Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-29
EYESON THE CHEROKEE STRIP
Hungry Homeseekers Looking For
Another Chance.
GENERAL WEAVER WELL FIXED.
The Doughty Iowa Warrior Stood in
with the Ring and Located n
Valuable Quarter
Section.
Another Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, April 2S.--
Especial Telegram to THE BEE. Pretty
much the same condition of affairs exist here
as at Guthrie so far as concerns the location
of lands. Every quarter section and every
desirable lot is claimed by two or moro
parties, and people who would not steal any
thing else will take lot if given half
chance. There is considerable claim jump
ing, but it is generally done very quietly, and
the first intimaton one has that his claim is
in jeopardy is when he sees n man putting up
n tent or a house on it or sitting there with
u Winchester across his lap. The best piece
of property here is owned by General
Weaver, the great grcenback apostle of Iowa,
He took up a quarter section in the best part
of the camp, and If Oklahoma City ever
amounts to anything he will be well fixed.
got his choice of land before the
common herd were permitted to enter
the forbidden territory. number of squat
ters are claiming town lots on Weavers
quarter section, but the opinion prevails that
those who located quarter sections in the
Oklahoma towns before the town sites were
located there will be sustained, for they all
stand in with the officials Oklahoma City
is building up rapidly, although people are
leaving daily About four hundred left to-
day. Some were unable to get lots and
others had sold their claims to the boomers
who have confidence i'll the place. some
plowing has already been done III this neigh
borhood, and the settlers seem determined
to cultivate their lands, but owing to the un-
certainty of titles the buildings are all plain
wooden structures of the cheapest material.
Many persons who failed to TO get land here
are heading for the Cherokee strip 1t is
generally understood that Captain Couch,
the veteran boomer, is at the head OF tho
scheme for settling the strip, and expects to,
build up sentiment IN favor of this move
ment that the government will be forced to-
,nIl TO IL tpp ai., tlntI INnnn has
already issued orders to his various post
commanders to remove all intruders from
the strip, but so great is the confidence in the
early opening of the country that home
seekers are willing to take their chances
Disguised Boomers.
PoNCA. I. T., April 2S.-fSpecial Telegram
to TIE BEE. Hundreds of disappointed
boomers, who failed to get land in Okla
homa, are settling hereabouts in the Chero-
kee strip. For the past three days there
has been almost a constant string of covered
wagons returning from Guthrie, Oklahoma
City and other points in the territory, and
about half of them go through the strip, but
others squat here, and they will remain
until the country is open to settlement.
These men are hunting homes, and consider
it unfair that the cattlemen should control
these 1000, 600 acres in the Cherokee strip,
while they are seeking only a few acres each
for homestead. Tho United States troops
are not molesting these squatters, but the
cattlemen who have the lands leased are
becoming uneasy, ana Will endeaVor
to have all settlers removed across
the line, Every train passing through here
going north is loaded down with people re-
turning from Oklahoma Many of them are
very bitter against tho deputy marshals,
whom they charge with having located all
of the best land in the territory, thereby de-
priving honest homesteaders of their just
rights. United States Marshal Needles and
Register Ollie are severely denounced for
permitting these frauds by their employees.
BY some it is charged that they got u share
of the spols On reaching the station here
thirsty people crowded around the well at
the section house in search of water. The
trains on the Santa F'e do not attempt TO
carry water enough for the thousands OF
travellers to drink, and in this dry and dusty
country there is much suffering. Eight car
loads of ex-boomers passed through on the
train to-day, returning from Guthrie and
Oklahoma City, and they report more ready
to follow The stampede out of Oklahoma
is almost as great now as the rush TO that
country was week ago.