St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-10-16
OKLAHOMA BOOMERS.
Army Ofncers Heartily Tired OF Chasing
the Plucky and Persisting Settlers.

Army Oncers Heartily Tired Of Chasing
the Plucky and Persisting Settlers.
ut is not half so much fun chasing
these boomers out of Indian Territory
as some folks imagine an army Off
Ger observed when questioned on the
subject. ''You see, most of them are
full of Yankee pluck AMI independence.
and they don't care any more for the
United States army than they Won Id
for swarm of mosquitoes. You can't
scare an American with the army, be.
cause he knows that the soldiers won't I
shoot. and SO we go marching around
IN military fashion, chasing this man
and that man. until the thing gets to be
good deal of farce.
''What is needed out here is police
force of about two hundred men. armed
with clubs. If | had such a command
l would keep Oklahoma clear until the
Government got ready to open il. The
other day found two or three men
and WON N, with about dozen chill
dren, over the line getting ready to
settle, and l told them they would have
to move on.
''Where to-" asked one of the men.
" Anywhere says |. so long rs
you get out of here. You can't stay
here
".Why note says he
"'Because.' l explained. this is Gov
ernment land and you know it. You'll
have to skip.
We'll. they piled all their things
and their children into 4 couple of big
wagons and started north. We watched
them awhile, and concluded that they
Were going for sure. but the next day,
when we passed tha. way, there they
were again in the old place. The
spokesman colored up little when he
Saw me, and said:
80 tell the truth, Colonel. l just
thought this thing was all red tape and
that so long rs You had done your duty
I'd take the responsibility of coming
back. didn't think you'd be here Sd
soon. It's run, is it?'
IL told him it was a run and that if
him under arrest. Then we escorted
him and his party over the line, and
watched them for two or three days
until they strolled away.
''Some of the boomers are worse than
f1eas. Plenty of them have no women
and children with them. and they move
about with great celebrity, remember
a few weeks ago we came across an old
fellow away down about twenty miles
from the line. He had actually hauled
an lumber and built himself little
shantv, in which he had been living n
month or two. Over the door he had
scratched with lead pencil, John
Riley's Claim When We rode up he
was sitting ont in front smoking his
pipe and reading his Bible.
= What are you doing here?'
asked
.Locatin'.' said he.
"'Well. you'll have to get out, l
continued.
"'What fer?' he asked.
Because this land isn't open vet.
and our orders are to remove every
body found here
We'll. by thunder said the old
man, you can't remove one side of
me. Not much. You can't. Stepping
inside of his cabin. he brought out Il
rifle, and continued: Il wore that
there Uniform of yours five Years in
Virginia when there was some mighty
tall hustlin' going on between the
James and the Potomac. and I'm cussed
If I'm going to be lassooed in this
way: I'm a peaceful settler, a-hurtin'
of nobody, and if the United States
army comes a-pickin' on me, then all |
there is to that me and Uncle Sam will !
have row, and it's the first time. too.
You just go along, now, and let me
alone.
Il didn't want to make war on one
old soldier who appeared to be enjoy |
ing himself, and so gave him week |
to vacate his claim and passed on. As |
luck would have it. it was fortnight |
before we got around that way again. |
and then the cabin was gone. He had .
moved it away somewhere else, but !
we'll run across him after awhile.
81 don't wonder that the people want !
to get into that country. It's the pref j
test in the world. We destroyed some
houses near river bank that had been !
occupied by several families. We had
put them out two or three times, and (
finally. to make sure job of it. we
burned their houses. They had
site for town, and had
selected it for that purpose. Their
leader, shrewd young fellow. came to
me afterward. and wanted TO make an
by which he could get his
clamps on that particular section the
lay the Territory was opened. He
thought l could help him to it if l
wanted to, and he said if l would. he
would give me my pick of the corner
OTIS. had to tell him that that was
matter with which l could not inter
lere.
I'VE meet with a good many sad
,ases. too. and shall be glad when
he country is opened up .'-Hunne-
ceH Kan Cor. N. Y. Snn.