Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-23

naNO DOoh COuDlGut MOul0 Law tlduO u
train miles in length.
ENTERING ON THE STRIP.
The strip was reached and it was
greeted with cheer which rolled from
the news car in front to the rustlers'
caboose behind. 1t marked their de-
parture from State government toward a
country where government is yet to be
established. Still the Cherokee country
lay between them and the Rainbow
Land.
Along the Pawnee trail the train also
passed caravans of boomers wagons,
many of them going south, but some re-
turning toward Kansas.
A SEATTLE ENaLIsHMAN CAUGHT.
Between Willow Springs and the
Poncha Agency, somebody in the news
paper car discovered man riding on the
truck beneath the coach. When the
train stopped at Poncha, the adventurous
boomer on wheels was taken up into the
car and elected an honorary member of
the Press Association. He gave his
name as Harvey Sadler, and said he
was born in England, but had been in
this country for nine years, and had
come all the way from Seattle, w. T., to
get foothold in Oklahoma. He was
elected as representative of the London
Times, and also as the mascot of the
new city of Guthrie.
At the last station outside OF the Okla
homa territory there was great crowd
of the boomers, who had forsaken their
teams and hoped to get in quicker by
rail. There being no room inside, they
climbed on top of the coaches, and the
entire train from one end 10 the other
was lined with them. In this way the
line was reached about minutes after
II o'clock.
THE NOON TRANSPORTATION SCENE.
Before the late dead-line was reached
and passed, however, a great transfor-
nation scene had begun, and was plainly
visible to the watchers from the train.
First came in view white topped wagons
gathered together in groups on the level
prairie, or in the lite valleys which di-
versify the face of the country. 1t was at
once noticeable that teams were not to be
seen in any of these camps, and it was
plain that they had been taken out Of
their harness TO be ridden across the
border by hard riders, who were to
ocate claims.
THE STAMPEDE TO THE SOUTH.
A little further on, and this conclusion
proved to be the correct one, for the en-
tire face of the country, as far as the best
field glass could carry the sight, was
overrun with horsemen galloping to the
southwark. The fleetest horses had evil
IDENTIFY been picked for the work, and
they were carrying their riders rapidly to
the lopged-for goal. Rides of fifteen or
twenty miles were made in incredibly
short time by old boomers who were
familiar with the country, and who knew
where the desirable lands were located
The day was cloudless, and far away on
the horizon, both to the east and west,
clouds OF dust could be seen ascending
from the hoofs of hundreds of horses,
rushing towards different destinations,
in most cases, but some of them towards
the same.
A RACE FOR A HOMESTEAD.
One race for goal could be easily dis
tinguished. The riders were apparently
evenly mounted. They rode neck and
neck for mile or two along the trail as
far as they could be seen, and their cage
and intense looks and merciless lasbingr
were sufficient evidence OF the prize they
were running after.
AN EMPTY SADDLE.
One saddled but riderless horse was
seen galloping rlong the trail, an ominous
sign of some accident or fatality which
had befallen the rider. Some went with
charge Of horses and were evidently
riding relays toward the goal. Out of
the dust which arose toward the east
could be seen, after the train had reached
the summit of high ridge, wagon cara
van which was fully two miles in length
and which was being sped to the utmost
speed of it's horses. These caravans
were plainly out distanced by the horse.
back riders, and the crowds were COM
posed of spectators, adventurous, eight
seers, thieves, etc.
FEW HoMEsTEADERs IN THE CROWD.
The farming element was not largely
represented, as all of the homesteaders
have gone on before. There were men
in the cars from every great city and
Important point in the country, and there
was no State or Territory in the country
which did not have its representatives.
THE PENcIL-PUsHERs.
The newspaper coach was the first out
of Kansas City. 1t contained represen-
tatives of all the leading newspapers in
the country who were compelled to yield
their room and comfort for the good of
the cause. At Arkansas City there were
over seventy-fve coaches sidetracked in
the yards awaiting the rush. All of
these were lowered into the yards some
distance below the depot. The crowd
began gathering on the platform two
hours before daylight, and long be-
fore the first faint streak of the dawn OF
the fateful day, the city was awake and
stirring. The streets presented lively
and picturesque appearance.
THE CARS TAKEN BY STORM.
Hundreds, in their impatience to get
aboard, rushed down en- masse into the
yards and attempted to force an entrance
into the cars, all of which we're securely
locked. The excitement may be judged
of from the fact that large number Of
coach windows were broken out by people
who were anxious to secure seats. 1t was
in vain for the officials to say that the
trains would run in sections, fifteen min
utes apart. Every man there wanted to
be fifteen minutes ahead of everybody
else, and not fifteen minutes behind any
body. The first section made up con-
sisted of nine coaches, the newspaper
coach and one caboose. 1t pulled out at
8:45, railroad time, drawn by engine 266.
1t was 9:30 when the line which marks
the State line and the dividing line from
the Cherokee Nation was passed.
THE RACE TO THE SWIFT.
After seyeral niles of tarritorV had