Wichita eagle., 1889-02-26
ORIGIN OF OKLAHOMA BOOMERS.
Wichita the First to Move and Always
at the Front.

|! From the Kansas City Times
The testimony concerning the cause:
that led to the attempt to force white
settlements ON the original Oklahoma i:
conflicting. It is everywhere in this
country conceded that the original Okla.
homa boomer was Captain David L.
Payne. Captain Payne was born on q
farm in Grant county, Indiana. on De-
cember 80, 1886, and lived there until
the spring of 1858. In 1858, being then
little over 81, he started west to fight
the Mormons, there having been at that
time now-forgotten trouble with the
Latter Day Saints. He got as far as
Doniphan county, Kansas, and there
found the excitement was over. There
upon he became affected, as most people
do on the frontier, with desire to grow
up with the country. Having a little
money he pre-empted homestead.
erected a sawmill and went broke.
From running sawmill in a treeless
country Payne turned to skin hunting.
There was no end for time to the buff
falo, deer, antelope, wolves and other
animals whose skins could be marketed,
and Payne made a success Of this and
eventually became, first guide for pri-
vate parties and then scout in govern
ment employ. His frontier title was
"the Cimarron Scout.
When the boomers were first heard of
the Frisco people had d bad claim on
the odd sections for forty miles on each
side of the surveyed route of the road
west through Oklahoma because of the
grant already mentioned. The claim
was bad because the road had not been
built as provided by the terms of the
grant made in 1856 to the company, but
the company does not admit that the
claim is bad even to this day.
If Colonel Boudinot did not originate
the idea he was wheelhorse in promot-
ing it. Among other things done by him
IN the interest of the movement was the
preparation Of a map to accompany the
letter, part of which has already been
quoted, and that map was printed with
the letter attached at the expense of the
government. 1t was senate executive
document No. 20, first session, Forty
sixth congress.
The man who talks with the old
boomers will be told that Payne first
heard about the government title to Ok
lahoma while doorkeeper in Washing
ton in 1876; that he thought about the
matter with more Or less frequency and
until 1879, when, while liv-
ing on ranch IN Payne township, Sedg
wick county, few miles from Wichita,
Kan, he went broke again. There is no
proof that he went broke this time,
though he was undoubtedly not rich.
The boomers say that to benefit his for
tune he determined to go down into Ok
lahoma and take up a homestead.
While it would be very hard, if Lot
to prove it, the truth is that
Payne, having been once frontiersman
and a politician with an extensive &C
quaintance, was selected by the Frisco
officials to lead the raid into Oklahoma.
Mr.. Harry L, Hill, now wealthy citi-
zen of Wichita, Kan, and member of
that city's board of trade, was the scout
who led the first company of boomers
that ever entered Oklahoma.
1t is commonly supposed that the first
invasion of Oklahoma was
made IN 1879. An unorganized invasion
was made on April 2S, 1879. The hetro-
geneous compilations which the south
western editors call boomer editions in
place the organized invasion in
1879, but the fact is the first organized
'aiders left Arkansaw City at o'clock
IN the night of April 10, 1880. But there
lad been deal of booming done dur
ng more than twelve months preceding
hat date, and the unorganized mob raid |
the mistake.
The first public meeting to awaken |
public interest and create desire among
and seekers to enter Oklahoma was held |
IN the southeast corner of Douglas ave-
Tue and Main street, Wichita, Sedgwick |
,Ounty, Kansas, in October, 1878. OF |
curse many others were held George |
g. Harris, then and now a wealthy citi-
zen of Wichita, presided, but the exact |
late of the meeting has been forgotten |
md no record was kept. Captain Payne |
vas the chief speaker. Payne was an |
rator to please a western audience, but, |
Judging from the size OF the first colony, |
lie had uphill work at first.
Divested of verbiage, the legal argu-
nent of the orators who sought to in
'ade Oklahoma was of sort to carry
particularly as it was backed |
Up by decisions of Justices of the United
states supreme court. Here it is:
The land in question had been pur-
hased with cash.
1t is admitted that the land was pur-
hased with cash. Justice J. c.. Parker
ecIded that the title had been conveyed
0 the United States, although he held
hat further act of congress or of the
resident was needed to open the land to
ettlemeut. While it should be said that
Justice Parker had these decisions before
i'm when he held that a presidents
reclamation was needed TO open Okla
oma to settlement, the argument Of the
conner was strong.}
The reason why the president did not
sue proclamation and open the coun-
ry, and thus end the trouble, was due to
fact which furnished 20 the boomer a
ound argument to prove, at least, that
ne country ought to have been opened
p to settlers, although it does not nee
Ssarily prove that the land was in fact
lbject to settlement.
Ii was during the last DAYS of the
Iayes administration, and cattle kings
7ere in possession of the land and ready
, fight for it. These cattle kings were
] practice, and great majority of them
-ere in fact, active politicians.
If the cattlemen, said the boomer or
tor, have a right TO so there and re-
lain there, why not the settlers? The
uestiOn remains unanswered to this
az, for the cattiemen have been there
Il these years-barbed wire fence and
H.
If a history Of the town site companies
hat have been organized in Kansas
ould be written it would wildly illus
ate one of the least known phases of
lffn