The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-09-06
Government Land Lottery.

We have always thought the govern
ment was fully justified in suppress
ing the Louisiana lottery and we be
lieve that good people universally ap
plaud it's action which forever wiped
out this institution of iniquity. We
have wondered, however, why the gov
eminent, in the disposition of its pub
lie lands, has adopted plans similar
in some respects to that of the Louis
lana lottery. We are sure it is pos
sible to find some method of dispos'
ing of these lands without compelling
Uncle Sam to go into the lottery bust
ness.
But it is not only the method OF
disposing of the lands of which We
complain, but the enormous expense
saddled onto the individuals who seek
to avail themselves of the opportunity
of securing a portion of the lands. A
good illustration is found in the regis
tration which recently took place at
several points in North Dakota fol
lands embraced in the Berthold In
dian reservation, located on the Mis-
souri, river some distance north Of
Bismarck. 1t is said that there were
1000 quarter-sections of land involved
in the lottery and an invitation was
extended to the people of the United
States to avail themselves of the op
portunity OF registering between
August 22d and September I'd, inclus.
i've. The requirements were that the
persons seeking to take part in the
drawing should appear at Bismarck,
Minot, Plaza and possibly one or two
other places in North Dakota in or.
der to make their filings. The govern
ment erected cheap booths made OF
cheap lumber to accommodate the Off
GERS in charge at these various places.
Each of the governments agents was
required to be qualified as notary
public in order to swear persons who
came before them to file. The paper
to be signed was little printed blank
sheet, in size five inches long and
three inches wide, in which the party
was required to state that he was a
citizen of the United States and was
not the owner of land in excess OF
$50 acres. After signing his name to
this piece of paper it was put in an
envelope addressed to government
official at Washington, and the appli'
cant was expected to mail it, after
placing a two-ecnt stamp upon it. 1t
is said that over 10000 people regis
tered at the various places, Minot
having little over one-half of the
number. The people came from all
over the United States to avail them
selves of this opportunity. Missouri,
Kansas and Iowa contributing their
share of the number. 1t is supposed
that the average cost to the citizens
registering was in the neighbOrhood
OF $4,000. This insluded car fare and
hotel bills. In addition the value of
the loss of time to each individual
would be perhaps, in the neighborhood
of $1,000, making approximately an
expense to each person of $4,000. This
made an amount in the neighborhood
of 100000 paid out by the people
registering for the drawing, and ap'
proximately all of this amount went
to the railroad companies. We natural.
ly inquire why the government should
visit this punishment upon the indi-
yidual and enable the railroad com
panies to derive all the profit? Why
cannot the government permit these
persons to go before notary public
in their home county, or If notary
public is not of sufficient dignity. be.
fore the clerk of court of record,