The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-04-24
IN THE PROMISED LAND.
A COUNTRY POPULATED IN A DAY.
thousands Upon Thousands OF Boomers
Rush Across the Line at the Appointed
Hour Only to Find That the Land
Shark Had Proceeded Them.


from Arkansas City, Kas., says: Oklahoma is
open. The trials, struggles and sacrifices of
years are partially rewarded, but the events OF
to-day made those of the days, weeks and
months 10 follow and will prove how far the
supply is below the demand, and necessitate
further concessions to avert disorder, blood
shed and other conditions but little short of
anarchy. The history of this one day will
forever be memorable in frontier annals and
will leave behind heritage Of litigation which
will be fruit to land sharks and claim attorneys,
but be destructive to the claims of poor and
honest settlers.
The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad
began running its sectional trains out of Kan
sas City last night and picking up cars at al
most every station along the route. Hundreds
of people were waiting at every depot and at
the cars, all Of which were full before the bOr'
der line was reached; could they have been
coupled, they would have made a train miles
in length. The crowds were composed ofspee-
ulators, Adventures. sight-seers, thieves, gam
blers and sprinkle of the demi-monde. The
farming element was not largely represented,
all of the homesteaders have gone be-
fore. There were men in the cars from every
city and important point In the country, and
there was not a state territory in the coun-
try which did not have its representatives there
who filed all the seats, occupied all the stand
ing in the aisles and filled up the spaces
between the coaches. hanging on the iron ban
listers and girders with grip
born of despair and determine
ton. The newspaper coach was the first
out of Arkansas City; it contained representa-
tives of all the leading newspapers in the coun-
try who were compelled to yield room and
comfort for the good of the cause. The con.
ductors vigilant in the collection of fares,
but il is certain that a great many deadheads
went through to the promised land in the rush
and hurry and of the boomer campaign.
There was but little sightseeing INDUCED in,
as the crowd did not care to look at anything
until it got to Oklahoma, like the emigrant at
Castle Garden who refused to pick up silver
dollar because he expected to find gold in the
street
At Arkansas City there were over seventy
five coaches side-tracked in the yards awaiting
the rush. All of these were lowered into the
yards at some distance below the depot. The
crowd began gathering on the platform two
hours before daylight, and long before the first
faint of the dawn of the fateful day the city was
awake and stirring The streets presented a
live, picturesque appearance. After the sun
rose crowds were rushing toward the center of
action from all parts of the city. The hotels
emptied their hundreds into the streets, the
cot-houses contributed hundreds more out of
the hospitable homes of the city, nearly all of
which have entertained guests during the past
week. Some long strings of men carrying
grips bundles, knapsacks and parcels of every
dreds of boomers and rustlers in their impa-
tience to get aboard, rushed down en- masse to
the yards and attempted to force an entran ce
into the cars, all of which were securely locked.
The excitement may be judged from the fact
that a large number OF coach windows were
broken out by people who we're anxious to secure
seats strong guard of railroad men was de-
tailed to protect the cOmpany's property, and
they had contract OF unusual dimensions on
their hands. The crowd was panic-stricken.
After waiting many eventful days and nights
for the hour of action TO come, men were seized
with sudden fear that they would be left in
the lurch, and that fear served to make them
like drove of stampeded cattle. There was
vain attempt at good humor in the struggle,
which concealed the grim purpose behind. and
there was no quarter shown in the rush for
place. IL was a wild-west crowd, headed
toward new field Of enterprise and develop
ment, and no one who has never seen such a
thing in action can have the remOtest concep-
ton OF It.
An amusing, and at the same time pathetic,
incident of the early morning a cattle train
lying on a sidetrack loaded with a boomer, his
horse wagon and q COW, wife and children and
al his little household effects. He was a merry
fellow and guyed the crowd numerically for
not going through, as he expressed it. without
change of cars, to avoid the rush. 'I travel in
my own special coach" said he like Jay
Gould or Vanderbilt"
you'll get there TOO late" yelled somebody
in the crowd.
Never mind, replied the boomer, IN get
there all the same"
II had leaked out during the wakeful hours
Of the night that the press special coach would
be a part of the first train to move out. The
railroad management had succeeded well in
keeping this fact a secret No but repre-
sentatlves OF the press were informed of the
fact or knew the location of the coach and
the time OF its departure, but il is i'm
possible to keep such information from
people who will SIT up all night to find out the
shortest and easiest way OF getting into the
promised land. The result was that when the
newspaper coach was backed up at a point
below the depot the entire crowd charged upon
1t. The newspaper men were ranged in a solid
phalanx, but had to fight for access
20 the rear platform OF the car. There
were rustlers there who had been fighting
along the border for years and who had a
death grip on the iron railing and expressed
determination 70 go into that car. They were
not easily disposed OF, but after them came a
swarm of men with bogus credentials, presum-
ing 70 represent every great newspaper In the
United States. Nearly every correspondent
was called upon 70 discredit two of these as
sumed journalists and scores of others failed of
identification recognition and had TO fall
back with more of precipitency than cool
order.
Every car brought up the line was greeted
With a tremendous cheer, and as the coaches
which were 10 be attached to the newspaper
special were brought out of the siding, there
was simultaneous rush Of two or three thou
sand men toward them. They were filed to
overlooking in less than half minute and a
countless throng struggled for place on the
steps. II was in vain for the officials to say
that the trains would run in sections fifteen
minutes apart Every man there wanted to be
fifteen minutes ahead of everybody and not
fifteen minutes behind anybody.
The first section made up consisted of nine
coaches the newspaper coach and one caboose
IL pulled out at S:47, railroad time, drawn by
engine No. go, in charge of Capt. G. H. Cooper.
who has been on the Santa Fe line for eleven
years and is one of the oldest and most trusted
was in charge of the entire train. This was
the first tram that ever ran out of Kansas
loaded with settlers for Oklahoma, and even
those who were disappointed in getting aboard
of il joined in a Wild, enthusiastic cheer which
rent the Kansas air as the first step toward the
realization of hopes and dreams of years and
the reward for the sacrifices o. the past was
taken.
The train ran slowly as there was great
danger Of misplaced rails and switches, or OBJ
structions of yarious kinds nlaced there nv