Mohave County miner., 1889-04-27
FIRST DAY IN OKLAHOMA.

The first day of the Oklahoma settle
ment passed without bloodshed. At noon
the gates Of the promised land were
thrown open TO about 10000 people, who
were anxiously awaiting. There are
about 500 troops in the Territory. The
following incidents are clipped from the
press reports:
II lacked only few minutes of /
O'Clock when the train stopped in front Of
the Guthrie depot. Before the train
came to stop it was seen that somebody
was already there; in fact, the town was
well populated. Tents were numerous on
the eastern slope, and stakes were stick
ing up out~of the ground like poles in a
bean patch. Men could be seen racing
in the direction OF valuable holdings, and
the scene was as busy and animated a
one as il is possible to imagine. The
profanity among the Arkansas City and
Kansas City spectators was both loud
and deep when the found themselves
baffied at the game Of freeze out, but
they. were compelled to swallow their
wrath, for according to all the technicali-
ties of the law the men in possession
were the rightfnl owners.
The arrivals on the train charged on
the land Office, not in body, but in de-
tachments. The land office was not the
point OF their destination, though it
stands at the corner OF the section, and is
therefore the present center OF III town.
Bot il was to secure the lots nearest to it
that the rush was made. There was
little left near it. Stakes bad been driven
almost to the limit OF the 320 acres al
lowed for townsite, and the small mar
gin was being rapidly wiped out by the
same men who had already appropriated
everything in sight. II was but few
minutes until the line was reached, and
the taking up Of lots which nobody
wanted before began.
When the second and third sections OF
the train arrived and found everything
cornered the air was blue with curses.
There was nothing TO do, however, as
every lot was protected by rifles and re-
volvers. The only recourse left to the
disappointed men was to buy out such
holders Of lots as were willing to sell, or
run the risk of taking outside the legal
limit. Both courses were adopted and
number OF Guthrie City lots changed
hands. The first sale was made by q
man named Rummels, Of Malvern, Kan
sas, who sold twenty-fye-foot front lot
near the land Office, for $5, TO resi-
dent Of one Of the Indian reservations ad-
joining Oklahoma. The purchaser re-
fused $50 for the lot five minutes later.
Several transfere were made to-day, and
others who were determined TO locate
here drove stakes outside the town line.
In the afternoon the first municipal
election occurred. The election notice
appeared to-day in the Oklahoma Herald,
q daily published at Guthrie, on the first
day Of its existence. Nearly 10000 votes
were polled. The leading candidates for
mayor were Adjutant-General Reice Of
Illinois, William Constantine Of Spring
field, Ohio, and T. L. Sumner Of Arkan-
sas City. A strong dark horse was 7.
yolney Haggett Of Huron, Dakota.
The Bank Of Oklahoma opened for
business to-day with capital stock OF
$4,000. NJ. W. Levy, Wichita banker,
is president. The new city is flooded
with business cards Of all descriptions,
representing every line Of trade and
every occupation imaginable.
The scheme which resulted in the prac-
teal cornering OF town lots to-day origin
ated with the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad, probably in combina-
ton with the syndicate which has been
hard at work in Arkansas City for week
or more past. Numbers Of men have
been going into the Territory as deputy
marshals, and others under permits as
railroad employees. The marshals were
simply commissioned and not sworn.