Omaha daily bee., 1913-10-29
OMAHA PEOPLE ARE LUCKY
Albert Erickson of Union Pacific
Holder of No. z.
LABOR COMMISSIONERS LANDS
c. w. Pool Has No. 55-Winners
Live in All Sections.
CROWDS WATCH THE DRAWING
seven Omaha People Are Among tho
First Hundred Names which Are
winners of Farms I'm Cow
ernment Drawing. III
lrrom a staff correspondent.l

(From a STAFF CorrespondentD
NORTH PLATTE, Neb.. oct. &.-(Spe-
clal Telegram. )-Marain Fritch oe
Kirksville, Mo, won the first choice for
land at the big government land drawing
at North Platte, Neb.. this morning.
Tho drawing OF 1000 homes win likely
he finished before evening today. When
adjournment was taken for lunch at II
o'clock $50 names had been drawn Judge
witteh said Il is likely the drawing will
he finished by o'clock in the afternoon.
lie will not draw over 2oco names, as
there are less than 600 claims to be dts
tributed.
Charles w. Pool, state labor commls-
sioner. drew No 65.
Crowds gathered early at the old Audi
torium here this morning In order TO be In
good time for the opening Of the land
drawing.
Although the drawing was scheduled TO
begin at 10 o'clock. 7:l5 a. m. found
dozens huddled around the littlc coal
stoves that were expected to take the
October chill off the big Auditorium. a
majority OF the crowd was OF North
Platte people. There were landseekers
present from the farther corners OF tho
union. kentuokians and Missourians,
New Workers and Arkansawers were
there.
| AZ tho time for the drawing drew near
enthusiasm grew and many eastern land
seekers declared that whether or not
! they drew a number they would locate in
this state. They declared after seeing
the land in and about North Platte they
would sell out and buy land here.
At 9;3S the big boxes. twelve great
cylindrical tin boxes were rolled into the
hall by w. II. Johnson OF Princeton.
Mo-. who IL travelling with superintendent
witten. A few minutes later Charles
Dawson, North Platte boy. opened the
boxes and dumped the ton or more of
envelopes ON the rostrum. The North
Platte band struck up faetifie and the
mixing Of envelopes on the floor began.
Vern Anderson and Adnrew Mathy of
North Platte Jumped IN with big sugar
beet forks and shoveled the pile over and
over until persplration flowed freely from
them. Hon. w. ID. Smith. deputy com-
missioner OF labor OF Missouri under Cow
ernor Hadley. assisted Judge James w.
Wilton in the drawing
Drawing Benins.
Al 1910 a. m. little Ruth Elder stepped
over 10 the pile and picked up tho first
envelope. She carried II to Judge witten.
who opened II and read clearly and dis
tlnctly, Marion Fitch, Kirksville, Mo. ="
The crowd that filled the hall gave a.
big whoop. and Immediately quieted down
for the next number.
Little Mabel Mcfarland came up with
No. 2. and the judge read again Arthur
Stromsberg. stromsberg, Neb."
After this the little girls hoped nimbly
over the great white sea OF envelopes.
picking them up and handing them Il.
turn TO the Judge, who was kept busy
opening and reading.
A big cheer went up from the crowd
when the name OF Albert u. Culton OF
North Platte was read. He drew No. 20.
List of Lucky Ones.
The first 100 names drawn follow:
/. Marain Fritch. Klrksviile, Mo.
2. Arthur Stromberg. Stromsberg Neb.
!. LouisA Huson, Abeline. Kan. widow
g. Hans Dubs, Columbus, Neb
6. odel Grouse, Naponee, Neb.
I. Albert Erickson, 4ood Grand avenue,
8 John Thireber. Garrison. Nsb.
| .. Jim Nacok. Verdigfe, Neb
TO- w. II. Marsh. Atlantic, Ia.
u. -; @. Smith. Fairmont, Neb.
~ Edgar n. Davis. Cozad. Neb. =
49, Wnl Dickey. Desota, Kan.
H. Ira o. Leive. Tuscott. Kan.
l5 David Levin, Watertown, Wis
l6 y. w Brown, Hershey. Neb.
~ Herbert J. Morrow, collegeviewi
sc. o. BARN, Lewellen. Neb
10. Ned Bartz, jr., North LOun, NeD
%. Albert b. cultoR. lsorth Platte. Neb
Continued on Page Five.)