The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-05-03
OKLAHOMA STAMPEDE.
The Coveted Lands Finally Swarm
With Settlers.
Scenes and Incidents Attending the Great
Rush-A Mad Charge For Homesteads
and Town Lots-Opening the
Land-officcs.

GUTHRIE, l. T, April 23.-Fifteen thou
sand home seekers are camped on the
grassy upland of Guthrie. the pioneer city
OF Oklahoma. Their camp fires CLEAN in
the darkness and their tents loom athwart
the sky like an army in a bivouac. Guth.
RE. heretofore an insignificant station in
wild and uninhabited country remote
from civilization, has more than popu-
lation of 1900.
All this was gained in an afternoon.
In no country save America, and in no
part of that country but the great West
could such a thing be possible. 1t is a
triumph for the Western people. especially
for citizens of Southern Kansas, such as
they may never again have the opportu.
nifty of achieving. That they were fully
equal to the occasion needs no more proof
than the presence Of 1900 people in New
Guthrie last night The conservative and
leisurely East may we'll look at this and
wonder.
When the first train arrived at Guthrie
from Arkansas City the embryo streets
and lots Of the new city had already been
laid out by enterprising men, citizens who
had been early on the scene. Hardly had
the cars slowed down at the station when
eager men leaped from the car windows,
slipped from the roof of coaches and
poured out of the doors in streams. One
fat man was in such haste that he stood
on his head and turned a somersault on
the soft earth. When he got upon his
feet he rushed up the slope to the land
office like crazy Texas steer. In a min.
ute the slope leading up from the station
was black with men rushing headlong
fnr T.
utes not one of the men who had filled the
train was left in speaking distance of the
railway.
By the time this crowd had reached the
top of the slope near the land office men,
who had been running parallel lines for
streets and driving in stakes for town lots,
were well en- their way along the level
strip of land east of the land -office. The
crowd then caught the moving line of
streets and lots and rushed eastward at a
tremendous rate.
The men who brought along a muslin
sign bearing the words Bank of Guthrie"
were compelled to take up a lot one mile
back of the station.
The next train arriving from Arkansas
City brought 1,00) home seekers about ten
minutes later.
The men in this train poured across the
prairie like an amy charging the wing Of
the enemy. They spread out north and
south with axes, spades and stakes and
began with wonderful energy the location
OF town lots AMI streets.
The third, fourth. fifth and sixth trains
from Arkansas City swelled the number
TO as many thousands.
Bv this time the lot seekers had reached
the eastern horizon. In area Guthrie is as
big as Ark lusas City.
When tbs seventh and eight trains came
In. late in the afternoon, the crowd had
oveIinwed all bounds. On the east the
streets and town lots had been extended
fully TWO miles, on the north a mile and
hal and On the south nearly a mile. No
att mpt had been made to lay out a town
on the west s0de of the track, although a
slope of green prairie was unmolested
This west land had been all fled on for
homesteads, with the exception of
wonderfully beautiful piece of green
sward just south of tie Cimarron river
and west of the railroad track. 1t was
the finest stretch of ground in the neigh
borhood.
Men were not alone in their search for
lots A few ladies' came down on trains
prepared to go 10 housekeeping with tents
and cooking outfits. One lady lost her
tent somewhere on the cars. She spent
the afternoon looking for friends with
whom to spend the night Another lady
who lost her husband in the crowd when
the first rush was made hunted all over the
town site in a state of speeches. agita-
ton.
Almost with the first rush of the home
seekers from the cars the homeseekers
who had started across the Oklahoma
north line at noon in wagons and on
horseback, began to pour into the new
city. Their horses were reeking wet from
the hot and furious drive. They took
possession of such town lots in the future
Oklahoma metropolis as they could lay
claim to. Meanwhile the land-office was
beseged by an eager and determined
crowd of men waiting to file claims upon
homesteadS.
As the afternoon wore on, this crowd
grew larger, until at closing time it
reached regular jam far down the line
toward the railroad station.
Business in the land-office went rather
slowly. The register and the receiver did
the best that they could, but the pressure
upon them was tremendous. The men
who were waiting to file claims were
forced into line two abreast They car
ried blankets and baskets of provisions
with them Friends brought them water
to drink from the engine tank at the rail-
way track in the rear of the land-office.
Dealers in real estate began business before
two O'Clock in the afternoon. One enter.
prising dealer had as a background for
the safe transaction of business a stock of
rifles which had been placed there by the
Government troops On duty at the land.
office. Near by was the tent OF United
States Marshal Needles. The tent was
surmounted by a large American flag set
on a young tree flagstaff.
The land-office occupies the most con-
spicuous place in the entire town site. 1t
is located at the top of the slope that leads
eastward from the railroad. 1t can be
seen for several miles in all directions. 1t
is not yet finished, but it is doing some
thing more than a land-office business.
The Rush From the South.
PURCELL l. T., April GA bright morn.
ing showed Oklahoma in all her glory as
the boomers made their way down to the
river bank and the depot The hills and
meadows showed fair and green to the
thousands of eager pilgrims. From far
away to the southwark the wagon trains
came winding along the roads and across
the country. Many had moved their camps
during the night and were already at the
river side. Others had crossed the river,
but over there the mantle of charity is
thrown and no one of all the waiting men
on this side of the river has ever seen any,
body crossing no matter how plainly they
were to be seen. They are glad to see the
invaders return. but will say nothing
about them hereafter. But there were