Telegram-herald., 1889-04-20
IN SOLID PHlLANX.
Soldiers Lead tbs Column ol
Boomers Towards CklahorlA
TIE START Fs0A lgkNSlS CITY.


seems 90 Illati4 s-- ~ InlIttst llall.
lE @.enz -ls sHtIa neltaeri border a.J
t-e sel seas totl ol gfe2t c--lial lf
a-i1e -e4Iet naEoas stretching far asaF
$3.50 t-e ilal3l I.fUIorF "Wednesday
nsat t-e l-ia @salA Ioased down and
celiee ots--Y ~ t.~ thousands ~
Lllle-se kels Blg rhs toenefs traYe1
Tie s-or4 aal started thes Vssons
coen lhs dark aud Elfr road th4t heads
iu-o -l1 gfv4l to1c0 traii a4d crowded as
fAf tosaatt The soldiers oor-d permit
laen Tie h4lt Nas made and tla niEl,
pa.se q sieeplo-s WitA the oleak oI day tle
rain ceased ald . cll-- eiad swept over t1s
I4allles Cold lo t1e very laaFIoa nones
the boomers were sl-u p4tlen- anI cheer
tal
When daylight Wes fairly visible the
vasoners were up With whips pa hsad.
ready ~ moye ihe great camps on the
Arkansas and Walnut rivers were breaking
Up and thousands or iaca and Teams were
ctoNdlng tne rear A. O'Clock tie prom
isei hour of march. approached. great
excitement prevailed among tae people
Suddenly a troop OF soldiers Appeared
GA the prairie aud they presently
flashed up. haiting within nlty yards of the
territory line Cheers rang from the
uooi1ers as the soldiers came up. Captain
Jack Hayes OF the fHth Cavalry Was ia
command watch in hand. When o'clock
arrived be gave "a signal "A blgle blast foi-
lowed. tho soldiers wheeled about. yelling
come on bows" and away they went
across the strip
The scene immediately following was
thrilling The boomers cheers urged their
teams forward. anG In less time than u
takes to tell 10 the great march % the prom
ised oklahoma had begun Within thirty
minutes TO wagons bad crossed the line
vain thousands IA the rear IL wagon
broke down spiiling children, chickens
aud furniture into the mud it was fixed
In min>te by half hundred
ready hands and the catastrophe smoothed
with a cheering word Within a mile Of
the border the crowd became 80 densely
packed that 10 was with great difficulty a
passage 10 the front was effected 4 half
mile west OF the Ponce trail entrance tho
people were approaching ia large numbers
To take tie Noz PeIces trail that leads TO
Fort Reno.
The FIRST team 20 cross was that Of Huhe
Jackson. from Missouri, a lank. red haaTde q
piigrim. Who yelled ike Piute and togged
his horses into dead run. In close sue
cession came an old man who waved large
American flag from his wagon and charged
all not 70 crowd the banner His instruc-
tions were respected. Among the leading
teams was n hOu~e on wheels drawn by
four horses In the rude but comfortable
structure was Kansas farmer and his
family
The young Indians from the training
school about a mile beyond the neutral
strip line. came down 10 the trail 10 view
the msrch All day long the exodus from
the groves of tho Arkansas and Walnut
rivers continued and reiniorcements still
poured in from the highways Two thou
sand wagons bad crossed the border into
the Cherokee strip by noon, and the camps
IN tho neighborhood were still full
swollen rivers and deep mud roads are
ahead, and IL Is feared there viii be many
accidents reported From the Cherokee
strip line 10 salt Creek fork is fourteen
miles Ihi, fork is swollen ont OF its stream,
and crossing II Is dangerous business. i
temporary bridge has been erected but il is
not safe
According 10 orders Capain Hayes halted
at night and camped at salt Creek fork
and viii this morning resume the march to
the Oklahoma line. Captain Hayes VIII
picket his men along the Oklahoma line as
TAR as they will reach. His picket line Will
bD Joined by line of soldiers from Cald
we'll anu the boomers viii De kept al bay
until The hour OF noon arrives The Cap
tain set his watch exactly With the railroad
clocks and as soon as his watch indicates
noon on Monday signal viii 20 up Tor the
boomers 20 start
The three miles OF road from the Arkan-
sas river along the Ponce trail l. IN "a fright
ful condition. and it was most discouraQine
for tho settlers. Captain Hayes, VINO has
kent the boomers al bay. says he never saw
a more orderly set OF men and was sur
prised at It, lac fully expected an element
that would cause him trouble.
Wagons from the north continue 70 pOuI
in bat ia 10 such numbers n were Wit
messed in the last three days Parts of q
wagon passed under the temporary bridge
over salt Creek fork Wednesday morning
and the supposition Is that family OF
boomers has been lost IA the stream. II i:
reported that two persons We're drowned.
It Is estimated that there are $3.50 peo
pie rear here altogether Every wagon
road as far north as Emporia is pouring
prairie schoOuers with their burdens of hu.
manitv into every wagon road and trail
along the northern and eastern borders oi
the Indian Territory Many boomers have
hired the cowboys. who are conveTsan'
with the trails as scouts. paying then
handsomely 10 conduct them 10 the prom
ised land
One hundred cars 80 merchandise fol
boomer settlers were received at this point
Thursday Among the arrivals were Hon
y u Needles. United States Mars1ai OF the
Territory Register nihis and Receiver
rarnes. who viii 60 toGuthIie and open ths
..af..r.. rf r.r5r.s