Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-04-27
OPEN SESAME.
The Crowds Enter the Promis
ed Land.
iownsttes Fully Occupied Long Be-
tore all the Trains Arrive--The
Lots are Sold--City Election al
Guthrie.

KANSAS CRY, Mo-, April 24.-The Atchisou.
topeka &Santa Fe railroad began runnina
It's sectional trains out of Kansas CITY and
picking up cars at almost every station alona
'ae road. Hundreds of people were waiting
as every depot and if the cars, all of which
were full before the border line was reached.
could have been coupled, they would have q
Tram miles in length. The crowds wers
composed of spectators, adventures, sight.
seers, thieves, gamblers and a sprinklino Of
the dem'monde. The farming element was
not largely represented as all of homestead.
ers nave gone on before. There were men
In the cars from every great city and i'm,
portant points IN the country, and there was
not state or territory in the country which
old not have its re representatives.,
GUTHRIE, Ok, April at was 20 minutes
aitar Il when the first section of the great
Atcnison tram reached the line, and its pro-
gress from that point ON to Guthrie Was noA
rapid enough for the rapid men who wanted
70 get there In hurry before all the cream
was SKINNED off the milk. Nevertheless il
iacked out few minutes Cf O'Clock when
the tram stopped at Guthrie depot, a handsome
ana Substint ally built edifcs which has re-
Gently been hbelle1 by the newspaper artists
AA''S uioWu Cu tilSlr ln2X1natlOn Tor Its
picture since this excitement began. Refo-e
the train came to a stop it was seen that
somebody was already there. In fact the
town 'S
WIS ALREADY WELL POPULATED.
Tents were numerous on the eastern slope
ana stakes were sticking up out of the
GROUND Ike poles in bean patches. Men
could De seen rushing in the direction of the
valuable spots, and the scene was as busy as
IL Is possible - imagine. The profanity
among the Arkansas City, Wichita, as we'll as
tnose from the other points, and Kansas City
spectators was both lold and deep.
If there has been a prospect of shooting al
any hme, 1T was when those men found
themselves baff1ed at the game of freeze OUT
out they were compelled to swallow their
wrath Tor according to all the tachnicalitiej
OF the law the men in possession were right
Iui owners and the men who had been left
out are the most persistent in their demands
Tor the laws enforcement,
There was nothing to do but to take what
was LETT, and it was in the scramble to get
tnls tnat the most ludcrOus scene of the day
was presented. Falling over each other in
the effort to get out of the cars, every vac
nety OF man along the frontier made an
army winch charged the land Office at the
tachments. The land office was not theif
point OF destination, though it stands at the
corner OF the section and is therefore the pres.
emit center of the town, but it was to secure
the lots nearest to it that the rush was made.
There was but little left near. The stakes
had been driven almost to the limit Of the
half section of the 80 acres allowed for town
site. When the second and third sections
OF the Atchison trains arrived, and found
everything cornered, the
AIR WAS BLUE FOR MILES AROUND
the metropolis. There, was nothing to do.
however. as every lot was protected by rifles
and revolvers and if the shooting began there
was no telling where it would stop. The
only recourse left to the disappointed men
was to buy out such holders of lots as were
willing to sell or run the risk of taking OUT
side the legal limit. Both courses were
adopted. and good number of Guthrie city
lots changed hands.
The first sale was made by a man name{
X. c. Rrmmells, of Melvern, Kan, who
sold fine twenty-five foot front lot near
the land Office for S. to an old doctor, a res
ident of one of the Indian reservations adj
joining Oklahoma. The purchaser refused
$50 for the lot five minutes later. Several
transfers were maze and others who were
determined to locate here drove stakes
outside the town line. This is preparatory
to purchase of homesteader's rights and ex.
tension of the citv limits