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Show THE RUSH FOR LAND. Throusrh a Sea of Mud. Kir Pools of Water and Even Small Lakcj liushes the Line. Jluch of the Promised Lund Was Under Un-der W ater. Bat That Had no Terrors Ter-rors for the Multitude. S1SSET0N OPENING TODAY. The Eace for the Choice Quart r Section Was to the Strong Rather Thau to the Swift. THE WILD RUSH AT NOON. A Moment Before the Restless People Had. Seemed Like Living Mrk. Set to jsliuiv the Boundaries of tho Promised Laud. St. Paul, April 15. Reports from thfl Sissetou reservation indicate that tho weather is all that can he desired for tho opening today, but the conditions underfoot are most unfavorable. The whole country is a sea of mud and water and the race for choice selections will be to the Strong in, stead of to the swift. Several townships are. submerged over large traets. Daylight found the line tilers at Fargo and Watertown. Sunrise also disclosed lontf lines of homeseekers and town site boomers that stretched alonj; the boundaries of the reservation, held back onlybj t soldiers and the f Jr that their claims would be thrown out if they crossed iu advance. So thick were they that the long line of restless people seemed living marks set to show tho boundaries. Major Bernard had laid his p'ans well to give all an equal chance. The various officers offi-cers compared time pieces and promptly all noon the signal guns irave tho word go. Major Bernard's bugler announced it at Brown valley, and as the notes resounded from the hilltop, the rapid firing of musketry along the line carrled the word to the eager multitude, who started otf at a break-neck pace for the promise'' laud through mud and slush. The mud had no terrors for thein and the pools of water, even small lakes, did not deter them, if by driving through theru thoy could reach the coveted quarter section sooner. Last night a party of nearly two hundred under the leadership of Oklahoma Charlie attempted to cross Lake T ravers a in tho darkness and gain tho reservation. A drunken member ot the party, however let the matter out. A detachment of soldiers met them as they landed and confiscated their boats and drove them from the reser. vation. Rumor comes from Brown alley of trouble at Wtieaton bridge. It is impossible to obtain ob-tain the facts -at pi-c--ent D 4&Joioj5that. several hundred men went there yesterday determined to cross. Captain Ellis, with 5d cavalry men, was dispatched to the scene and ordered to allow no one to cross. It has been discovered that there was a scheme on foot to secure the consent of the land owners along thu east line f the reservation south of Laka Traverse and Brown's vailey, whoso landa adjoin the reservation to allow the follower of the combination to cross their laud into the reservation and not permit anybody elsa to do so. The towns near the border, io full of Ufa -all the week, are now almost deserted. Even those who have no intereots in the lands have gone to watch tha hustling across. At Watertown, all the land lovers have goua, except a thousand who felt secure iu '.he validity of their filings over the claims of sqatters. It is be. lieved there will be trouUe between fllora and squatters over the claims to tho sama lauds. The filers at Watertown lined up early and made filings promptly, but tna work is slow. All were good Matured, how. ever. Brown's Valley, Minn., April 15. Mamia Schaler and Bessie Cole, two pretty Ana. mosa, Iowa, sehoolma'auis, .".re here afte land. They are unprotected, but every maa in the crowd hag sworn to se- the giris lo. cated on the best ftalf section of the reser. vation. mm |