Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-10-23
END OF THE DRAWING.

END OF THE DRAWING.
Registration for the drawing of
the lands on the Standing Rock and
Cheyenne reservations will close at
the various points Of registration to-
night. The indications point to to-
tai registration of less than 100000
for the $4,000 claims to be drawn.
This gives the persons who have reg
istered one chance in seven of draw
ing a claim. Some Of the claims are
very good and some Of them are per-
haps not especially desirable. A
good many of the persons who have
registered will probably not file
should they draw claims well down
the list. For that reason it is under
stood that 10000 names will be
drawn from the total lists, in order
that the places of those who may not
file will be taken by alternates who
will have the second chance.
The registration in Bismarck when
the booths are closed tonight will
total somewhere about 10000. This
is about the number that was expect
ed to file. Conditions in the city have
been marked with good order, and
the force of notaries that has admin
istered the oaths has done it's work
we'll. Guests of the city have been
courteously treated and the work has
proceeded with expedition and with
out confusion. The natories will d.
vide the proceeds of the registration
fund and the total divided among
the thirty notaries will not be great
probably about SIS each after expen-
ses have been paid. For this the no.
taries have done three weeks Of
pretty faithful work, some of them
working at shifts when the average
man is in bed and at rest, and they
are entitled to whatever return they
may achieve from their labors. They
are entitled also to the thanks Of
the city and the government depart
ment for the intelligent, conscien-
tious and capable manner in which
they have done their work.
The envelopes containing the
names of those who have registered
have been forwarded from time to
time to Judge Witten at Aberdeen,
and the drawing will take place on
Tuesday next. Then the entire lot
of envelopes will be strewn on a plat
form sufficiently large, and will be
thoroughly "mixed." Two little
girls will search among the envel-
opes in the pile and as they draw the
envelopes one by one the names of
the applicants they contain will be
registered as entitled to choose land
in the order in which they were
drawn. There is no opportunity for
collision or fraud, and there is, of
course, no possibility of any attempt
to regulate the nature of the draw
ings, except by the lottery of chance.
The important part of the whole
business is that a great territory Of
two and half million acres of land
is to be opened to settlement, and
made productive. It will become the
home of thousands of settlers who
will gain their living from the soil
and add to the wealth and resouce Of
the state. 1t will give the states Of
North and South Dakota many good
citizens from all parts of the country,
This is the important feature of tao
whole matter. Who gets the first
claim, or who may be more lucky
than some one else, is only an incl
dent. The main thing Is that we are
to get a big tract of new farming
land, several new lines Of railroad,
and several thousand good citizens.