, 1889-04-25
FLUCkS OF FOOLS.
The Oklahoma Rush Leads to a
Bloody Battle.
Fifty Men for Each Claim in the
Promised Land.
A State OF Lawleasuess on tho southern
Border. Sights Never Before
seen In America.

|
Reno trail last night from Caldwell to
Pond Greek. To-day 1000 cauvas-covered
wagons are slowly moving along the trail
The day WAS favorable, and notwithstand-
inY the late heavy rains the trail WAS ia
very good condition. The most popular
outfit is strong canvas'covered wagon
drawn by two large, stout horses. and
the horses OF the boomers are all look
ing in good condition. Some large wagons
rave four or six horses. Some parties are
mounted on ponies and carry whole
camp outfit behind their saddles. Some
are crossing the strip in buggies. One
old fashioned buggy drawn by two
shaggy yellow horses, with q colt hitchpd
by It's mother and a black COW tied behind.
| The driver WAS "a woman aud she drove
With one hand while the other supported
little child, while d shocky headed young
ster OF ten followed Oehind. The woman
was u Kansas widow seeking a home in
THE PROMISED LAND.
, all stories to the contrary notwith-
standing, 1t does not seem that there can
be any trouole among those who are driv-
ing over the trail to-day. They are az
line body as every went into new
country, The most of them ace Kansas
aud Neoraska farmers, and although
gun Is in every wagon and across every
saddlebow the owners are men who will
use them to keep peace and not to make
any trouble. The most of the wagon
boomers OF out of Caldwell esterday and
this morning There was about 1000 OF
them. Many Of them have little or no
moi ey, but most all of them are well
equipped for camp life.
Salt Fork, Pond Creek and all other
streams In the strip it il thought can be
forded, although every one is very high.
| All is doubt about chances of fOrding the
Clmarron and IL wegon left Caldwell last
night bearing large boat with which the
owners expect tc start ferry.
| ARKANSAS Cry, Kas., April 10 The
change of the date for crossing the Chero.
kee strip line by the Oklahoma settlers
from to-day to yesterday, the 18th, made a
number of wagons in the first batch cross
the line smaller than il would otherwis
have been. Succeeding events show he
cnanRe to have been wise one. Despite
the solid
FIVE MILES OF WAGONS
which went into the strip yesterday morn.
ing the influx during the rest OF the day
was enormous. Word that movement
would occur to-day had become widespread
10 the north and many settlers who other
| wise would have bssn here for the start
remained in their camps until afternoon
yesterday. Until late in the day there
continued to be almost a continuous stream
of wagons on Summit street, aud most of
the afternoon arrivals camped here last
| night and proceeded this morning. Only
a few entered the strip for there is but
one stream between Horse and Salt Creek
Fork tit to camp Oh, and that is only five
miles from the north line of the strip.
Last night the old soldiers union colony
of this city held its last meeting before go.
ing into Oklahoma. The colony consists of
$50 old soldiers. OF these 100 will leave
Monoay to look up homestead each un.
der soldiers claim. The members will
go by rail. They have started wagon
train with supplies of tents. provisions
and a raft sufficiently large to ferry all
accoutrements across any stream between
here and Oklahoma.
THE OLD SOLDIERS COLONY
Wichita started ten wagons yesterday.
They will enter at Caldwell.
Land Register billie returned last night
from Guthrie. He says the roof is on his
land office, and 1t will be ready for occu-
pancy Tonight. The land officers both at
kinvtisher and at Guthrie, held q consul.
tation last night and give out an official
notice az to the manner in which applica-
t,ons for claims should be filed. Two
hundred land filings per day will be the
limit Of each office.
Word was brought here last night from
Purcell by man who was there yesterday,
and he says u great deal of lawlessness ex :.
lists along the southern boundary of Okla
homa. H. says a man was he'd up in the
streets OF Purcell in broad day light and
robbed of 500, and that the boomers defy
the law. They have purchased or hired
every available horse in the neighborhood
and will mount and wade through the
Canadian river just before noon Monday
When the signal flag drops at noon sharp,
there will be
A DESPERATE LAND RACE
On the opposite bank. The gamblers and
toughs declare they will not let anyone
pass certain distance who Ia not one Of
them.
The town Ia full of special correspond
ents who are writing from imagination
and against space. A cowboy from Cald.
we'll, who arrived late last night, says the
Cimarron Is very high, and up to the time
he left eighteen persons had been drowned
trying to ford the streams. No definite
information can be learned of the
drowned.
At one time this morning there we're
over 100 wagons in the streets OF Cald.
well. Toe rush Of people who will try to
take the Rock Island route between to-day
and Monday is 80 great that the Rock Ia.
land despairs of being able to accommo-
date them. colony of 600 will leave
Wichita to morrow. General Passenger
Agent Sebastian, as soon az he heard of
the possible trouble at Pond Creek, tele-
graphed to Wichita that his road would
furnish free transportation to teams an
wagons If tickets were sold to their own.
ers, the travellers to provide their own
transportation from Pond Creek,
| Manager Greene of the stage line.
CANNON BALL GREENE"
as he is known throughout the South uest