Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-04-16
OKLAHOMA'S BOOM.
Continued from first page J

chester. Tho son OF an English gentleman
cleans tho spittoons and does like work for
his board and lodging only. In tho dining
room young woman, who has held IN eK-
celent government place in Washington,
and has letters OF commentator from two
senator's and ono from President Cleveland,
serves the guests for SIS month.
There is but one drawback to keep tho
town from bossoming out in the rcd hues OF
1.-Two frontier town of the sort of which the
frontier writers tell. There is very little red
paint to be had; 1t Is unlawful to sell whisky
in the Indian territory. However, there are
n few cider joints of the Kansas variety, a
few gambling layouts, and one dance house.
With all this building all this trade all these
evidences of material prosperity and future
greatness, the town would so down like a
card house in a gale Of wind tomorrow could
the president declare Oklahoma open TO set
Element today.
While Purcell Is the only boomer settle
ment, there Is not settlement OF any other
kind within n days journey Of Oklahoma
proper but has hosts of boomers. Their homes
are easily distinguished, especially in the
Kansas towns, by the frail character of the
structures. 1t is really modest estimate to
say that 10, 900 people are living in dugouts
alone in the Kansas border towns waiting for
Oklahoma to open. Perhaps one should say
they exist rather than live. People read Of
the homes Of the Chilkat Indians in Alaska
and weep for sympathy. The Oklahoma
boomer, waiting in n dugout for q home in
tho promised land, is about as badly Off in
dress and home as the Chilkat Indian. And
yet they are cheerfullot In A. C. McCord's
hotel the other day (McCord was a boomer
lot of boomers sat about the stove when The
Sun reporter entered.
They're all boomers" said McCord, nod
ding toward the men, "but Solomon in all
his glory was not arrayed like one of these"
That was true The poverty stricken
boomer does have hard lot, but the boom
ers are by no means all poverty stricken.
There are men worth hundreds of thousands
in waiting. There are men of wealth who
are even living here waiting to SEQ what is
going to be done OF course, they are not
going to locate on a quarter section Of land.
One man ut the Clifton house is ready to in
vest 81, 900 in n grist mill just as soon as
there is a town in Oklahoma ready for the
mill. Others will open stores, banks and real
estate Offices The border towns of Texas,
such as Gainesville and Denison, ara full OF
boomers 1t is certain that Oklahoma would
have a population Of 100000 within month
were the territory to be opened today. The
people here say that the population would
reach that figure in two weeks, and that esti-
mate is backed by commercial travellers who
visit all of the border towns
Such wild time as there will DO during
the carly days of the new territory will prob
ably DO without parallel even in the oil
regions Of Pennsylvania and tho mining
camps of the west for there never were so
many people gathered before to make a rush.
OF the stories told about recent raids and
conflicts with troops little need be said. The
stories were untrue. Every day some one
goes over into Oklahoma. Some days three
or four wagons 90 over. As many return.
They are exploring parties. Now and then
some one finds a secluded spot, and digs a
dugout and settles there. Now and then the
scouts and cowboys find a settler, and make
him pull his freight. This is the foundation
for the raid stories.