Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-05-02
INVADING CHEROKEELANDS.
Disappointed Boomers Bound to OBJ
tain Homes.
The Move Well Organized.

The thousands of men who are crowded
out OF the Oklahoma country are bound u
OBTAIN homes, and well organized move
ment has been started 10 obtain possession
OF the Cherokee strip.
The occupation OF the Cherokee strip has
begun along The whole line. A much nard.
er nut 10 crack than any OF the Oklahoma
booms is now presented TO the governments.
Ine Cherokee strp which Is low in pro
cess or beng gobOled comprises near.y
e.ght million acres, being thus Tour times
as large as Oklahoma anu IL far trancends
the laLter In beauty and fertility. Ine OK
element in Ark.nsa City over the pros
pectlVe luIl seizure OF the strip is intense.
lhe crowds OF tugiuves from tue famine,
thirst frost and heat OF Guthrie are swell.
ing as each tram on the al but purnyled
railroad comes IN.
The hercest resentment is breathed
against the government Ior JAe outrageous
~ UNFAIR manner III which the country was
thrown open. The whole federal machlu
cry from the President down to the last
deputy Is passionately denounced.
The CheEokees are aroused 10 the situa
uon. Palten, the Chairman OF their land
commission, passed through Arkansas
CITY on his way 10 Washington TO urgently
protest against the tnVaS. on that nc regard.
cd as inevitable. Patten said Jhat the
cherokee nation was Internationally OPP
posed to parting with the strip. The pres
80 fANpSIANAOh Va FAssO al oCEt was NO III
ducemUnt.
Boomers retreat north by wagon from
Oklahoma. 1t may be believed that hun
dleds OF the returning pilgrims are bearing
n0rlhwdld with plans laid for location on
the strip aud that many are camp
ing thls sue oil salt Fork upon what they
VIII claim Tor their homes.
The sOIdIery assigned to patrol the
Cherokee outlet under capt. Jack Hayes
have not yet returned from the south Dor
der, where they accompanied the main
oOuy OF boomers bound for Oklahoma.
Hayes command, howeSe is expected in
Camp Price, near Arkansas City, at any
hour, IL viii be the duty of the soldiers "
clear the strip ana turmoil is bound to en-
sue. The people except for their present
excitement, seem disposed TO be law. add
ing. A conserS alive opinion is that while
they Will claim the land III the strip as re
dress tor wrongs suffered in Oklahoma
they Will not Offer organized armed resist
ance.
There is no doubt that secret organiza-
ton 10 IN existence, which numbers in its
membership many prominent and inhuen-
tlal men, which Is heartily in favor of coo.
nlZlng ia The strip with view 10 Fastening
the opening OF the Cherokee lands 10 settle
ment. The members say that if people
were allowed 10 live in oklahoma until the
President s proclamation was issued they
have the right to do the same thing in the
strip and they propose 10 DO 50.
As illustrating the ingratitude Of a re-
public il may be mentioned that contests
are already MED against the claim of Capt.
Couch, the old boomer leader, on the
curious ground that he disqualified himself
from making au entry by entering the ter.
ri,ory years ago on boomer expeditions
Gen. james Il. Weaver of Iowa, one OF the
most persistent OF the opening OF Oklahoma
in Congress-, has also had his claim contest
ed and has been accused of attempting 10
take the people by the throat. The old
time boomer leaders have not Jared we'll
ANY number Of Payne men can be found
now lying around Purcell who have been
out ridden ana out run by men who have
taken The fruit Of their years of sacrifice.