A RECORD LAND SCRAMBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 317, 16 January 1908, Page 4

A RECORD LAND SCRAMBLE.

The announcement, made on November 10th, that President Kooscvelt had signed a proclamation raising Oklahoma tu the dignity of a State, rut-alls one of the biggest land scrambles in '.lie history of tlie world.

Up to 188!) Oklahoma—the name means "beautiful country"—was known as The Indian Territory, and its sole population consisted of u. few thousand roving redskins. at the stroke of noon on April 22nd of that year, however, the United States Government, having completed its arrangements with these aborigines, threw the entire territory open to settlement under what is known as the " homestead law." In ell'ect, this meaut that a country the siic of Ireland was to be scrambled for by the first comers in lots of 100 acres. There was nothing to pay. no immediate formalities even. You grabbed your " quartersection" of land, held it, and it belonged thenceforward to you, and your descendants for ever. Fifty thousand people participated in the great rush, and most of them secured free homesteads, liefore sunset on the eventful day two townships had also been staked out —Guthrie, the capital, and Oklahoma City—oi«l many buildings had been erected. Speculation in these "town lots,' a« tliey were called, quickly became rife, and many fortunes were made by the lucky ones. Terrible privations were undergone, too, for food and water were exceedingly scarce, the latter letailing at 4s the bucketful. But in the end things settled down, and now the Indian Territory Of eighteen year* ago ha- liecome a full-Hedged State of the I nion. with a star all to it-elf on the national