Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-04-27
The News from Oklahoma,

CHICAGO, April 23.-The Daily
News special from Guthrie, Oklaho-
ma, via Arkansas City, says: Guthrie
is plunged in seemingly inextricable
confusion. The differences of rival
factions to control the town have
baflied the efforts of a half-dozen pub
lie meetings to settle them. The eX-
element is at very high pitch, and
confidence is beginning to waver.
The suffering of the $1,000 unshelter-
ed and unprovisiOned people is some
thing that could be endured only
amid such Juror. The scenes Of the
night and day are uneXampled.
Thousands are fleeing the town and
country, but thousands are pouring
in. There is feeling Of wild uncer-
tainty and apprehension that
amounts to distraction. There is no
food, no water, no cover for the bit
ter cold Of the nights and the wither-
ing heat of the day. The town site
is changed every hour by the rival
parties, as each secures a temporary
dominance. Not building has been
started and but few morefents have
been reared. Nobody knows where
the streets are, and every one is yield
ing all things else for clamor for food,
drink and shelter or means Of fight.
The sight at Guthrie upon which
the sun rose this morning was proba-
bly, never before witnessed in the his
tory of the world. The majority of
the $4,000 people lay tlanketless upon
the ground, either guarding their
claims or slumbering where they
had fallen Of fatigue. From the de-
pot platform they lay as close as
corded wood, and in the few tents
they were crowded in huddled mass
es. As many as could took the mea-
gre shelter afforded, but there quickly
came limit to capacity beyond
which neither tears nor brides would
prevail. Among the thousands
stretched upon the ground, many
were of the respectable quality
Those who could not sleep, and they
were legion, in the singing cold,
were crouched in groups, swearing OF
weeping, as suited their spirit. The
sun fairly leaped out of the prairie,
and within two hours cold had been
supplanted with Sahara heat. The
wind rose, but without cooling effect
1t blew hot sirrocco that scorche6
the flesh and filled the air with blind
ing alkali dust. To complete the
general misfOrtunes the only large
tent, accommodating $50 persons, tel
under stress of the furnace blast. i
could not be repaired and other tent
could scarcely be mounted. TIT
climate provoked an Unsuitable
thirst, and water was the first supply
to fail. There is little stream near
but the water is too strongly alkaline
to drink. The railroad tank take
its supply by gravity pipe from
distance, and an elevated spring af
forded the only possible drinkabl'
water, and it is brackish. 1t wa
attacked by thousands of people I'm
till the railway officials called tn
military to protect it, under the pre-
tense that they needed the water t
operate the road. The tankman
however, sold the water at 5 cents
pint thereafter, as did the engineer
from the tanks of their engines.
Pneumonia and sunstroke are be
ginning to claim their victims, bu
the sick have neither refuge norsym
pathy. The whole scene in its count
less, varied and painful details
simply Undesirable. Here stands
big city out of doors and without SUI
plies. Only one train left over tn
crippled road and it was crowded b.
You'd additional space for a mouse o
the floor or sparrow on the roo
Those who could not get on cheere
! defantly as the train pulled out, an
, another just as much crowde
pulled in from the north. The Dali
News correspondent secured a foOtin
on the pilot of the locomotive
reach Arkansas City, nearly eight
miles north, with this dispatcl
l Along the route during the Ion