Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-04-25
The Boomers Promised
Land.
WILD SCENES OF THE WILD WEST
The Stampede for OkIahom The
Terrific Rush and Crush Yesterday
The First Train-Terrific Struggle
ofNewspaper Men.

Oklahoma Is open. The trials, strug-
giles and sacrifices of years are partially
rewarded, but the events of to-day and
those of the days, weeks and months to
follow, will prove how far supply is be-
low demand and necessitate further
concessions 10 avert disorder, bloodshed
and other conditions but little short of
anarchy. The history of this one day
will forever be memorable in frontier
annals, and will leave behind heri-
tage of litigation which will be fruitful
to land sharks and claim attorneys, but
be destructive to the claims of poor and
honest settlers.
The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
r. R., began running its sectional trains
out of Kansas City last night and pick
ing up cars at almost every station along
the route. Hundreds of people We're
waiting at every depot, and if the cars,
all of which were filled before the bord-
er line was reached, could have been
coupled they would have made
ATRAIN MILES IN LENGTH.
The crowds were composed of specu-
lators, adventures, sight-seers, thieves,
gamblers and a sprinkling ofa demi-
monde. The farming element was not
largely represented, as all of the home
steaders have gone on before. There
were men in the cars from every great
city and important point in the coun-
try, and there was not State or Terri
tory in the country which did not have
its representatives. Those who filled
all of the seats, occupied all of the stand
ing room in the aisles and filled up the
spaces between the iron banisters and
girders, hung on with grip born of
despair and determination.
The newspaper coach was the first
out of Arkansas City. 1t contained
papers in the country who were COM
PEELED to yield room, and comfort for
the good of the cause. The. conductors
were vigilant in the collection of fares,
but it is certain that q great many dead
heads went through to the promised
landn in the rush and hurry and roar
of the boomer campaign. There was
but little sightseeing INDUCED in, as
the crowd did not care to look at any
thing until it got to Oklahoma, like the
emigrant at Castle Garden who refused
to pick up silver dollar because he ex-
pected to find gold in the street in the
next block. .&ar.
THE BUsTLE AND RUSH.
At Arkansas City there were over
seventy-five coaches tracked in the
yards awaiting the rush. All Of these
were lowered into the yard some dis.
tance below the depot. The crowd be-
gan gathering on the platform two
hours before daylight, and long before
the first faint streak of the dawn OF
the fateful day, the city was awake and
stirring. The streets presented a live,
picturesque appearance. After the sun
rose crowds were rushing toward the
center of action from all parts of the
city. Hotels emptied their hundreds
into the street; the cot-houses contrib
uted hundreds more out of the hospi-
table homes of the city, nearly all OF
which have entertained guests during
the past week. Some long strings of
men carrying grips, bundles, knapsacks
and parcels of every possible and i'm
possible description. Hundreds of
boomers and rustlers in their impa-
tience to get aboard, rushed down en-
masse to the yards and attempted to
force an entrance into the cars, all of
which were securely locked.
The excitement may be judged from
the fact that a large number of coach
windows were broken out by people
who were anxious to secure seats. A
strong guard Of railroad men was de-
tailed to protect the company's proper
ty, and they had contract of unusual
dimensions on their hands
THE CROWD WAS PANIC STRICKEN.
After waiting so many eventful DAYS
and nights for the hour of action to
come, men were seized with sudden
fear that they would be left in the lurch
and that fear served to make them like
drove of stampeded cattle. There was
vain attempt at good humor in the
struggle which concealed the grim pur-
pose behind, and there was no quarter
shown in the rush for place. 1t was a
wild west crowd headed toward new
field of enterprise and development
and no one who has never seen such Il
thing in action can have the remotest
conception of it.
1t had leaked out during the wakeful
hours of the night that the press spec
ial coach would be part of the first
train to move out. The railroad man
agemert had succeeded we'll in keeping
this fact secret. No one but represen-
tatives of the press were informed of
the fact. or knew the location of the
coach and the time of its departure, but
it is impossible to keep such infurma-
ton from people who sit up all night to
find out the shortest and easiest way of
getting into the promised land.
FIGHT OF THE NEWSPAPER MEN.
The result was that when the news
paper coach was backed up at point
below the depot the entire crowd charg-
ed upon it. The newspaper men were
ranged in a solid phalanx but had to
fight for access to the rear platform of
the car. There were rustlers there who
had been fighting along the border for
years and who had death grip on the
iron railing and expressed q determina-
ton to 60 in that car. These were not
exactly disposed of, but after them came
a swarm Of men with bogus credentials,
presuming to represent every great
newspaper In the United States. Near
ly every correspondent was called upon
to discredit two of these assumed jour
nalists, and scores of others failed of
Identification or recognition, and had
to fall back with more ofprecipitancy
than good order.
Every car that brought up the line
was greeted with tremendous cheers,
and as the coaches which we've to be