The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-10-29
DRAW ON THE LAND.
LAST GREAT LOTTERY TO BE CON-
QUOTED BY UNCLE SAM.
1t Will Take Place at Aberdeen, Com
mencing on Monday; Under Su-
pervision of Judge James Witten;
Fourteen Hundred Farms to Be
Distributed Among the Lucky
Ones; Territory That Is Covered.

Sioux Falls, S. d., Oct. 23.-Uncle
Sans last great land lottery, by
which 100000 acres of rich agricul-
tural and grazing lands will be dis
tributed among the thousands OF eager
homeseekers who have been swarming
to the promised land from all over
the country, comes to an end today,
so far as registration is concerned. The
registration lists of the various towns
will be sent Immediately to Aberdeen,
where the drawing will commence on
Monday.
This will be under the direction of
Judge James Witten, who during the
past few years has conducted several
government land drawings, and who
has made a great record in the work.
After the drawing the holders of the
numbers up to the full number of
farms to be distributed among home
steaders will be notified of the num-
Der drawn and the date when they
shall appear and make entry of the
l60acre farm which they have drawn.
Land for I,4oo Homesteaders.
The land to be opened will be suf-
ficient in quantity to furnish farms of
100 acres each to about 400 home
steaders All the land lies west of the
Missouri river, the river being the
eastern boundary of the Cheyenne
river and standing rock reservations.
The territory to be opened will be
approximately one hundred miles long,
in the two states, and forty miles
wide 1t is bordered on the south by
the Cheyenne river and on the north
by the Cannon Ball river, and is di-
vided into three sections by the Grand
and Moreau rivers. The southern Sec
ton contains the noted Fox Ridge"
country, which is heavy loan in the
east and changes to a sandy character
further west. North of this is the
Moreau river, with its deep valley
well supplied with timber and clear,
running stream. The valley is narrow
and the bluffs are high and steep,
it being necessary at certain points to
60 miles to find practical roadway
down into the valley.
The Native Wheat Grass
North of the Moreau is a broad pla-
teau, which grows the native wheat
grass" which of itself is almost equal
to oats for feed, and in its growth
shows what can be done with the land
when it is broken and cultivated to
grain. North of this plateau is the
broad and beautiful valley of the
Grand river, with its gently undulating
hills far back from the river on either
along the valley. North of the Grand
is another plateau between that and
the Cannon bali river, which is equal
in fertility to the noted Morton coun-
ty IN. d. lands, which have during
the past few years been added to the
production of new wealth for the state
in which they are situated.
Covers Many Counties.
The territory to be opened covers in
South Dakota portions of the counties
of Armstrong, Schnasse. Dewey and
Corson, and in North Dakota the coun-
ty of Morgan. While there is more
or less rough land in the region to be
opened to settlement, most of it is
tilable.
While at present there is but one
railway line in active operation across
any portion of the vast territory to be
opened to white settlement-the Chi
cago, Milwaukee and ST. Paul running
through the northern end of it-by the
time the settlers are permitted to es-
tablish their residence on the land they
will find plenty of railway facilities
for handling their goods and for send
ing their products to eastern markets.