The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-12
HOMES FOR 1000
One Million Acres to Be Opened
to Settlement
In Trip County, South Dakota
October 10.
AWARD BY LOTTERY.
Registration Will Begin a Few
Days Earlier.
AWARD BY LOTTERY.
Special Privileges Granted to
Soldiers and Sailors.


lion acres of fine farming land will be
thrown open to homestead settlement
and entry in Trip county, South Da-
kota, in October. The Trip county
bill was passed in February, 1907. and
for the last two summers an allotting
agent has been busy allotting the In
dams in accordance with the provis-
ions of the bill. The work is now fin
ished. and the actual registration for
the big lottery of farms will take place
October to IT.
The drawing of the lucky names
from the big churn will take place
October 10, and 1 million acres will
be added to the productive agricultur-
al domain of the world.
Rules for Registration.
person in order to register for a
farm in the great Trip opening, will
have to appear in person at one of the
following places: Gregory, Chamber
lain, Dallas or Presho, S. D., and
O'Neill and Valentine, Neb
The plan of this registration differs
from former plans in that applicants
| will not be required to stand in line
| at registration booths to show their
qualifications and be registered during
specified hours daily, but may swear to
their applications before any officer
! qualified to administer oaths and at
| any hour at any of the towns named,
and then send them to James w. Wit
! ten, at either Dallas or Gregory, by
| mail, in person or otherwise. at any
| time before 4:30 o'clock in the after
noon of october II. This not only re-
| lieves applicants from standing in
line probably many hours, but enables
| them to swear to their applications at
any hour, thus shortening their stay at
| the registration point. 1t also pre-
vents congestion caused by the assem-
| bling of large crowds at a limited
| number of registration points.
Gregory and Dallas are the only two
registration points, the other four
| towns named being affidavit points;
that is, the headquarters of the land
office officials will be in Gregory and
Dallas. At the four other towns men
| toned affidavitS may be made out for
registration and mailed to the land Of
! fees in Gregory and Dallas. The re-
| port that has been circulated to the
effect that a person can register by
mail from anywhere in the United
| States is in error.
Numbers Below 4,OO1 Win.
| A drawing will be held at Dallas, S.
| D.. on October 10. to determine who
of the persons registered will be given
| the right to make entry. If a person
draws a number smaller than 4,001 he
will be notified by mail. addressed to
the postoffice given in his application,
unless he subsequently gives another,
| to appear at some date. probably in
the month of March, 1909. when he
will be permitted to enter one-quarter
| section, or less, of these lands.
Every unmarried citizen of the
United States more than 81 years old,
man or woman, will have the right to
| register. Also the head and support
of any family of any age, either man
or woman, has the right to register.
Married women are ineligible. No per-
son who owns more than $50 acres of
land or who has already exercised the
right of homestead, will be allowed to
register.
Special privileges are granted to sol
diers or sailors or ex-soldiers or ex-
sailors of the United States service or
their widows. They may be represent
ed by an agent who can register for
them, provided he has their power of
attorney and a copy of their honor
able discharge papers. Also, they are
allowed to file a declaratory statement,
in case they are successful, for 81
which will segregate and hold the land
for them for six months, within which
time they must complete their Ming
and settle upon the land.
Each settler will be allowed to file
upon a quarter section of $50 acres.
For the lands filed upon in the first
three
acre. For the lands filed upon in the
next three months. $3.50 an acre will
be the price, and after that time $3.50
an acre.
The payments are distributed over
period of five years. Sc land being $3.50
at the time of filing and $3.50 year
thereafter for five years.
Four dollars and fifty cents land will
be $3.50 down at time of filing and
SIP a year for five years. The $2.50
land will be $3.50 down and $4S year
for five years. Five years is the time
of residence required, except that the
government allows settler to com
mute on his land at any time after
fourteen months continuous residence
and get a patent for the same by prov
ing his residence and cultivation of the
claim and paying the balance due on
the homestead purchase price
Character of the Land.
The general character of the fertile
Rosebud country is gently undulating
prairie, thickly covered with the sue
culent and luxuriant grasses of the
country. The soil is a deep, rick black
loan and very fertile and very pro
ductive. Corn, oats. flax, millet, bar
ley wheat, rye and all cereals and veg
etables give extra heavy yields. Wheat
will average twenty bushels, corn for
ty bushels. oats sixty bushels, fax
eleven bushels and other crops in pro-
portion. Potatoes give an especially
heavy yield.
The same character of land, some
100000 acres of this same Rosebud
reservation, was opened to homestead
settlement in Gregory county, adjoin-
ing Tripp county on the east, four
years ago, at 81 an acre. This land is
now selling at from $35 to SIS, and a
few choice quarters have brought $50
an acre
Gregory and Dallas are both in
Gregory county, near the Tripp county