The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-05-03

wild flight southwark, keeping chat little
start they had until they had reached the
opposite side OF the river. But here, also,
they were shortly followed and ordered
back from the bank and a guard was
placed to patrol the line. Up and down
the river through the dark hours Of the
night the sturdy sentinels kept moving,
and the crowds in the groves which
fringed the river valley grew larger and
the camp fires multiplied as the night
wore on. So on till noon they kept com.
ing.
About eleven o'clock q line Of horsemen
formed down close to the waters edge
and the wagons clustered around the
fords. The rich and the poor, the young
and the old boomers, tenderfeet mounted
on horses, great and small, were all in
line. Gray-bearded men whose hopes
glowed and faded as often as the changing
seasons had swept pitiful gusts of north
and south wind over the land where they
had long hoped to make their homes, were
in line. Many Of them had spent all their
earthly possessions and the best years of
their lives in the endeavor to possess the
homesteads for which they were now to
ride long race. Some Of the best
horses in the country had been imported
by the new corners to ride for these very
claims. They made a fine show on the
dress parade, Of dash down the street
or a prance to the rivers bank. But the
hardy Indian ponies ridden by the grizzled,
old-time boomers made better time through
the swift and muddy current and shifting
quicksands and then over the hills by un.
certain paths to the places where the cor.
ner stones used to be. The river was
lower than usual, instead of being on the
rampage. as had been anticipated.
In the railroad yards all was hustle and
confusion for twenty -four hours before
hand. Long rows of box cars were stand.
ing on the sidetracks where they have
been accommodating for weeks The rail-
road men have had their hands full for
two weeks past on account of the rush Of
the cattle business. The stock trains have
been keeping the track warm day and
night ever since the movement north be-
gan. and crews have been running for
days and nights at time. They already
had about all they could attend to, and
the train dispatchers were sorely puzzled
to keep sight of the track before the order
came to prepare for putting through
The anxious yardmaster and the sleepy
engineers We're glad that the day of con-
fusion had come at last and their one
hope was that it would pass without a
wreck. Scheme after scheme was tried to
induce railroad men to make use of their
opportunities to take different parties into
the country ahead of time. Some wanted
to hire box cars. Others wanted to be
cd in, 9TH
which were going in before twelve o'clock
and scores wanted to ride in on the en-
gines. But the train men only laughed
and the schemers went away unhappy.
The train of twenty -four coaches moved
slowly out al 1850 with all the people on
the house tops waving an adeu. As it
approached the bridge stealthily a courier
galloped up the opposite side of the river
and the pickets were withdrawn. The
train crept over at last The scene on the
other side can only be left to the magma.
ton. The boomers cavalry carried every
thing before it They rode far ahead of
the train and were soon all over the
country. They reached Oklahoma station
before one O'Clock. The train reached there
by two O'Clock. The quickest run was
made by T. F. Howard, a distance of
twelve miles in forty minutes. He had
the racehorse imported for the occasion
and left the rest far bshind. The tender
feet drove their packhorses hard at the
start and left the others behind. The old
boomers kept their wind till the finish and
ended the race in fine style. What the
horsemen did not get in Oklahoma was
by men who were on the ground
or very near it at noon. According to
the general account they came from
every direction at twelve O'Clock,
and a few minutes afterwards were hold.
ing down claims for miles in the interior
or the country. The railroad excursion.
lists had to content themselves with town
lots. Several thousands of them have
been taken at Oklahoma City. Two fac.
tons are already wrangling over the To-
cation of Oklahoma City proper and Guth-
RE. Oklahoma City covers parts of five
quarter sections as laid out at present
Guthrie extends into ten square miles and
makes good town site. There is no lum-
Der at either place and edibles We're so
scarce that a great many went hungry.
The trouble has hardly begun. Many
men found one more companion on their
favorite quarter section. Half the land
in the valley will be contested. The facts
VIII Ut mOnStrate tnat OElanOma was Iull
OF people when the army officers declared
nobody was there except few who we're
entitled to remain. on account of runners
between deputy marshals and railroad Of
fcials The best of every thing was taken
before the outsiders got a share, and the
probability is that every thing will be
contested
There are rumors of difficulties at Okla
homa City, Guthrie and Norman. Near
here one man was killed. A man named
Nolan rode out from here to a claim across
the river and found there another named
Corbet, a native of the Chickasaw Nation,
who was already rich in land and home.
They proceeded to settle the question with
their Winchesters and fred a number of
shots at each other. Nolan received sew
eral severe wounds and Colbert was killed.
Kingfisher seems to have been the most
orderly and peaceable place of all The
crowd there was not as large as at other
places. Comparatively few filings have
been made at the land.offices and it seems
from present indications several weeks
will be required to complete the work.
The Old soldiers seem to have the advan-
tage over everybody else in the game.
They have made their way to their lands
and authorized attorneys to file as their
agents.
A TROUBLOUS QUARTER.
What NAV Hammer When the Roomers