Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-10
.ISADORE SELIG
SECURES FIRST
LUCKY NUMBER
C0EUR D'ALENE DRAWING FOR
LAND is BEGUN
GIRLS USED TO PICK OUT WIN
MING ENVELOPES
Prosperous Merchant of Myrtle Creek,
Ore, Wins First Prize in Distri-
button of Uncle Sans
Tracts
GBy Associated Press. J

TBy Associated Press
NOEUR D'ALENE, Idaho. Aug. o
I When little Helen Hamilton,
~ daughter of Mayor Boyd of Coenr
o'Alenc, walked into the middle of a
pile of 100000 yellow envelopes contain
ing applications for land in the Occur
d. Alene Indian reservation this morn
ing shortly after 10 o'clock the great
land drawing on the three tracts of
government land - the Flathead. the
Coeur d'Alene and the Spokane Indian
reserVations-Wa on.
Several hundred people stood around
the platform on which Judge James
Witten of Washington, p. G" formally
opened the drawing on one of the last
of the big tracts of Uncle Sam.
Unlike the rush in 'squatter' days,
the modern method of distributing the
land moved along with the precision or
clock work.
When Miss Hamilton, daintily dressed
in white, had plucked the frst lucky
envelope from the mass and handed IL
to Judge Witten and the name of lsa-
dore Selis Of Myrtle Creek, Ore, was
read aloud the gathering crowd began
to evidence increased interest and
uuivering excitement. a faint cheer
arose. In rapid order Miss Hamilton.
aided by Miss Chrystine Donlon ana
Miss Harriet Post, pucked the other
lucky envelopes from the pile, ana mon
and women, now anxious to hear the
Verdicts in the first twenty envelopes
crowded up to the platform where
newspaper men and government CLERKS
era hbed at the bits of news hearing
names and started them throughout the
land by special wires running 10 the
drawing stand.
Girls Pluck Fortunes
For two hours in the heat of a mid
dav sun the three little girls pranced
over the pile of yellow envelopes, pluck
ing fortunes from among the pile OF ap-
plications.
Long before the drawing bgan Judge
Witten and his corps of officers ana
clerks moved from place to place put
ting everything in readiness Tor the
drawing. National colors gave the pat
form a martial setting. Twenty cast
iron cans. tightly sealed, were placed
on the platform shortly before 10 O'Clock
and two men started to pry them open
The carria ges carrying the sponsors
of the drawing, Misses Hamilton, POST
and Donlon. arrived ON the scene rev
minutes before 10 o'clock, and the girls
we're hastily gathered around Judge
Witten to be photograp phed. This pre-
hand and motioned for silence. In
few words he outlined the modern
method of drawing for government
lands and pronounced 1t emphatically
not a land lottery.
After giving any one present a
chance to come to 'the platform ana
pick his envelope from the many, If he
could, with the penalty of forfeiture OF
his chance, Judge Witten motioned to
Harvey Ham, son of d. 7. Ham, and
George 5. Garfield both of Sokane to
start the work of mixing the 10000
envelopes with pitchforks.
Envelopes Stirred ArduousIy
From top to bottom and from side to
side the mass of envelopes was stirred
and mixed, and at thS word from
Judge Witten Miss Hamilton walked TO
the center Of the platform and picked
the first winner.
The envelope was passed TO Judge
Witten, who in turn gave 1t to MISS
Bernice Crete, one of the government
clerks. and not until she had cut it
and passed it on to Hazel Nltten'
daughter of Judge Witten, who took 1t
from the yellow covering and handed it
to Assistant superintendent Elston,
who in turn handed it to Judge Witten,
who read the name and description
aloud, was the name of the first
person to draw the choice claim in the
thousands of acres known. 1t was the
name of Isadore Selig of Myrtle Creek
ore, who was not present at the draw
ing.
Two residents of Spokane, John Ped
mark and Charles q. Cromwell, were
the next to follow i'm the order named
AT this juncture a. p. Ratteree of Lit
tie Rock, Ark, a professional "talker.
was called to the platform and started
the task of reading and crying aloud
the 5000 names which will be drawn
from the 10000 applications
To keep the crowd, standing in the
sun, in good humor Judge Witten
stopped the drawing at intervals to
joke with the women who drew claims
and to tell stories of his experiences in
the land drawings Of government res
ervations.
Assistant Superintendent Elston was
the man behind the flashing of the
news Of the winner to the end of the
land. AS every envelope was opened
the application was passed TO him, af-
ter being duly numbered. and he read
the names aloud, that the press repre-
sentatives could get accurate details.
This phase of the drawing disposed of
messengers were dispatched with the
valuable slips and to the land office
up town, and there score of clerks
anu SlellOSl dIlltlo DS6c'i NV WI N u
listing the names in numerical order
and posting them outside the lana
office.
Tsadorc Selig, who drew No. in the
land drawing for the Occur d 'Aiene
reservation, is Il prosperous merchant
and man of family in Myrtle Creek
ore. re also conducts a store at Can
yonville, Ore John Hedmark, Spo-
Kane, is No. >. Charles G. CornWell,
Spokane, is No. g. Herman Neubauer
of South Tacoma drew No. 4. Ella T.
Naloney of Spokane is NO 5. William
Sharpe OF MartinsVille, H.. IS No. 4.
Peter WeiderbaCh, Butte, Mont, No. s.,
Paul X. Rising st. Paul, Mimi. No. g.
Michael Theis, st. Mary's, Idaho, No
10. O. II. Kemmerer Of Spokane, No
II. Lewis Kempcr. Washington, No. 12
G. r. Masters. Spokane, No. 49, Leon
ard Fidler, Seattle, No. IA. James r.
Westcott, St Paul, Mimi, No. Is. Is
raeI J. Thompson, Adeno Ohio No. 16.
f. J. Grayman, Seattle, No. II. Law
renee Ryan Spokane, No. Is. Amelia
NJ. Thompson, Occur d'Alene, No. IL.
Charles f. Martin, Fairfield, Wash,
No. 20.
After the first twenty the following
were announced: o. John a. stomach,
Seattle: %, II. A. Warren. Walla Wal
la. Wash: %. Charles w. Simonds,
Chehalis, Wash; "a, Rudolph Klein,
Spokane: 25. Anna Graelenberger, Spo-
kane: 26, Reuben Holden, Florence,
Mont; 27, A. r. Norberg, Maiden,
Wash; 2S John Underwood, Wheaton.
H.: 20. Elsie 6. Dore. Spokane; 60 II.
r Albrecht Kalisnel Mont; 81, Albert