Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-22
THE RUSH FOR FARMS
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN

TASHINGTON, d. c.. Sept. 1S--The Fourth or
M July of year found several hundred strang-
w ers in Spokane. The hotels were crowded the
garages filled and the restaurants and moving
picture shows were overwhelmed with business
throughout the day and all the next morning each
incoming train brought more people-men and women
of all nations descriptions, from well-groomed
lawyers to dusty hands and demure young school
marms From surrounding districts they came, and
many from as Wisconsin and Idaho. These
visitors attracted to Spokane by the fame OF
it's July celebrations for Spokane while pa
trotic is usually in affairs of this kind. They
were make their applications for land on the
diminished Coville Indian reservation which was open
for settlement by the government on the July o.
Every time the government opens reservation
tremendous rush for registration In the case
of Colvine land Spokane was only one Oh SIX towns
that with ambitious citizens who wanted
a chance government farm, there being reg
booths in Wenatchee, Omak, Republic, Wilbur
and the of Colvle. also
The Coville reservation is large tract of land in
the northeastern part of the state of Washington com
prisng all 1,3OO.O0 The best agricultural
have been allotted by the government to $500
Indians, and other big portions have been aside
containing timber and minerals. The remaining land,
which about $4,000 acres. classified by
government follows Some is rough and mountain
Gus and desirable for agricultural use;
valuable cultivation of crops; and may
liable for stock raising only From this it would ap
pear the homesteader who undertook good
Coville claim would be up against rather
proposition-yet 10000 people filed appl
claims at the registration booths
There were many prosperous individuals among this
90 900 however to whom the Colvile land not
serious matter could not resist the temptation
to take part lottery One woman. for example, ad
mtted that hoped she drew farm but she did not
know what the she would do with it, Others
ware quite sure they would do with theirs, and
anxiousy waited the outcome of the drawing.
The method used by the government In app3tlohlne
the land of Coville reservation is consloereo he
hest that has yet been evolved Originally when the
Trited States was Wilderness people took what
aver land they wanted and held by right OF poSseso
pt as the population increased wilderness grew
of4fa thn CtQEi
hazardous matter. often resulting in bloodshed ana
hitter feds Finally the latter eighties, the couny
had become so oversettled that people were camping
on the border of the forbidden praires OF anu
clamoring for admission Congress decided to open
p this land settlers but in order to be perferty
fair no one allowed to enter until the specheu
dav at the risk FORGETTING his land When 1t came
thousands settlers raced the border in furious
effort to stake their back to the govern
rent agents Unfortunately, the results OF this tree
fora race we're very discouragng to the land depart
ment which even occasionally troubled with one
of these Oklahoma claims Invariably the pest
land to the man with the strongest arm OF the
fastest horse who usually was able to convince the
agents that he was right
Now whatever real estate business Uncle sam uh-
a.r.aLes is conducted in an orderly manner Even
women are perfectly safe in homesteadins claims e&
cept in moving picture scenarios The present etou
as employed in Coville Indian reservation opening
w IN the nature of big lottery, and far as the gov
eminent officials ascertain it is absolutely Iar
The government first announced was gong 10 open up
this surplus proceeded to establish It's regis
ration booths At noon the 9Th of July the frst
booth was opened Spokane before crowd OF reso-
lutte homesteaders, who entered one by one tnrousn
turnstile Each man and woman made out MS or hef
application before the notary In chSrse
and sufficient taken with each application TO
insure the accuracy of all the details Scales ana
measuring device used in all where the in
dividuals were certain about their weight or
height This precaution is taken as means OF oeh-
tifying applicant In the past it often happened
that would to all the trouble of registering
for claim be fortunate enough to win one, only
have it claimed by another man of the same name.
The application completed the paid his 25-cent
notary fee. and the document put into long mar
envelope just like thousands of others.