The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1909-02-05

South Dakota, comprising about one
third of the old Rosebud Sioux Indian
reservation, had been practically
/ cleared for white settlement. The
Rosebud Sioux who wanted TO become
farmers in Trip county made their
| choices a year or more ago and farms
were allotted to them. Those who
did not want Trip county farms
moved over into Meyer county, further
west. This isn't brutal-they moved
| they were not moved-the Sioux OF
| this generation is more of a farmer,
| at last than nomad. About 5000
farms Of 100 acres each were left
vacant in Trip county. The land be-
longcd to the Sioux, but they were
neither capable of occupying it nor
Of directing IT'S occupation The gov.
eminent, by act of congress, opened
the county for settlement by home.
steaders, requiring the usual condi-
lions of many months continuous resi-
denCe, a certain area of cultivation
the digging of a well. the erection Of
n permanent hahitation and the pay
mept of an equitable sum of money
to the government as trustees for the
Rosebud Sioux There are almost a
million people in this country today
who want farms. There are rather
over eighty millions of people who
want something (whethcr 1t is a farm
or pair of shoe laces) for nothing.
There were only 5000 farms in Tripp
county and many of them are far
better than others.
SO there had to be a drawing. 1t
was the only fair way. An auction or
any competition other than that of
luck would have meant that a free
aud equal chance was denied to those
who needed the farms most--the
farmers sons and daughters who had
been crowded off the farms into the
cities as clerks or school teachers, or
bartenders, or worse-God save the
mark! Nevertheless there was a con-
dition of the drawing which was nee
essarily unfair. The applicant had to
find the means of getting to Chamber
lain. Presho, O'Neill, Valentine, Greg
DRY or Dallas, all towns near the
boundaries of Trip county. A per
fectly square deal would have pro-
vided just as cheap an opportunity for
the Hungarian in the cellar of a New
York tenement or the Tuskegee gradu.
ate of Georgia as for the farmer boy
of Bonesteel. The round trip fare
from Omaha to O'Neill, which was the '
most popular registry town, because
1t was the cheapest to reach, was $3.50 :,
The writer heard this sum referred to ;
frequently as "the ante" but was IN.
able to find the Specification of the
term. The requirement Of personal at
tendance on the borders of the land
however, served the purpose of a
guarantee of good faith and also was
based on the presumption that the
would-be settler must desire to look at
the land before applying for his farm.
Judge Witten, the representative of the
United States land office at the draw
ing, tried to devise a plan for draw
ings in all the cities of the country,
but the expense and general complied
lions of the scheme caused him to be
overruled at Washington. In future
drawings, it is likely that a worked
out elaboration of his original plan
will be followed with provision that
the winning applicants shall make a
considerable cash deposit immediate
ly after the drawing, in order to show
good faith There are bankers in
plenty in the west who will make such
a plan practicable. And then, whether
from the west or east, every land
rusher faced this affidavit;
l, .............. OF. .......