Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1901 — Busy Times in Oklahoma. [ARTICLE]

Busy Times in Oklahoma.

Charley Murray is the first of this year’s Oklehoma boomers to return home. He arrived here Sunday morning and reports an immense throng of people awaiting the government distribution of land on Ang. 6th. It oosts nothing to register and a great many, like Charley, whose appearanoe there has been on other business, have taken the free chance to try for a quarter section of land, and then left. The majority of the homeseekers there are apparently overrunning with money and saloons and gambling devices of all kinds, unmolested ply their vocations and the fellow with a desire to spend his money, is confronted by no obstacles. The saooeeefnl applicants for land will have to pay about sl4 for the patent and many of the beet quarter sections will be worth from $1,600 to $9,000 as soon as drawn. There are 13,000 claims and about 100,000 people registered.