The morning news., 1889-04-24
OKLAHOMA'S MAD HORDE
A SCRAMBLE FOR LOTS, TOWN
SITES AND HOMESTEAOS

SIZES AMI I1OA E5O L. AO0s
one Man Shot Dead by a Settler Hid
IN the Bush-3Ox14O Decided on as
the size of Guthrie's Lots - a
scarcity of Water and Food-Al in
Confusion.
ARKANSAS CITY, KAN, April 23,-A
soecial from Guthrie, sent at an early hour
tbis morning, says that three men who
took claims there yesterday were murdered
about 5 o'clock by claim jumpers. The
names Of the assailants and their victims
cculd not be learned. A vigilance COM
mittes is now securing the country in
search of the miscreants.
On the Oklahoma boundary, Lieut..
Foster. who started the pilg inns Saturday
coming via Arkansas City on the trail, esti-
mates that at least 900 outfits and 10000
npople ranged along the border of his trail.
They started at the sound of a buge.
Lieut.. Waite, nephew of the late Chief
Justice Waite, started those entering at the
Caldwell trail, and Col Ware started those
on the Hunnewell trail, he being in charge
of this territory Capt. Hays started those
entering by the Black Bear trail.
ALMOST BEYOND BELIEF.
It seems like fairy story, but there is
scarcely q doubt that from 10000 to $4,000
entered by these trails, while six trains that
came in from Arkansas City to Guthrie
brought at least 5000 people. The wagon
road runs within 100 yards of the railroad
all the way. The Cimarron ford on the
Cimarron or Little Arkansas river
is Just three-fourths of mile
from where the railroad crosses that
stream near the old site of Camp Russell.
All along the route were to be seen deer,
antelope, prairie chickens and quail. Two
deer were within ten rods of train, and at
least fifty shots were fired at them from
the car windows and by those on the roof,
without effect. The prairie chickens and
quail that were near enough to the train to
sight were also treated to a similar salute.
JUMPING FROM THE TRAIN.
When the train crossed the last stream,
Cottonwood creek, just before entering
Guthrie, the passengers began jumping off,
and rushing up the bill on the cas- eide of
the track toward the land Office, where the
town site is to be laid out One fellow be-
came so excited that he jumped through a
car window. When the train stopped aJ
Guthrie station there was an indiscriminate
ruSh-men and boys running over each
other to get to toe land office first or squat
on a claim. A scarcity of water will cause
water in Cottonwood creek can be
filtered. An enterprising real estate
man had a carryall at the depot when
the train arrived and offered to carry the
people to his lots over on the east side and
sell lots at 81 apiece. The crowd around
the land office Is too great to be numbered
and those who did not get in to file their
claims last night slept where they were in
line TO be on hand this morning.
TOWN SITES INNUMERABLE.
Two miles each way from Guthrie
station town sites are staked Off, and there
was not a section between there and Alfred
tnat did not have one or more quarter sec
tons sUaked off. The people hero are dunn
founded and look at the vast multitude
crOwdng into the country in silent
wonder Returning on the trains
hundreds of prairie schoOners were
passed still winding their way to the prom
ised land. As Guthrie was found already
staked out when tae first train got ther3
some ugly rumors were at once started re-
Aecung on the United States officers and
the officials of the Santa Fe road. 1t is
claimed that Director Carr of that road
has been At Guthrie for several days and
that they, as well as the government
officials, connived with men hiding in the
bush on the west bottom, shielding them
from the scrutiny OF the soldiers, that those
officials on both sides had the town all laid
out quietly and had an understanding with
these bush niders so that they all rushed iu
and staked off claims before any
train arrived. Although the regular
train from the south, which arrived about
l-:4j O'Clock yesterday afternoon, was not
allowed TO carry any boomers, when it
reached Edmunds at II 30 o'clock, it lay
there until 1905 o'clock, when party of
surveyors got off, said to be railroad men,
When the people at Edmunds saw this
they rushed out and began stalking off
claims also. Persons who arrived ON the
regular train from the south saw that hun
dreds Of claims were staked out at Guthrie
when they got there. A sixty-room hotel
VIII be shipped from Kansas City and be
ready for business at Guthrie by Saturday
5000 IN CAMP.
Fifteen thousand home-seekers are
campel on the grassy upland of Guthrie,
lae pioneer city of Oklahoma. Their
camp fires gleam in the darkness and their
Tents loom athwart the sky ike an army
ln biyauac. Guthrie, hitherto an insguiti-
cant st-tion in wild and uninhabited
country, remote from civilization, has now
apo 1uiatlon of more than $1,000. All this
wa gained in an afternoon. In no coun-
Uy save America and no part
Vi mat country save the great
Vest could such a thing be possible.
'eH 'uS uISl tram arrived at Outnrle
a. 'tn Arkansas City the embryo streets and
IoLS on tAe new city had been already laid
guy oy enterprisug citizens who had been
carry on the scene Hardly had the cars
e""gd down at the station when eager
l.I9n eI9n Ieaped from the car windows, slipped
rom tle roofs Of the coaches and poured
OuI OF Tie doors IN streams. In a minute
we we slope leading uD from tho station was
.'"VH with men rushing headlOug eager for
t-e O. Veted town lots In two minutes not
I,e oil the men who had flied the train was
way
RAPID WORK.
by the tno this crowd had reached the
.pe hear the land office, tho men who bad
Gesh running parallel lines for streets and
'Hel IN stakes for town lots, we're well on
1I '1tI way along the level strip of land east
W. lAe and Office. The crowd then rushed
'-'."aTd ~ tremendous rate Men who
.uHuI along muslin sign bearing the
HY7 Bank Of Guthrie, were compelled
axe up lot one mile back OF
't ,auon. Tho next tram from Arkansas
Ivy brought thousan homeseekers about
''o minutes later. The men in this train
..lIN9 across the prairie like an army
"a Ag the wing Of an enemy. They
rgad Out north and south with axes and
noes ana stakes, aud began with wonder
~ ~ energy tho location of lots and streets.
t"' tnlrd, fourth, fifth and sixth trains
.''In Arkansas swellcd the number 10 A.
"1Ny thousand. When the seventh and
.-".u trains came In late Ia the afternoon
p' crowd mad Overhowei all the bounds OF
t't' 'dst streets and toyu lots ha1 hean NJ