The Washington critic., 1889-04-18
rnr OKLAHOMA COLONY.
Making FINAL Arrangements for tho
Party's Departure.


The last public meeting OF the Washing
ton Cooperative Company OF Oklahoma
Settlers was held last evening at Hayden
Hall and the final arrangements for tlw
trip were made. The special train leaving
this city tomorrow evening will carry about
seventy-fve Wasbingtonians, representing
nearly thirty-three trades and professions.
II will arrive In Oklahoma on Monday, and
on Thursday at midnight they will cross
the Cherokee strip and take up their home
steade.
The meeting last night was given up al
most entirely to an address by Mr. William
II. Prince, the secretary of the company,
who has given much thought to the subject
and informed himself regarding resources
of the country. He first read the constitu-
tion, the qualifications for membership, In
formation regarding the funds, laws for the
government Of the colony and the arrange
ments necessary to procure sites. Then he
spoke at some length on the various com
ments that had been made of the territory,
how much money IL would take to get
there and the reports that there would be
bloody war for possession. In regard TO
this latter he said that two surgeons would
be among the settlers and some OF the
Grand Army men would lend helping
hand II need be. He spoke OF the advan-
tages OF the West over the East as home,
and referring to Washington said that he
and his comrades left It with few regrets,
as they had "no voice or vote or right In
this our country's capital, where we have,
for long years, felt as strangers In strange
land.n
/ He hoped that in the near future, when
another star was added TO the flag, that
some OF them might return under more
favorable circumstances to their old home
es the representative OF new State. A
number OF questions were asked by pros
pective settlers, and Mr.. Prince answered
them. lie said that the Journey would be
made in flrst-class style, and would cost
s33, including sleeper They would leave
on the Baltimore and Potomac at 1 o'clock
Friday night, and run through to Guthrie
without change. In regard to the climate
Of the new territory, he stated that there
was never q day I'm Oklahoma when the
thermometer reached 100 below zero or 1l0o
in the shade or the soil he was enthu-
siastic, saying that there was all over the
country loamy crust twelve or fifteen feet
deep, made by the burning Of grass for
years.
Telegrams from the towns bordering the
new Territory show that as the day for the
opening of the country approaches 1t is GO
ing to be taxed to Its utmost capacity, and
trouble is feared. Over five hundred
boomer outfits passed through Wellington,
Kan, yesterday, and many of the people
are in desperate and deplorable condi-
tion, having scarcely enough food to live
on, and practically helpless. Many of
them have pawned everything but their Win
chester and a supply OF ammunition, with
which they propose to make good their
right TO homesteads.
Among those belonging to the Washing
ton colony, leaving tomorrow night, are :
William II. Prince, architect, 2021 Seventh
street northwest; Henry Hoover, carpenter,
1923 Eighth street northwest, j. A. Bur-
chette, carpenter, S07 Boundary street; X.
l.. Turner, carpenter, 742 Fifth street
northwest; Charles s. Sloan, skilled engi-
neer, 1408 N street northwest; John Baker
smith, butcher, 2055 Seventh street north
west; William A. Hudson, carpenter, 1915
Wiltberger street northwest; j. T.. Girls
mond, carpenter and builder, Mount
Pleasant; David Coleman, carpenter, 1865
s street northwest. The majority OF
them will settle, or try to, near Guthrie.
though few will go to Oklahoma city.