The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-08-29
UNCLE SAM'SLAST
BIC Land RATTLE
Fort Peck Indian Reservation
Thrown Open.
8,4O6 FARMS AVAILABLE.

Drawing Commences Sept. I and
Will Continue Until the goth For
Homestesds, Which Are Worth on
the Average $25 an Acro-Ternos Of
Payment Very Easy.
Nearly 1900 160-acre farm homes
will be drawn by the "lucky ones" as
the result of the throwing open Of
1,345,000 acres of land upon the Fort
Peck Indian reservation in northeast
ern Montana early in September This
is the last great land drawing Uncle
Sam has to offer his people and one of
the greatest in the history of the gov
ernment land openings in point of fer
tility.
Government agricultural experts es-
innate that when this vast stretch of
soil is titled 1t will add about 25,000-
600 bushels of grain annually to the
production of the United States
enough to feed an entire nation.
The interior department is making
extensive preparations to rush a big
corps of clerks to Glasgow, Havre and
Great Falls, Mont, which are to be
the registration points. These land Of
fees will be open Sept. /, and the work
Of fling for this land will then begin.
The people will have a chance to con-,
tinue filing until Sept 20.
Good Chance For All.
The vastness of the area opened to
white settlement is expected to make
this one of the most alluring land open
ings ever presented to the people mas
much as their opportunity of getting
something in the drawing will be
much better than in any previous land
opening. For instance, when the Occur
dAlene, Flathead and Spokane land
drawings were held last year 10000
persons filed and drew for the lands
in those three Indian reservations, the
total area of which was about one
fourth of the area to be opened upon
the Fort Peck reservation.
Government officials do not believe
that more than $4,000 people will file
for the Fort Peck land. Hence the
chances Of drawing a quarter section
in the Fort Peck reservation lottery"
are about four times as good as they
have been In previous government land
drawings. The actual value of this
land is said by government agricultur-
al experts to average about $25 an
acre. However, the governments ap-
praisal for its opening to white settle
ment is only from $3.50 to 81 an acre,
thus making real prizes for those who
draw this land.
Method Of Drawing.
The drawing will take place in this
way. The names of all who file for
land will be placed in big box, and
the envelopes drawn out one by one
and numbered until enough envelopes
nre taken from the box to correspond
with the number of quarter sections
Those getting the
early numbers will. of course, get first
pick Of the land, In rotation, accord
Ing to the numbers drawn The ac-
tual settlement of the land will begin
May l. 1914
Settlement is the same as under the
homestead law. except that the APP
praised valuation must be paid-from
$3.50 TO 81 an acre, at these terms
Onefifth of the total down at time OF
entry and the rest in FIVE annual pay
ments. The settler, however, has the |
option OF taking advantage of the new
three year homestead law by paying
for his land at the end of three years
and thus proving up on it, That gives
the man OF small means chance for |
his "white alley"
Half n dozen modern townsItes al
ready have been located by the gov
ernment at points along the main
transcontlnental line of the Great |
Northern railway which runs through |
the Fort Peck reservation for 100 |
miles.