New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-24
A DAY IN oKLARoMA.

UdI IN OhLA6OMAs
Superlatives are dangerous, but II DIES Ger
tainly seem safe to say that there neves was an
event before so suddenly productive Of so many
novel and picturesque incidents as Mondays
rush into Oklahoma. We are used to seeing
the parties and the mountains blossoming into
populous settlements with rapidity peculiar
to this land of new discoveries and irrepressible
activity, but the early days of California, Of
Leadville, of Denver, Of hundred points where
human energy has wrought historic transforma-
lions, presented no scenes tit to be compared
with those which were enacted in a single day
by our latest boomers.
The border was crossed at noon Of Monday,
the first train reached Guthrie at Q o'clock, and
before shutdown il was o city of $4,000 in
habitants, and had held municipal election, at
which o, 900 votes were cast. formal notice
was duly printed in the first number OF 90 The
Oklahoma Herald" and the conspicuous can
didates and promising :" dark horse' are
mentioned in the dispatch es with as much
gravity and as natural us of campaign YER
nacular as if they had bee running for the
Goyer1orship Of a doubtful State on the eve of
Presidential election. A bank with capital
of $4,000 was opened for b lsiness during the
afternoon though presumably not until after
the usual banking hours-an informality which,
under the circumstances, was pardonable,
though we hope it will never occur again. The
only untoward circumstance OF the day at Guth-
rie seems to have been the premature arrival
Of two or three hundred persons whose watches,
by a strange coincidence, were all several hours
too fast, and whose absorption of corner lots
-. LII, NTH without a
resort to expensive litigation. 1nasmuch, how
ever, as they were prepared to establish their
title by decima6ng the contestants, neither war
nor lawsuits may follow, for many individuals
of peaceful temperament preferred to pur-
chase immunity from bloodshed, and lively
real estate business was accordingly opened
then and there. For the moment the hotel ac-
commodatons at Guthrie are rather behind the
times but this deficiency will be supplied before
the end Of the week by the erection of an i'm
posing structure containing sixty rooms.
The work Of the military police during the
last fortnight of waiting and on the day OF
entry has been done firmly but with excellent
judgment A happy illustration of the way in
which a disagreeable order may be carried out
by winning instead Of repelling sympathy was
given by Lieutenant Foster on Monday when
at nightfall with only ten soldiers behind him,
he halted 500 impatient men at Black Bear
Creek. Somebody will object to my taking
off my shirt without permission, / suppose"
said boomer with surly sarcasm. "No OBJ
lection to your taking IL OF II you wear clean
undershirt,p was the Lieutenants breezy reply.
A soft answer not only turned away wrath, but
being well spiced with American hum0r, Just
hit the fancy Of the angry caravan, which went
into camp with laugh. So far a. the dis
patches indicate there have been no hothcads
among the soldiers, and very few among the
settlers. few FiOtous demonstrations and
little unnecessary shooting have apparently
been quite sufficient for the working Of of
superfuous steam, and the latest accounts pre-
dict that the acquisition Of Oklahoma will be
remarkably peaceful conquest.
The suggestion that the number Of home
seekers had been exaggerated does not seem
to be confirmed. According TO tho estimates
Of officers stationed on the various trails, there
are now nearly so, 900 people within the Dor
ders Of the territory. II Is unfortunately prob
able, however, That the imagination Of many Of
them has pictured fairer and moro fruitful
country than Oklahoma will prove to be. Dis
tress and Encouragement are doubtless In store
for hundreds and perchance for thousands Of
those who have Staked their hopes upon free
virgin soil 1t is almost certain that there Is
not room for all Of them, and those who sue
coed in proving their right to stay will find that
their promised land Is not Paradise. Spec-
ulation will iii the pockets Of few, and hard
work may bring its ultimate reward TO the ma
jority, but there are many for whom the ex-
penences of single summer @ill be quite
enough