The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1889-08-22
A NEGRO sErrLEnENr.
rhs New Town OF IiBcOin Built by the
CoIor~d People On Oklahoma


Coiored People On Oklahoma
Special Correspoudence Of the Capital
Oklahoma, Aug. l0.-rhree months
and q half have passed since the
boomers" drawn mp In line on the
borders of the promised Land"
waited anxiously for the signal an
nouncing the long anticipated OPEN
ing Of Oklahoma was Q certainty.
Three months and q half have
elapsed since that mad race for free
homes began. During that time q
marvellous change has taken place.
Wild prairie land has been con-
verted into farms with broad fields
Of waving grain. Beautiful sites
have been utilized and changed from
wilderness to cities with stately
buildings, occupied for every de-
scription Of business enterprise, and
possessed OF every modern conven-
fence. Instead Of driving across
country, the traveller II now COM
pelled To 20 by section lines,
hemmed In by fences on either side.
This display Of energy and progress.
Iyeness could have been exhibited
In no country but America, and In
no part OF America but In the push
ing, bustling west.
The very idea of towns and eoun-
tries being founded and settled In
single day would have been eOnsid-
cred ridiculous In the extreme had
it been suggested to our ancestors Of
fifty years ago.
Among the towns In Oklahoma II
one which will be considered by
many as an experiment, but It's
founders are'confident Of lite success.
With the great thrOng OF boomers
who entered Oklahoma Oh the I'D
Of April was q colony OF colored
men, who, when the signal Was
given, started In great haste for a
long stretch OF timber known as the
BLACK Jacks" This timber ex-
tends for q distance OF forty or fifty
miles aud IL from fifteen to thirty
miles In width. They soon found
their anxiety uncalled for, as their
white brothers passed them and
headed for the prsiries, where farm
ing would be easier.
This colony soon established them
selves In the timber and all secured
good claims. They sent for their
friends until now there are four or
five Thousand Of them located In the
BLACK Jacks"
Then the leaders Of the colony,
Garrett and Young, both Of Topeka,
conceived the idea OF founding a
town and calling it Lincoln, n 8
token Of kind remembrance Of "Old
Abe" by the colored race.
Land was secured for this purpose
and the people took hold Of the
scheme with a zeal and eagerness
remarkable. The leaders donated ia
each church denomination two
choice lots, also abundant ground
for school purposes. Churches have
been erected and q cOmmOdiOus
school house built. A number OF
stores are also building. The plan
OF the town IL to make II Negro
town In every sense. having officers
from among their own people,
They have never had a full OppOrtu.
nifty Of governing themselves and
they want TO demonstrate their
ability In that direction. An acsd.
envy will he erected at Lincoln
which will provide q means of
higher education for the colOred
race. No effort will be spared by
the projectors of the new town Oi
Lincoln, Oklahoma, TO make u q
complete success, aud should II
succeed. the trace problem will be
relegated TO the pigeon hole Of
Questions solved"