Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-05-07
AMONG THE BOOMERS.
Described BY the Registers Correspondent Blue
Grass Belle and Her TsrpsehOrsan Ex-
srcises-fbs Dash for Town
Lots IN Guthrie.
- c0respond.lle. q n Rlqisl-r


during tie fore psrt IT ,be night, and vi
made frequea5 sxcuroioGs .ntD the CherO-
kee prairie IN order ,hat We might keep
awake Then Ve would join the soldiers
IN their circle around tho camp fire. AID
listen 10 their Ia Is Of hairbresdta escapes
in The Iudian wers.
My Intimate friend and companion, who
was a correspondent fog New York daily,
feeling himself growing drowsy, suggested
a ride along the border among the boom
ers. So quietly slipping away from our
companions, we mounted our ponies and
Rallopsd away I westerly direction. The
wagons Of the boomers had been drawn up
into q iiue as straight as "a string, ready for
the great fret -fOg-all race across the prairies
on the next day.
A few miles out from camp we ascep0ed
a little knoll, and magnificent sight me.
our view. A belt of country half mile in
breadth, ard stretching far away to the
west, was spsngled with camp fires that
glimmeIed in the darkness like the stars 4
the Milky Way. Five miles west OF camp
We were attracted by n large fire that light
ed up the surrounding prairie, and there
we found camp of Texans and Missouri
ans, the toughest looking crowd that We
had yet encountered. One of them played
upon fiddle and the rest enciIcled young
woman,
TERPSCHICORE OF TUE FRONTIER,
who ~as tripping the light fantastic toe
upon the greensWsrd, much 10 the delight
OF her male companions. who spplaujed
her performance bCi-terOnsly. She proved
ia he a degraded young woman from Kan
sss City and a former variety actress. The
boomers csile3 her "Blue Grsss Belle -
She must cave teen handsome woman
once, for her face WIS still attractive.
blue Grass Belle" ceased her dancing
rs We approached, ard something like 2
blush tried 20 assert itself on her cheeks,
a. she dropped to the erase on Der knees,
and sat upon her feet. Newspaper ieBds
for a dollar, she cried, wherest the boom
ers laughed up7oariously, ard rolled over
upon the grass. 81 can tell 'em wherever
set eyes on 'em. They've all got kind
Of hankerin' look in their eyes"
A little red-beadsd Texas boomer could
ecarcely contain himself, and in the tx
cess OF his merriment stuffed his fist into
his mouth ard nearly rolled into the fire.
My friend and l would not have cared
much if he had been Moderated. We sal
up0n our horses and looked OF each other
fOOlishly
''Oh, come of your perch, boys-you
needn't mird re Besides, young one
(pointi to my friend. I've seen you be
iore--dOTn at Kansas City"
q. l.
versatiou with Blue Grass Belle, and she
announced to us bes intention of taking
mp a clsim the next day ''along with the
hOys." As We rode away she called after
us, "Oh, bOysw and when We TUNED
around ssked impndeutly: whats new?
Anything new to-day" and then scrib
bled energetIcslly upon an imaginary
notebook The boomers thought it was
the beet thing they had ever heard IN their
lives, srd the lttle, rsd-headed Texan set
cfi into another iii Of laughter. He slap
ped his leg end bowed with delight, ano
as Ne rode away the peals of laughter
from the camp rang IN cur cara.
THE MORNING OF THIS ODD
dawned bright and beautiful, As the
sun arose and cast its golden rays over
the great expanse Of green prairie land,
bOundless aud beautiful lovely picture
was presented. The boomers were s0on
sstir and eyed in active preparations
for their morning meal, after which there
was much maneuveriDg, Jockey fashion,
Zoe advantageous positions along the lines.
At precisely twelve o'clock the bugle sound
ed and the mighty host of hOmeseckeru
poured like an inundation into tbs prom
ised land. II was a magnificent, thrill
ing spectacle, and every heart was filled
with emotion In fifteen minutes every
8gon vas out o. sight, while those who
we're mounted on swift race horses were
five miles in the interior OF Oklahoma, and
an hour later they were in Guthrie, twenty
mile away.
A fGe-lOOkipg Cherokee Indian, being
out upon some pilgrimage from his native
heath, had halted his pony TO view the
start. He sat stoically in bis saddle sno
glzsd wistfully out upon the great prairie
until the last wagon had disappeared from
Siew-and all the while no said never a
word. Poor 10 WIS lost in meditation.
Directly be heaved a deep sigh aud, spur
ring his little pony, rode silently away.
AT twelve twenty-five the special cor
respondents train arrived st the line and
vas boarded by these who had witnessed
the start iIom Captain Hayes camp. At
hslf-past one o'clock the train came ID
sight of Guthrie. Every one was eager to
catch the fist glimpse of Oklahoma's
future capital, and "a soon as the tram
stopped there was a wild rush. Men with
tents. blankets, kettles, pots and sho5
guns, icstled, pushed ard fell over each
other in their insane desire TO be nTst
upon the ground in order to locate upon o
promising site. The scampered up the
rentle slope on the s5st side of the r'il-
road. ard in fifteen minutes the afternoon
sun shone upon
ONE THOUSAND TENTS,
and by six o'clock the city of Guthrie con-
taiuei nearly eight thousand seuls, and
the tented city OF the prsiries covered an
area equal to three Cquare miles. 1t was
TIE sight Of lifetime. So sudden was 1t
all that i, seemed A. if the great multitude
n,igf Z have been rain, d down from HeSv-
on. At night assembled sn eminence that
overlooked the city aud took in enc of the
,,ost insuiring sights IL has ever been my
fortune TO witness. As far as could be
sesn thousands Of frss eIimmeTed among
The yhite tents. From camp rear the
center came waiting over the prailie tne
ssssst strains Of Dixie, and the intplr'
inc sound was caught up by camp alter
camp until it seemed rs if the whole prairie
was NJ song.
Al midnight the thousands had wrapped
,bsir blankets around them TO dream OF the
sreat good fortune that awaited them IN