New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-23
NEW.YORK TUESDAY, APRIL %, lsS9.-TEN PAGES
OKLAHOMA IS INHABITED.
A WILD RACE FOR HOMESTEADS
THE PRAIRIES, VACANT YESTERDAY, TEEN
TO-DAY WITH PEOPLE


THE CAVALRY DINNER CALL" SUMMONED THE
WAITING THOUSANDS ACROSS THE LINE
TENTS AND WAGONS TIE ONLY HOUSES
YET TO LIVE IN-POoMERS At GUTH-
RE WHO ENTERED THE TERRI
TORY CONTRARY TO TIE PRES.
IDENTs PROCLAMATION.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TKIBCNE.l
Guthrie, Oklahoma Ter, April 22.-The future
historian of the State of Oklahoma. in search of
material for bis work. will find the records OF
the early period of the commonwealth full OF
striking episodes and picturesque Incidents Fore
most among these in Importance and hstorcal
interest will be the events of April 22. 1889
That day is destined to live long in the memory
of the people who witnessed the birth OF the new
State. 1t will be conspicuous landmark, 700,
in the annals of the whole country. Never before
in the history Of the United States have 10000
people sat patiently around piece of land, await
ing for months, years even, the day upon which
they should receive permission to take possession
Never before have so many people rushed Slmul-
ianeously upon given centre. Never before haS
there been so little land to be distributed among
so many people Never was the difference so
marked between supply and demand. Why, ac-
cOrding to a most moderate estimate, at least from
5000 to 6, 600 people will camp in Guthrie alone
tonight. An equal number will be congregatcd
at Oklahoma City. Scarcely less can he the num-
ber of those who went to Kngfisher. These IN
cludc the merchants the professional men. the
SPECTATORS as n rule. BY far the greater num-
ber are the actual settlers They cannot number
much less than 1900. Half that many crossed
the railroad bridge at the Salt Fork of the Ar
l.xF. al and fr
conceded that far larger crowds were awaiting
the opening day at Purcell on the southern border
Of OkEhOma then.
This does not take into account boomers who
entered by other but less popular trails Alto
gcther however, il seems low estimate Which
gives $4,000 the number to which Oklahoma
will give shelter tonight. Was there ever Such
sudden influx OF population III the days OF the
California gold fever, or during the greatest eX-
element of the discovery of oil in the fields of
Pennsylvania? No; the seems unique. the
experiment a new one 1t is not likely ever to
be repeated, certainly not on such scale
The greatest interest to-day centred at those
points Of tle border line where the trails led into
Oklahoma, and where the boomers were lying in
wait for noon to come and with it the signal Tor
the start There where the Atchison, Topeka and
the trail runs almost paralhl the track through
broken ground, winding its way along the hill
sides, across creeks and streamlets, and over the
barren praires The spot is II small detection of
table land, but it ovcrlooIts, save i'll lroat, the
country for miles around. AT this point and it'
immediate neighborhood are gathered about 1000
wagons, numberless horses and cattle, and about
5000 people this morning Well in front were
1 Lnrca fellows mostly, with q
dete-u,ned look on their faces, ready as the first
signal to dash with their animals across the line
up the mountain, and into Oklahoma
A line of soldiers under command of Lieutenant
| Waite, thirty in number, kept back the crowd
from the line difficult and harassing task, rem
| dered doubly so because it an imaginary
| line altogether. The quartersection stones
! had long since disappeared, and in the few
! instances where they remained attempts hnd been
made by some boomers to move them little for
ward OF the line Such schemes, however, were
! soon discovered and frustrated by the soldiers
| Everybody was kept back. Tie crowd was thor
I ouglly good-naturcd and well-bchavcd, and no
serious difficulty occurred. 4 cool night and hazy
morning had been succeeded two hours before
noon by coudless sky, from which the sun beat
with ie ierccness upon the parched and stunted grass
| of the prairie. There was no shade TO be had any
| where Every minute brought stragglcrs to swell
| the line, which now extended for couple
| of thousand yards at right angles TO
/ and upon each side of the railroad
| track AS the hour Of noon drew near, the eX-
citcmcnt, subdued until now, bccamr intense
The horses in the front ranks, chatting and frcttng
were with difficulty restrained by their riders
! Here and there boomers discussing in groups
the relative merits Of roads leading 10 the claim
ses cte1 by them or specuiating upon the probable
depth Of rivers to be forded upon the likelihood
of this or that town site being selected Anxious
glanccs were cast in the direction of the horizon
~ discover Il favorable route into the country.
There were pnrtingS between man and wife and
children. the head Of the family in most instances
having been selected to make the race. Where
colonies had been formed, the owners of the best
! horses and mules were required to give up their
animals to the best riders, selected to make tn,
race The old and the infirm, the women and the
children were sent to the rear, to follow best
they might
Punctually at noon the trumpcter Of Troop d.
9TH Cavalry, at a sign from Lieutenant Waite,
sounded the dinner call Ii was the
signal agreed upon for the start
Immediately there went up shont-
and cheers hundred pistols dischargng their
contents into the air but family echoed the
10y. the enthusiasm, the feeling of relief on
tho part Of the crowd that the suprcmo mom"nt had
arrived at last Away dashed the hor>"mcn in
mad gallor lashng their horses a if lie dcp'nlcd
upon reaching the top of tn" hill yond.r. They
were followed closely by buggicS, bUckboards and
road wagons, and the rear was brought up by
the heavy drays all lashing up that steep incline
Clouds Of dust obscurcd the for ground. Through
il at times those who have remained behind, catch
slimpscs of their friends they gallopcd away.
There he is" cries an old woman. clappna
her hands, there, do you see, on the white
horse, there he goes
The white horse is the first TO disappear
behind the crest of the hill. \ second only, and
another rider is lost in the little cloud of dust
raised by the rider on the white horse.
Oh he can't beat white mare proudly