Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-20

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tial Law.
ARKANSAS Cry, Ark, April 1S.-At s
O'Clock this morning the boomers were
alive, getting ready to cross the Cherokee
strip. Nearly thirty thousand are here.
They have been ordered to move in an or.
derly manner along established trails. II
any depredations are committed, the whole
line will be stopped and the guilty ones
turned back. The procession will be &C.
companied by twenty or thirty reporters
on ponies.
United States Commissioner Bensell al.
lowed two men to construct bridges at Salt
Creek and Chilliccoo Creek, and charge the
boomers 25 cents to cross. The old ferry.
boat on Salt Fork, which lay idle for years,
will be brought into service.
AN UNPRECEDENTED STREAM OF PRAIRIE
sCHooNERs.
WELLINGTON, Kansas, April 1s.-The
stream OF prairie schooners moving south
! ward has not diminished. The streets OF
the city are filled with boomers, and they
continue to pour in from the north, east
and west, frequently from six to twelve
wagons and teams included in one outfit.
Such a migration was never before wit
messed in this section.
Old settlers familiar with Cimmaron
river. which all the settlers entering Okla
homa from the north and west are cross.
ing, say it's waters are very high and it is
as much as q mans life is worth to cross
it in it's swoolen condition. It's bed is com.
posed, in large part, OF shifting quicksand,
and where sale crossing can be made to-
day, tomorrow in all probability the
same place would be q death trap. Many
parties who intended to 60 from here with
teams, will 60 by rail, being fearful OF
serious accidents in fording this river.
THE GOVERNMENT ALARMED AT THE sITUA-
TON.
WASHINGTON, April 18.-It is very ap-
parent here that the officers of the army
are filed with the liveliest apprehension re-
garding the opening of Oklahoma. The
secretary of war has authorized the state
ment that he is fully aware of the situation.
and has arranged to take all proper steps
to prevent trouble. It is known that the
subject has formed the main topic for dis.
cussion at the recent cabinet meetings, and
that the attorney general has been called
upon to decide the question as to the au-
thority OF the war department to act in
case of strife, bloodshed or violence in the
newly-opened country. The instructions
sent to the commandent of troops in Okla
homa as a result of the opinion rendered
by the attorney general, were extremely
guarded. They are understood to direct
the army officers to assist in the mainten.
ance Of law, but to carefully observe the
regulations defining their authority and
leave arrests for violations of the law to
the marshals. The president might, in
case OF serious disturbances,
DECLARE MARTIAL LAW
over the territory. But this could not be
done in advance OF a breach of peace.
The machinery of the government would,
it is feared, be too slow moving to meet a
great emergency which may arise. The
only army regulation on the subject pro-
vides for Interference by troops in an
emergency only in the case Of the Interrupt
tion to carriage Of mail or assaults upon |
United States property, but, under some. |
what strained construction, may form |
reason assigned for the use of troops to |
prevent or restrain rioting or bloodshed in |
the territory.
n
CHICAGO, April 1S.-Ths "Times'" Fort
Smith, Ark, special says that four men
were killed on the border of Oklahoma to- |
day. Word was received here this evening |
of a conflict between parties of boomers,
cattlemen and Chickasaw police ut the ford |
at Chisholm's trail, forty miles west of |
Oklahoma city, on the Canadian river.
The cattlemen were taking several hum |
dred animals from Frank Colbert's ranch,
in Chickasaw, to Kansas, but the mounted |
police guarding the northern border of
Oklahoma refused to permit them to use |
the celebrated Chisholm trail leadii 6 /
through the new territory. A fight re-
suited, in which the cattlemen were rein
forced by party of boomers from Cooke
and the farming counties of Texas. Que
of the guards, two cattlemen and one
boomer, named Geiss, were killed in the
melee. besides the loss of some valable
horses.
The cattlemen took the old Abilene trail
and went around through the Cheyenne
HOW WHISKY WILL GET THERE.
WASHINGTON, April 1s.-Commissioner
Mason of the internal revenue has decided
that under recent act OF congress and the
IN relation to Oklahoma, it
ceases to be an Indian country, and that
special tax stamps may be sold to whole
sale and retail liquor dealers to engage in
business there under the same terms and
regulations as in other states and terrific.
ries of the United States.
The effect of this decision will be to allow
wholesale and retail liquor dealers to pur.
chase special tax stamps in Oklahoma un-
der the same terms as other sections OF the
country. Arrangements are being made to
have force of deputy collectors and reve-
nue. agents on hand to see that the laws are
enforced and that the interests of the gov
ernment are protected.
HON tn GECHRH LAKnS