of the Rose
bud tribe OF Sioux who desired to
change their allotments be permitted
TO do so before the landsw We're opened.
at was the work of allotting these In
dams which has held back the opening
OF Trip ounty for two years.
Registration Points.
Six registration points have been des-
ignated by the president. the places be-
ing Gregory, Chamberlain, Dallas and
Presho, S. D., and O'Nein and Nalen-
tine, Neb.
OF these registration points Gregory
and Dallas are the only ones lying
along the reservation border and as
such Will lave the greater part of the
business. Both are reached by the
Northwestern railroad and are new
towns in the Rosebud country which
was thrown open in 1904.
Gregory is the largest town in this
portion of the state and is the metrop-
oils of the Rosebud country. 1t is a
city OF 1000 and has every facility to
be found in a town of this size. albeit
1t is but a 4-year-old.
Dallas is the terminus of the Nosth-
western and is q hustling town, two
years old. In anticipation of the Tripp
business buildings. 1t is q town of
some 500 or more. Both points will be
overrun With homeseekers during the
next 10 month
Chamberlain and Presho are points
on the Milwaukee railroad through Ly-
man county and are Is to 25 miles
from the White river. which is the res
ervation border on the north. Both are
hustling towns and will undoubtedly do
a big business during the opening.
Valentine and O'Neill are points in Ne
braska on the Northwestern line from
Omaha to the Black Hills. Valentine
ds due south Of the Rosebud agency in
Meyer county INC is some 80 miles
southwest of Tripp county. O'Neill is
the seat of the rarth Nebraska and
office and is located so miles from the
land to the southeast.
Qualifications for the Great Lottery.
Tho lottery system will be used by
h government In opening the rich
Tripp county lands. Homeseekers will
register for the drawing in the places
named and the names placed in a big
revolving churn. The order in which
the names are drawn from this churn
will determine the order in which the
settlers will be allowed to file upon the
lands.
Every unmarried citizen of the Unit
ed States. male or female, oNer u years
of age will have the right to register
for the big drawing. Also the head and
support of any family of either sex and
any age has he right to register for
the drawing. No person who owns
theretofore exercised the right of
homestead anywhere in the United
States. will be allowed to register.
Special Privileges to Soldiers.
Soldiers OF sailors of the United
States service, or eN-soldiers or ex-sail-
ors of such service, or their widows,
are permitted to register for the lot
lery through an agent and il successful
in drawing are permitted to file simply
a declaratory statement which will
segregate the tract OF land he desires
to homestead for a period of six months
within which time he must regularly
file upon the land. A charge of only 81
is made for the filing Of such a de-
claratcry statement. Also the time of
service of such a soldier or sailor in
the army or navy of the United States
is deducted from the time which the
government requires q settler to reside
upon his claim before a title is granted
him, except that in every case such a
soldier or sailor must reside upon and
cultivate the land for at least one year.
Cost Of the Lands.
1t is conservatively estimated that at
least 10000 persons will register for the
Trip county lands. Each settler will be
allowed to take a quarter section Of 100
acres. The lands filed upon within the
those filed upon after the first three
months and within the next three months
will cost $3.50 per acre. Upon all lands
| remaining after the first six months from
the beginning Of the filing the price will
be $3.50 per acre.
Requirements Of Homestead Law.
When a person files upon a claim in
Trip county or any place else unoer tne
homestead law he will lave six months
from the date he files in which he must
establish his residence upon the lain He
must then reside upon and cultivate the
| land for a period OF five years. How
ever, at any time after IA months con-
tinuous residence upon and cultivation OF
his claim. any settler may commute; that
is, he may prove-up and get a title to the
land by paying the balance due the gov
| m for the land and by proving his
residence upon and cultivation of the land
by at at least two witnesses. One settler
thus may act as witness for his neishbor
IN helping him to prove up on his land.
The amount which one will have to pay
the government for the land Is divided
into payments as follows: for S. land,
$50 down at the time of filing and Sl60
per year for five years thereafter. For
$3.50 land, payments as follows: sl6o down
OF tho .i,,,a of alinG and $40 ner year