Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-20
OKLAHOMA BOOMERS.
THEY ARE ALMOST IN SIGHT OF
THE PROMISED LAND.
Graphic Description of the Travel.
ing Outfits-Many Drowned in
Fording the Streams.
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO THE naooAD-uslos.l

CALDWELL, April 19th.-Two thousand
camp fires glimmered along the old Reno
trail last night from Caldwell to Pond
creek. To-day thousand covered wagons
are slowly moving along the trail. The
day was favorable and notwithstanding the
late heavy rams the trail was in very good
condition. The most popular outfit is a
strong, canvas-covered wagon, drawn by
two large, stout horses, and the horses OF
all the boomers are IN good condition.
Some of the larger wagons have four or
even six horses. Some parties are mounted
on ponies and carry whole camp outfits be-
hind their saddles. Some are crossing the
strip in buggies. One odd turnout is a
large, high, old-fashioned buggy, drawn by
two shaggy, yellow horses, with a colt
hitched by its mother, and a black cow
tied behind The driver is a woman, and
she drove with one hand, while the other
supported little child while a shocky-
headed youngster of 10 followed behind.
The woman was
KANSAS WIDOW,
Seeking home in the promised land. All
stories to the contrary Notwithstanding, it
does not seem there can be any trouble
among the men who are driving over the
trail to-day. They are as fine q body as
ever went into new country. Most of
them are Kansas ana Nebraska farmers,
and although gun is in every wagon and
across every saddle bow, the owners are
men who will use them to keep peace, and
not to make trouble. Most of the wagon
boomers got out of Caldwell yesterday, and
this morning there was about 4, ,000of them,
Many of them have little or no money,
but almost all are we'll equipped for camp
life. Salt Fork, Pond Creek and all other
streams in the strip it is thought can be
forded, although every one is very high.
Ali is doubt about the chances of fording
the Cimarron river, and wagon left Cald
well last night bearing large boat with
which the owners expect to start ferry.
CANON BALL GREEN TO THE FRONT.
The rush of people who will try and take
the Rock Island route between to-day and
Monday will be so great that the company
almost despairs of being able to accommo-
date them. One colony of 600 will leave
Wichita tomorrow. General Passenger
Agent Sebastian, as soon as he heard of pos
sible trouble at Pond Creek, telegraphed to
Wichita that the road would furnish free
transportation to teams and wagons if
tickets were sold to owners, travellers to
provide their own transportation from
Pond Creek.
Manager Green of the stage line, Can
nonball Green as he is known throughout
the Southwest, is buying all the horses to
be had here and in the neighboring coun-
try. He shipped twenty-six to Pond Creek
this morning. Fourteen stages in addi-
ton to those used by the old Fort Reno
line, which are at Pond Greek, were shipped
from Wellington to-day. The Rock Island
officials, who returned from Pond Creek
this afternoon, say the report of high water
has been greatly exaggerated, and that Cap
tain Woodson reports from the frontier
that there will be no trouble with the
Fstreams.
The stream of wagons continued un-
abated all through to-day One man who
lives close to the bridge line kept count of
the teams passing, and up to o'clock this
afternoon 1,153 had gone to Oklahoma.
Four hundred teams forded Salt Fork river
few miles south OF the terminus of the
Rock Island road in Indian Territory.