Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-25
THE SITUATION AT GUTHRIE.
Slow Progress Toward Building a Town
Population Falling OF.

Slow Progress Toward Building q Town
Population Falling on.
GUTHRIE, Oklahoma, via Arkansas City,
Kan, April 25.-Guthrie has made but little
material adv ancement since Monday Thus
far the land office is the only completed build
ing in the town. The Commercial National
bank has fifty carpenters at work putting up
light prairie structure opposite the railroad
station, and foundations for row of houses
on the west side of the railroad track have
been laid. This is the full extent of one days
Improvement. The population is falling off
materially.
Taking the Back Track.
Every train that leaves for the north or
south is pack ed with men who, having grown
weary of fighting for bare existence, are
headed for IL cir homes. Nobody but a man
who has plenty of money can live here Food
Is scarce and water is scarcer.
In Danger of Blowing Away.
For little while Tuesday night it looked
as if the new city would go doom as fast as it
went up Just after dark great black clouds
began to drive across the sky from the south
sast and in a short time rain was pouring in
torrents. Gusts Of wind swept through the
tents on the hillsides and threatened to carry
| them all away.
King Alcohol Not a Boomer.
The good order that has been preserved
thus far, COM idering that disputes about lots
are constantly arising, is singularly marvel
GUS. Not a man has been shot and in only
two instances were revolvers drawn by men
who intended to use them The cause that
has contributed much to the maintenance of
good order has been the absence of whisky
Not drop OF it has been put ON sale, and so
far as can bs Learned but little has been
brought into the territory by individuals for
their own use
United StateB Mammals as Land Grabbers
The marshal's forces are dsmoralized. Two
third OF the deputies who were brought
here 10 preserve order have done little be-
sides squat on town lots which they staked
on before tue crowds began to arrive Mon
day. Feeling runs high among the settlers
on account OF their behavior.
That Gun Play" Was q Romance
Marshal Jones on Tuesday sent a force of
msn to investi gate rumor about two men
having been shot on a claim east of the
creek. Newspaper correspondents, who
heard OF his en- terprise concluded this report
was true, and without personal investis alton
sent it east as a fact The story had its
origin with a half-wittsd fellow, who came
In from claim and reported that his two
partners were missing. They had simply
disappeared from a claim and he imagined
that they had been killed Capt Macarthur.
who made full investigation of the rumor
says the men are all right
Too Many Candidates for ONCE
All efforts TO organize municipal gov
eminent in Guthrie have failed. Five meet
ings were held Tuesday and as many more
yesterday to form a temporary ORGANIZE
ton, but not even this much could be done
The trouble IS that every candidate for
mayor has personal following that is bound
by oath to support him through thick and
thin.
West Guthrie Getting Along.
The city Of West Guthrie. which is SPRING
ing up on the level plain back of the military
camp, has been organized by band of Chi
cago colonists, who will hold a municipal
election in few DAYS