Salt Lake Tribune | 1901-08-27 | Page 5 | Back from Oklahoma Lottery

BACK FROM OKLAHOMA LOTTERY Mr and Mrs John Collett Did Not Draw Prizes Mr and Mrs John Collett have re turncd to the city from Oklahoma where they went to participate In the land drawing at the opening cf the Kiowa reservation They failed to draw n prize as did four others In their part but they had a memorable experience ill Collett says that the town of El Reno a place of about 7500 people harbored 00000 during the drawing Cots were worth 75 cents to 1 a night and the occupants furnished their own bedding Surething games flourished and the tricksters prospered but the t persons Who made the most money were the notaries public These worthies raised an umbrella over a box and did a land office business acknowledging the affidavits i affi-davits of the applicants at 5 apiece I i Cowmen who have leased ranges on the reservation bled gullible land hunters by offering to locate them on squatters claims for < a consideration of from 25 to 50 They pocketed the coin and departed Mr Collett says also that cowboys had a trick of turnIng turn-Ing tho survey stakes and then demanding de-manding 10 from settlers who had drawn lands to set them on the right survey Mr Collett was asked to participate In the drawing by his father who owns a largo wheat tract in Oklahoma He lago threshed between 12000 an < HOOO bushels bush-els of wheat thlu year