Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-17
Mighty Discouraging
The Way Some People Talk
About Oklahoma.
PROpLB WHO KNOW THE COUNTRY.

A United States Army Onicer Says There
VIII BE Some wretched Disappoint-
rnents. and Another Tells the Boomers
They VIII he More Anxious to Get
Out I'm Six Months Than They Are Now
to Get in-Destitution and Fraud.
WASHINGTON CITY, April IA letter has
been received here from Lieut. John NJ. Car
son, Jr., Fifth United States cavalry, who
has been serving in Oklahoma with his regi-
ment for the past four years. This young
officer has ridden over nearly every section
of Oklahoma. Being familiar with its topo-
graphy, climate and resources, and being
free from all prejudices, his observations are
specially valuable, and will be found interest
ing to those who are watching events in Ok
lshoma. Lieut. Carson's letter Is dated at
Fort Reno, April 8, 10 which point he had
just returned from a scont along the Cana
dian river The lieutenant says:
Il fear that neither troops nor United
States courts will prevent bloodshed in the
settlement of Oklahoma. The old boomers
have raised wind that promises to become
q whirlwind, and anticipating that this can
not be controlled are anxious about their
chances for securing land The country has
been so tremendously doomed by certain men
and newspapers, and people have thereby
been SO far misled by inaccurate statements,
that comparatively few have any idea Of
what Oklahoma really is-its extent, charac-
ter of land, climate or resources
Not Garden of Eden.
Perhaps five-sixths of the people regard
Oklahoma as a near approach to the Garden
Of Eden, where 1t is simply necessary TO cast
seed over the ground in order to reap
| bountiful crops, and that they can sit under
vines and fig trees, so to speak, in the enjoy
ment of an equable and magnificent climate.
A residence of twelve months i'll Oklahoma
win completely dispel this illusion, destroy
msnytcarefully nourished hopes, and wipe out
| many small fortunes, especially should the
! settlers experience one of our cold winters,
| followed by long, dry, hot summer, such
as We had in 1885 and 1885.
Where the Tug of War Lays.
THE great cutlery so long maintained
| about Oklahoma has been the means of at
tracing people from all parts of the country
| and every day brings new arrivals TO points
| along the border, all of whom are impatient
| iy awaiting the coming of April p, the day
fixed for opening the gates to this imagined
land Of promise As the amount of land u
be opened to settlement is iimted-abou
| l, 800 900 acres-the chances for getting any
of it will vary inversely with the number o.
people who will want it. The old boomer,
fully realize this and see the chances
| for securing a piece of good land
daily lessening. OF the 5000 acres in
cluded in the president proclamation not
more than 1,000, 00O are what can be proper
ly designated as good farm land. A knowl
| edge of these facts is producing a state Of
alarm among the old boomers and has mad,
some of the deperate They are organizing
/ hear, for mutual protection and to keep of
the outsiders This is what may lead u
bloodshed, for there will very probably b,
men among the outsiders just as deter
mined and just as well prepared to take cart
of themselves as the old agitators.'
In conclusion the lieutenant suggests tina
If it is the intention to open the remainder Of
the Creek and Seminole purchases, and the
| Cherokee strip the sooner it is done the bet
ter. He also says that the commissioner,
appointed to treat with the Indians can moi
act too promptly and expedltiously.