360 Wisconsin Academy of Science 4 Arts, and Letters. 
were completely occupied before sunset, and large numbers 
overflowed into the drier western parts . 1 
The Governor of the territory says in his report for 1893 
that although the booth system did a vast amount of good in 
keeping out illegal claimants, there was still, in spite of all the 
faithful officials could do, a large number of “sooners” who took 
possession of some of the best land and lots. 2 The Secretary of 
the Interior also reported that, “while 1 the opening of the Strip 
last September was relieved of many difficulties by the regular 
tions legally made, yet it must be confessed that the manner of 
entry was not satisfactory.” 3 
The act under which this region was opened authorized the 
President and the Secretary of the Interior to divide it into 
counties and to establish one or more new) land districts at 
their discretion. Acting under this authority, the Secretary di¬ 
vided the region into seven counties, two large ones in the west¬ 
ern part and five smaller ones in the eastern, while Payne 
county in original Oklahoma was given an extension in the Out¬ 
let. Three land districts were established with offices at Alva, 
Enid and Perry, and tie Pc aver district was extended fo in¬ 
clude the western county, the office being moved to Woodward. 
The Secretary also' reserved about half a section in the center 
of each county for county seats, and these were settled in the 
same manner as Tecumseh and Chandler had been, except that 
the system of certificates acted as a check on speculation. 
Sometimes the speculators started rival towns near the estab¬ 
lished ones, and, when they could get the favor of the rail¬ 
road, were able seriously to embarrass the development of the 
official sites. 4 But these were only minor difficulties and did 
not affect the general development of the Strip, which went on 
so rapidly that within a year the population and resources of 
Oklahoma had been doubled. 
1 Sec. Int. Rept., 1893, vol. 3, p, 460. 
2 Ibid. 
3 Ibid. 
4 Ibid., vol. 1, p. xii. 
