St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-21

was never more welcome to a
stOrm-toSsed sailor than was the roll
ing green plain of Oklahoma to the
hardy crews Of the te-tOpped prairie
schoopers. They entered it with cheers
and volleys OF musketry and other dem
have accompanied the procession, and
guides, spurred their ponies forward
and dashed in upon the soil which has
been the happiest dream of their lives,
but they were promptly escorted back
to the wagons by Capt. Hays troopers
until Monday. Tonight the boom
ers are having glorious jubilee.
The old soldiers have formed a march
ing line and are parading up and down
the southern edge of the strip singing
war songs and discharging their re-
volvers and rifles. Following them is a
crowd of about 1900 men, women and
children, who are doing all they can to
din more deafenmg. At day light the
great camp will be struck, and the
wagons will begin moving east and
west, so that by Sunday night they will
be evenly distributed on the Oklahoma
line, in positions from which they can
safely jon in
THE GREAT SCRAMBLE
which begins at noon Monday. The
boomers are hopeful and confident.
They have been together so long and
have discussed their plans SO many
times, that they think they know just
how they are going to proceed. Every
man has quarter section in his minds
eye, and when the starting signal is
horses will carry him. 1t is not un-
likely that many cherished plans and
hopes will be defeated during
the scramble. There are men
men on the line tonight repre-
senting every element of wild West
ern society, who have come across the
strip to reserve claims. They have the
f1eetest ponies in the territory, and as
they are thoroughly acquainted with
Oklahoma, they have an advantage
over the honest homesteaders which can
hardly be appreciated now. These men
mean to precipitate trouble. The
march across the strip was conpara-
lively uneventful. Some of the creeks,
especially the Salt Fork of the Arkansas,
were very high, and delayed progress
more or less, but the boomers, by care
full plotting, cleared them all with ease.
AS they went down through the Punca,
OtOe and Usage reservations
HUNDREDS OF INDIANS
gathered by the side of the trail and
watched the wagons as they rolled by.
The Indians were nearly all armed, and
took occasion to make an OstentatiOuS
display of their Winchesters, shot
guns and six-shooters. One greasy old
buck who had shotgun was approached
by a pretty little girl. who timidly
asked him if he was going to kill her
papa. The Indian smiled at the child,
and then patting his gun said, with
grunt: ''Kill turkey this; this for
boomer" He took from his pocket a
Winchester cartridge long enough to fit
a howitzer, and held it up for the in
spection of the child. She ran back to
her papa's wagon and hastily climbed
in between the canvas flaps, while the
old buck returned the cartridge to his
pocket. The rich soil of the reser-
The chief ambition of the Indians in
life is to get to Arkansas City two
or three times year and while there
drink whisky until their squaws have to
10 d them bodily into wagons and drive
them home. These are the sort of neigh
bors the boomers will have on the
North. Capt. Hayes is riding the lines
tonight instructing the boomers how to
proceed Monday. Every man will be
permitted to haul his wagon up to the
line, so that when the starting signal is
given he can get into the new Eldorado
at a jump. The boomers are not all
here yet. Hundreds of wagons are still
coming across the strip, and others are
still passing through Arkansas City.
Many of them will arrive too late, as
they cannot cross the strip in less than
three days. -. -;