Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-04-16
A BOOMERS METROPOLIS.
How Purcell sprang Up Like Jonah's
Gourd, and How 1t VIII Withcr.

How Purcell Sprang Up Like Jonah,
Gourd, and How 1t VIII withcr.
The present situation or condition OF affairs
In tho Oklahoma movement is without prccc
dent, and must be considered one of the move
ment's most remarkable features Not only
is tho greater part OF the hundreds of boom.
crs that followed Payne, Couch and others in
their raids still alive and In waiting about the
borders Of Oklahoma, but there are really
thousands Of others who, having heard of tho
richness of tho land and of tho probability OF
its being opened for settlemest, have gathered
beside the old boomers, and sat down comfort
ably check by jowl.
4 description Of Purcell, tho town from
which this story OF Oklahoma Is written, will
convey an idea OF tho boomer situation
around the territory. Purcell's history is
worth telling at another time. There never
was a town like Purcell, and there mover will
be another like it, at least In tho United
States. Think Of | 800 people squatting down
OH the border limo Of country and waiting
there for months and even years, constantly
ready to jump and run across tho line at q
moments warning. That is just what has
happened here.
Purcell will bs two years old on April 20
next. On that day, 1897, the Santa Fc was
completed to this point The company de
cided to mako q station hero because it is in
tho Chickasaw nation, and the Chickasaws
favor white emigration.
After while 1t was noised about that
whites could sottlo hero. Tho boomers
jumped at tho chance. Tho squaw man own
Ing the claim laid out enough lots and streets
for city. II Oklahoma remains unopened
for year or two longer that squaw man
Robert Love, will be immensely rich out of
ground rents. The city is materializing at a
remarkable rate
And such city There is no counterpart
elsewhere, although Beaver City, No Mans
Land, narrowly escapes being twin sister in
appearance. The chief difference Is in the
character of tho dwcllings Beaver is built,
In great [part, of sod walls, but there is
smattering of wooden shanties and dugouts.
Here, to quote the barber shop Joke, there
arc shanties galore, dugouts that go lower,
and tents most gloAouS The variety OF
dwellings is even greater. There arc people
a-plenty living In covered wagons. There
nre houses TINT nro combination Of dugout,
shanty and tent, and one that is combina
ton of shnnty and wagon.
There Is but one plastered house in town,
and that belongs to tho railroad. 1t was
built for tho agent. Tho houses are ceiled,
and the ceiling is covered with paper. There
aro no brick chimneys, but the town may
boast of what even Beaver City has not-a
sod fireplace 1t is built against shanty
occupied by negroes.
Tho houses are, Of course, all new in ap-
pearancc, and, as n rule, unpainted The
most Of them arc less than eight months old.
About twenty are in course Of construction
at this writing. Mr.. Lane collects from IS
to eos per annum ground rent for each
house. Not exorbitant.
Trade is remarkably good. Tho constant
influx Of population keeps up tho supply Of
cash. Tho high water trade mark wns $500
gross receipts at one store in one day.
The people are as interesting as the houses
Everywhere on the streets ono sees men with
revolvers and repeating rifles and shotguns
and cartridge belts At night tho air re-
sounds with screams and yells and the sounds
OF exploding cartridges. At the Clifton
house, an excellent frontier hostelry, tho
landlord receives his guests with Winches-
ter rifle hanging within tho easiest possible
reach, and double barrcled shotgun stand
ing IN tho corner lust as handy us tho Win
Continued TO fourth poge