Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-23
OKLAHOMA.
THE GATES OF THE PROMISED
LAND THROWN OPEN.
Graphic Description Of the Rush of
Farmers to Secure a Quarter
Section-Incidents.
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO THE REcoRD-uSIos. /
RAINBOW LAND.
Miles of Trains Speeding Over the Prai-
rie to Oklahoma

RAINBOW LAND.
Miles of Trains Speeding Over the Prai-
rie to Oklahoma.
ST.. LOUIS, April 22d-The Republics
Arkansas City special says: Oklahoma is
open and the trials struggles and sacrifices
of years are partially rewarded, but the
events of to-day, and those of days, weeks
and months to follow, will prove how far
the supply is below the demand and neces-
state further concessions to avert disorder,
bloodshed and other conditions but little
short of anarchy
The history of this day will forever be
memorable in frontier annals, and will
leave behind a heritage of litigation which
will be fruitful to landsharks and claim at
torneys, but will be destructive to the
claims of the poor and honest settlers
The Santa Fe began running its sectional
trains out of Kansas City last night, and
picking up cars at almost every station
along the route. Hundreds of people were
waiting at every depot, and if the cars, all
of which were filled before the border line
was reached, could be coupled, they would
have made train miles in length When
the strip was reached it was greeted with
cheer, which rolled from the news car in
front to the rustlers' caboose in the rear. 1t
marked departure from State Govern
ment toward a country where Govern
ment is yet to be created ard established
Still the Cherokee country lay between
them and the Rainbow Land" Along
the Pawnee trail the train also passed cara.
vans of boomers wagons, many going
south, but some returning toward Kansas.
Between Willow Springs and the Ponca
Agency somebody in the newspaper car
discovered man riding on the truck be-
meath the coach. When the train stopped
at Ponca the adventurous boomer on
wheels was taken into the car and elected
an
HONORARY MEMBER OF THE PRESS Asso-
CATION.
He gave his name as Harvey Sadler and
said he was born in England, but had been
IN this country for nine years, and had
come all the way from Seattle, w. T., to
get foothold in Oklahoma He was
elected as representative of the London
Times and also as the Mascot of the new
city of Guthrie.
At the last station outside of Oklahoma
Territory there was a great crowd of BOOM
ers who had forsaken their teams and
hoped to get in quicker by rail. There De-
ing no room inside they climbed to the top
of the coaches and the entire train from
one end to the other was loaded with them
In this way the line was reached about
five minutes after II o'clock before the late
dead line was reached and passed. How
ever, the great transformation scene had
begun and was plainly visible to watchers
from the train.
First came in view white-topped wagons,
gathered together in groups on the prairie,
or in little valleys which diversity the face
of the country. 1t was at once noticeable
that teams were not seen in any of these
camps, and it was plain they had been
TAKEN OUT OF HARNESS,
To be rode across the border by hard riders
who were to locate the claims. A little
further on and this conclusion proved to be
a correct one. for the entire face of the
country, as far as the best field-glass could
carry the sight, was overrun with horse
men galloping southwark
The feetest horses had evidently been
picked for the work and they were carry
ing their riders rapidly to the longed-for
goal.
Rides of fifteen or twenty miles were
made on incredible short time by the old
boomers familiar with the country, and
who knew where the desirable lands were
located
The day was cloudless, and far away in
the horizon both to east and west clouds
of dust could be seen ascending from the
hoofs OF hundreds of horses rushing toward
different destinations, in most cases, but
some of them toward the same one.
a race for goal could be easily dis
tiDguished; the riders were apparently
evenly matched, and they went
NECK AND NECK
For q milo fr-n oil ha g.
they could be seen, and their eager and in
tense looks and merciless slashing were
sufficient evidence of the prize they were
running after.
One saddled but riderless horse was seen
galloping along the trail, an ominous sign
of some accident of fatality which had be-
fallen the rider.
Some went IN charge of horses and were
evidently riding RELAYS toward the goal.
Out OF the dust which arose toward the last
could be seen, after the train had reached
the summit of the high ridge, wagon car
avan fully two miles in length, and which
was being sped 10 the utmost speed of its
horses.
These caravans were plainly out-dis-
tanced by the horseback riders.
The crowds were composed of specula-
tors, adventurers, sight-seers, thieves, etc.
resented, as all of the homesteaders have
gone on before. There were men in the
cars from every great city and important
point IN the country, and there was no
State or Territory IN the country which did
not have its representatives.
The newspaper coach was the first out of
Kansas City. 1t contained representatives
of all
THE LEADING NEWSPAPERS
In the country, who were compelled to
yield room and comfort for the good of the
cause.
At Arkansas City there were seventy-five
coaches tracked in the yards awaiting the
rush. All of these were lowered into the
yards some distance below the depot.
The crowd began gathering on the plat
form two hours before daylight, and long
before the first faint streak of the dawn of
the iateful day, the city was awake and
stirring. The streets presented
LIVELY AND PICTURESQUE APPEARANCE.
Hundreds in their impatience to get
aboard rushed down en- masse to the Yards
and attempted to force an entrance into
the cars, all of which were securely locked
The excitement can be judged from the
fact that large number of coach windows
were broken by the people who were
anxious to secure seats. 1t was in vain for
the officials to say trains would run in Sec
tons fifteen minutes apart. Every man
there wanted to be fifteen minutes ahead
of everybody else and not fifteen minutes
behind of ANYBODY. The first section
made up consisted of nine coaches, the
newspaper coach and one caboose 1t
pulled out at S:45. railroad time, drawn by
engine No. 266. 1t was $50 when the line
which marks the State line and the diyid-
ing line from Cherokee county was reached.
After several miles of territory had been
traversed it wss seen The best riders were
winning the best prizes. One homesteader.
who had secured>a MAGNIFICENT quarter of
rolling land, dug hole two or three feet
deep at that corner of il where the survey
or's section was located and where he had
driven his stakes. Not looking upon these
evidences of possession as sufficient to con-
firm his title, be seized Winchester as the
train ran by and fred out all its contents
and then emptied his revolver, yelling like
cowboy or Comauche Indian all the time
Not only yells, but shots were responded
10 from the train, and volley went up
into the air from the entire length of the
section, which proved conclusively how
well the party was armed in expectancy of
what might happen.
A few miles the other side of the line the
train stopped at military post. Here the
while tents of the soldiers and officers
fapfs sr1rrcurded hxy The N.4,nre1 nolo-.