The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-04-24
SCENES AT GUTHRIE.
A Populous Town Springs Up in the Wilder
ness as in by Magic.

"A Populous Town Springs Up in the Wilder
ness as il by Magic.
ARKANSAS CITY, April 22.-Fifteen thousand
home-seekers are camped on the grassy upland
Of Guthrie, the pioneer city of Oklahoma. Their
camp-fres CLEAN in the darkness, and their
tents loom athwart the sky like an army in
bivouac. Guthrie, heretofore an insignificant
station in a wild and uninhabited country re-
mote from civilization, has more than popu-
lation of 1900. All this was gained in an
afternoon. In no country save America and
no part of that country save the great West
could such a thing be possible.
When the first train arrived at Guthrie from
Arkansas City the embryo streets and lots of
the new city had already been laid out by en-
terprising citizens who had been early on the
scene. Hardly had the cars slowed down at
the station when eager men leaped from the
car windows, slipped from the roofs of the
coaches and poured out of the doors in
streams. In a minute the slope leading up
from the station was black with men rush
ing headlong eager for the town lots. In
two minutes not one of the men who had
filled the train was left in speaking distance of
the railway. BY the time this crowd had
reached the top slope near the land-ofice men
who had been running parallel lines for streets
and driving in stakes for town lots, were well
on their way along the level strip of land east
of the land-offce. The crowd then caught the
moving line of streets and lots and rushed east
ward at tremendous rate. The men who
brought along muslin sign, bearing the words
Bank of Guthrie" were compelled to take up
a lot one mile back of the station.
The next train arriving from Arkansas City
brought 1000 hOme-seekers about fifteen
minutes later. The men in this train poured
across the prairie like an army charging the
wing of the enemy. They spread out north and
south with axes and spades and stakes and be-
gan with wonderful energy the location OF
town lots and streets. The third, fourth, fifth
and sixth trains from Arkansas City swelled
the number to as many thousand.
When the seventh and eighth trains came in
later in the afternoon the crowd had overflowed
all bounds. On the east the streets and town
lots had been extended fully two miles, on the
north mile and half and on the south near
ly mile. No attempt had been made TO lay
out town on the west side OF the track. This
west land had been all filed on for home
steads.
Almost with the first rush of home seekers
from the cars the home seekers who had started
across the Oklahoma north line at noon in
wagons and on horseback began to pour into
the new city. Their horses were reeking wet
from the hot and furious drive. They took
possession of such town lots in the future
Oklahoma metropolis as they could lay claim
to. Meanwhile the land Office was besieged by
eager and determined crowd OF men, wait
ing TO file claims upon homestesds. As the
afternoon wore on this crowd grew larger until
at closing time it reached in a regular line far
down the street toward the railroad station.
Business in the land office went rather slowly.
The register and receiver did the best they
could. but the pressure upon them was tre-
mendous. The men who we're waiting to
file claims were forced into line
two abreast Dealers in real estate
began business before o'clock in the
afternoon. One enterprising dealer had as a
background for the safe transaction of bust
ness a stock of rifles which had been
placed there by the government troops on duty
at the land office. Near by was the tent of L.
s. Marshal Needles. The tent was surmounted
by a large American flag