Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-04-26
OKLAHOMA OPEN.
NILES or RAILROAD CARS AND
TEAMS.

A WILD, STRUGGLING CROWD,
MADE UP OF ALL CLASSES, FROM
EVERY SECTION OF THE CoUN-
TRY-REMARKABLE FRONTIER
SCENE.
ST. LOUIS, April 22.-The Re.
public special from Arkansas City,
Kan, says:
Oklahoma is Open. The trials,
struggles and SO cri6ces of years
are partially re warded, but the
events of to day and those of the
DAYS, weeks and months to follow
will prove how far supply Is below
demand and necessitate further
concessions to 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 Q
heritage of litigation which will
be fruitful to land sharks and claim
attorneys, but be destructive TO
the claims of poor and honest
settlers.
CROWDED TRAINS.
The Aichison, Topeka and Santa
Fe Railroad began running it's
sectional trains out Of Kansas
City last night and picking up cars
at almost every station along the
route. Hundreds of people were
waiting at every depot, and If the
cars, all of which were filed be-
fore the border line was reached,
could naye been coupled, they
would have made train miles IN
length. The crowds were composed
of spectators, adventures, sight.
seers, thieves, gamblers and
sprinkling of the demi monde
The farming element was not large
ly represented, as all of the home
steaders have gone on before
There were men on the cars from
every great city and important
point in the country, and there
was not a State or Territory in the
country which did not have its
representatives. Those who filed
up all Of the seats, occupied all OF
the standing room in the aisles and
filed up the spaces between the
coaches, hanging on the iron ban.
listers and girders with a grip born
of despair and determination.
At Arkansas City there were
over seventy.fve coaches tracked
in the yards awaiting the rush.
All of these were lowered into
the yards some distance below
the depot. The crowd began
gathering on the platform two
hours before daylight and long be.
tore the first faint streak Of the
dawn of the fateful day.
PANIC. STRICKEN.
The city was awake and stirring.
The streets presented live, pictur-
esque appearance. After the sun
rose crowds were rushing toward
the centre of action from all parts
of the city. Hotels emptied their
hundreds into the street; the cot
houses contributed hundreds more
out of the hospitsble homes Of the
city, nearly all of which have en-
tertained guests during the past
week. Soon long strings Of men
carrying grip.sacks, bundles, KNAPP
sacks and parcels of every possible
and impossible description hun
dreds of boomers and rustlers In
their impatience TO get aboard
rushed down en- masse to the yards
and attempted to force an entrance
into the cars, all Of which we're
securely locked. The excitement
may be judged from the fact that
a large number Of coach windows
we're broken out by people who
were anxious to secure seats. A
strong guard of railroad men was
detailed to protect the company's
property, and they had contract
of unusual dimensions on their
hands. The crowd was panic
stricken.
AN INDEsCRIBABLE STRUGGLE.
After waiting 80 many eventful
days and nights for the hour OF &C
ton to come men we're seized with
a 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
purpose behind, and there was no
quarter shown in the rush for
place. 1t was a wild west crowd
headed toward a new field of en-
terprise and development, and no
one who has eyer seen such thing
in action can have the remotest
conception of it.
GOING IN STYLE.
An amusing and at the same
time pathetic incident of the early
morning was a cattle train lying
on a side track, loaded with a
boomer, his horse, wagon and a
COW, wife and children and all his
little household effects. He was
merry fellow and guyed the
crowd numerically for not going
through, as he expressed it, with
out change of cars to avoid the
rush. 81 travel in my own special
\ COACH said he, "hke Jay Gould
or Vanderbilt" "You'll get there
too late" yelled somebody in the
crowd. "Neyer mind,' replied the
boomer, "l'll get there oil the
same
THE START.
Every car brought up the line
was greeted with tremendous
cheers. As the coaches which
we're to be attached TO the news
paper special we're brought out Of
the siding there was a simultaneous
rush of two or three thousand
men toward them. They were
filed to overlooking in less than
half minute, and 8 countless
throng was struggling for q place
on the steps. 1t was In vain for the
officials to say that trains would
run in sections fifteen minutes
apart. Every man there wanted
to be- fifteen minutes ahead OF
everybody and not fifteen min