The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-09-10
A MILLION ACRES OF
CHOICE LAND TO Be
ALLOTTED IN OCTOBER
Az Empire viii Be Offered to
Those Who Are Willing to
Take a Chance Among
100000 Others.

, Gregory. 8. D., Sept. S.--one million
acres of fine farming land will be
thrown open to homestead settlement
an Trip county, South Dakota, in oc-
Itober. When President Roosevelt af-
fixed his signature to the proclamation
a few days & and the news was
flashed over the wires that the rich
and fertile lands of the Rosebud coun-
try in Trip county would be open to
settlers from October 5 TO IL, happiness
was brought to a vast number of
anxious and waiting citizens all over
the United States. ....
More than three years ago the aglta-
tion for the opening of Trip county
began to take definite form and result
led In a bill being passed at the first
session OF the last congress in the
month of February, 1907. This bill pro-
vided that the unallotted Indian chill
ibud tribe OF Sioux who desired to
change their allotments be permitted
TO do so before the lands were opened.
1T was the work of allotting these In
dians which has held back the opening
of Trip county for two years.
Registration Points.
Six registration points have been des-
1gnated by the president, the places be-
Ding Gregory, Chamberlain, Dallas and
Presho, s. b, and o'Nell and Valen-
tine, Neb.
OF these registration points Gregory
and Dallas are the only ones lying
along the reservation border and as
such will have 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 a hustling, town, two
years old. In anticipation of the Trip
county rush, Dallas has many large
business buildings. 1t is a town OF
some 500 or more. Both points will be
overrun with homeseekerS during the
next IL months
Chamberlain and Presho are points
on the Milwaukee railroad through Ly-
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
Us due south Of the Rosebud agency in
Meyer county and Is some 35 miles
southwest of Tripp county. WE'LL Is
the seat of the r5rth Nebraska land
office and is located 80 miles from the
land to the southeast.
Qualifications for the Great Lottery. D..
The lottery system will be used by
the government in opening the rich
YTrinn Nn11nfV lands pnmaSanRara will
register for the drawing in the places
named and the names placed in q big
revolving churn.s 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, owe 81 ear
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 g has the right to register for
the drawing. No person who owns
more han 100 acres Of land or who has
heretofore exercised the right of
homestead anywhere in the United
States, will be allowed to register.
Special Privileges to Soldiers.
Soldiers or sailors Of the United
States service, or ex-soldiers or ex-sail-
OES Oh SuCh SSIfLSCg VI AlS "tuO"S -
are permitted to register for the lot
1ery through an agent n II successful
in drawing are permitted to file simply
a declaratory statement which will
segregate the tract Of Ian 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-
~claratory statement. Also the time of
t-1-,,ina nF e1Inh a soldier or sailor in
the army or hay Of the United States
is deducted from the time which the
government requires a 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 and for at least one year.
Cost Of the Lands.
II is conserVatively estimated that al
least 1000 persons will register for the
Trip county lands. Each settler will be
alIowed. to take a quarter section OF 16C
acres. The lands filed upon within the
ifrst three months will cost So per acre
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 fling the price will
be $3.50 per acre.
Requirements Of Homestead Law.
When a person hles upon a claim in
yrrlpp county or any place else under the
homestead law he will have six months
from the date he files in which he must
establish his residence upon the claim. HI
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
eminent for the land and by proving his
residence upon and cultivation of the LAND
Nv at at least two witnesses. One settler
thus NAV act as witness for his neighbol
An helping hin to prove up on his n
The amount which one will have to pay
the government for the land is divided
into payments as follows: for s. land
SEQ down at the time of filing and $l6'
per year for five years thereafter. Fol
s45O land. payments as follows: $50 dow
at the time of fling, and $1l2 per veal
Tor Eve years thereafter. For $3.50 lanc
nayment as follows: $16O down at thu
time OF filing and $4s per year for Ave
wears thereafter. However, If a settler de