The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-03-26
OKLAHOMA, LAND OF TIL BOOMERS.
Thousands of Settlers Whe Are cat
ting Very Impatient.
A Paradise of Fertile and Rolling
PrairIes.
Indian Territory Scenes in the Haunt
Of the Boomers.

much easier to appreciate the intense des ir
to possess the land which actuates the maj
who has once been there, and which trans
forms him from philosophical citizen 0
the settled States into an ardent boomer
than 1t is for the average man, whose knowl
edge of the country and Of the situation
obtained wholly from the perusal Of news
paper articles. The country is beautiful
and the situation is romantic.
From hilltop the original site Of tb
town of Ewing, where Capt. Payne was CT
tured by the soldiers one may look upo a
country as fair as eye could wish to respn.
The beautiful valley of the North Cansian
river stretches for miles ON either side the
stream, being especially broad on thejouth
side, before, by gradual ascent, the plands
are reached, whence the gently rolling
prairies stretch in to boundless spacs
This North Canadian valley Is the arden
spot OF the Oklahoma country-the anaan
OF the boomers. Soil of the utmost filthy,
as Is evidenced by the blue stem gps'which
even at this season of the year Rnds as
nigh as the average mans head, ad which
Is said by competent witnesses to reach in
the fall months height that will0nceal
man on horseback, water in abndance-
rivers, springs and lakes-timbe on the
river banks and dotted here and here over
tne pralrles, giving the entire scee park
ike appearance, and climate tht knows
not extremes, all combine to erlance the
beauty Of the country, and to assne in the
future land flowing with milk aid honey.
FROM WICHITA TO oKLAHoMAaTY.
The trip from Wichita to Oklab,na City,
with the short excursions made rom the
latter place, is an altogether interesting one.
Every mile or two after leaving the metrop-
oils Of Southwest Kansas trains Of covered
wagons were seen vending thei way to-
ward the Kansas line, and in most ases the
travellers seemed well prepared in tie matter
OF farming implements, teams and cattle to
make brave start, could they but oce get a
foothOld in the new domain. Apund Ar
kansas. City hundreds of boomgs were
camped, and the valley reaching dom to the
Cherokee strip was dotted every fW va rds
with groups Of tents and wagor. whose
owners were impatiently expecting rom day
10 day the arrival Of the news tint would
the new country.
,Ihere is no mistaking the juuping off
place into the Indian Territory. Tie line is
marked with that distinctness whisi ALWAYS
separates the work of man from that OF
nature. On the one side are the cultivated
nelds OF Kansas, on the other the vast ex-
panse OF rolling prairies known as tie Chero-
kee Strip, and given up to the herts of the
cattle Darons In lieu Of affordinghomes to
countless thousands of people. lust over
the line the mission school buildings stand
In solitary grandeur, reminding ore of the
civilization just left behind. and several
ling the border.
The frontier town, Purcell, stands on a
lofty bluff overlooking the South Canadian
rlyer, and, TO the east, a part of the Okla
homa country. A number of very tempor-
ary-lookiDg frame structures. tents, holes in
the ground covered with canvass snd every
conceivable form of habitation that will
serve Ior temporary protection, are perched
on the hillside, but as one passes these and
reaches the bluff there looms up a gathering
OF more pretentious buildings which form
the business portion of the town, but which
were were evidently constructed with view to
tneif easy removal should it be deemed ad-
visaole 70 transfer the town to any point
tnat might appear more suitable, the only
structures OF any permanency being
The Catholic mission school, north of the
town, and the church and school buildings of
The Methodist. Presbyterian and Catholic de-
lominatlons. One reason for this unsubstan-
tilahieo' htt65f Euse;S wnolease the grUhnu
70 the proprietors of the buildings. and who
IS very much easier to deal with as long as
here exists possibility that the town may
be moved. There are about 1000 people in and
about the place, and 1t Is rightly called the
headquarters of the boomers" who are scat
tered in all directions round the settlement
to the number of perhaps another 5000. and
some of whom have been patiently waiting
for years, going to work upon rented lands
when their original funds were exhausted,
but ready at the first intimation to pull up
stakes and move on to claims In Oklahoma.
Many of these old-timers have accumulated
means, and will make their
fresh start in the new land under very fiat
tering auspices, but there are many others
whose w0e-beg0ne appearance and democrat
lied outfits foreb0de but sorry times for them
even when they shall have gained their de-
sire-a claim across the border.
A RAPIDLY INCREASING CROWD.
Every day adds to the multitude. White
covered wagons roll in from all directions,
and from every train that reaches Purcell
there alight fortune hunters of every descrip.
tion. 1t was stated on competent authority
that the reservation contained fully 300O(
ready to move at moments no
tice. That they were getting impatient was
evident, and small wonder when it is realized
that the great majority of them have invest
ed their all in the venture, and see the timt
rapidly approaching when they should be
getting in the crops they count upon to sup
port them during the coming winter. They
cannot go back, and it looks to an unpreju
diced observer as If no power on earth coulC
restrain them after April, even if they can
be prevented making raid until that time
1t is only fear of the exclusion clause tha
has prevented an entrance ere this, and thii
fear is gradually melting away.
The North Canadian valley seems to cen
ter in Oklahoma City, so that there will pro
badly be the large city OF the district. UpoI
the uplands surrounding there is an abun
dance of good grass and ample water fo
stock. The valley is comparable to the ia
nous Wachita valley, south of Purcell, il
point Of richness Of soil, and as the rive
water permeates the sandy sub-soil there /:
no fear of drouth.
The difference between the condition o.
affairs at Oklahoma City and Purcell is very
marked AT the latter place many Of thI
boomers are occupied in tilling rented lands
but at Oklahoma city all are dependent OF
tn opening of the country to settlement
and pitiable indeed will be the lot of man,
OF them II much longer kept waiting. o.
course there are, as elsewhere, comparative
ly wealthy prOspectors looking for chance
to snap up anything good that may offer, bu
the great majority on the ground are bon
fide home seekers. There seemed to be
pretty general impression that Presiden
Harrison would issue his proclamation short
ly, but none were prepared to wait longe
than the first day OF April.
Knights of the Golden Eagle.
Last ,ioht Windsor CaefJa NoG, Kn;oh.