The Delta independent., 1889-04-30
IN THE PROMISED LAND.

IN THE PROMISED LAND.
A Cactus Plain Transformed into 4
Booming City in Half Day.
ARKANSAS CITY, April 22--Fifteen
thousand home seekers are camped on the
grassy upland Of Guthrie, the pioneer city
OF Oklahoma. They camped at the first
CLEAN in the darkness and their tents loom
sthwart the sky like an army in bivousc
Guthrie, heretofore an Insignificant station
in wild and uninhabited country, remote
! from civilization, has population now Of
more than 1900. All this was gained in
the afternoon. In no country but America
and in no part Of the country save the
Great West, could such thing be possible.
When the first train arrived at Guthrie
from Arkansas City, embryo streets and
lots Of the new city had already been laid
out by enterprising citizens who had been
| early on the scene. Hardly had the cars
| slowed down at the station when eager
men leaped down from windows, slipped
from the roof Of coaches and poured out Of
the doors in streams. In q minute the
slope leading up from the station was
black with men rushing headlong, eager
for coveted town lots. In two minutes
not one Of the men who had filed the train
was left within speaking distance Of the
railway. By the time this crowd had
reached the top Of the slope near the land
office, men who had been running parallel
lines for streets and driving in stakes for
town lots were well on their way along.
They began with wonderful energy the 10
cation Of town lots and streets.
The third, fourth, fifth and sixth trains
from Kansas City sweiled the number -
many thousands. When the seventh and
eighth trains came in later in the after
noon the crowds had overfown all bounds
and the last streets and town lots had been
extended fully two miles, on the north .
mile and . half and south nearly mile Ne
attempt had been made to lay the town on
tho west side Of the track. This was the
land that had been settled on for . home
stead almost with the first rush Of home
steaders on the cars, who st0rmed scross
Oklahoma at noon in wagons aad on hoxse-
back and began to pour into the new COUP
try.
The horses were reeking wet, hot from
the terrible drive. They took possession
Of such town lots in the future Oklahoma
metropolis as they could. Meanwhile the
land office was besieged by an eager and
determined crowd of meu waiting to file
claims upon homesteads. As the afternoon
wore on this crowd grew larger, until in .
regular line far down the street toward the
railway station. Business in the land Of
fee went rather slowly. The register and
receiver did the best they could, but the
pressure upon them was tremendous. Men
who were waiting to file claims were
forced into q line two abreast Dealers In
real estate began business before 2 o'clock
in the afternoon. One enterprising dealer
had as background for the safe transac-
ton Of business a stack Of rifles, which had
been placed there by government troops on
duty At the land ofice. Near by was the
tent of the United States Marshal Needles
surmounted by large American flag.
Between and 6 O'Clock twenty trains
arrived. One hundred coaches came from
Arkansas City and so from Purcell. Every
thing was packed from the pilot to the last
inch Of roof space and not less than 15,OOO
people were deposited before dark. The
scenes were at once exciting and grotesque-
As a train stopped the crowds would leap
down, rush over to the townsite, each to
an undisputed spot where he flung down
his luggage and literally squatted out Of
breath. As the sun went down little tents
and unsheltered men dotted the region over
an area large enough for an eastern me-
tropolis. There is covering for about l, 900
persons on . liberal estimate, and the
nights after the roasting days are actually
chilly. Whether it rains or not
great suffering must be endured
by the thousands Of unsheltered.
Men who have been in At the open
ing Of every new country since - aver
that they never saw the like Of the crowds
and excitement Arkansas City is filing
up with great crowds from northern trains
that will descend upon Guthrie in the
| morning.
1t is almost certain, however, that for all
its present tremendous prestige, for every
thing is going to Guthrie, there can never
be town Of any Importance there. The
surrounding country is sterile, and, with the
exception Of small pieces Of bottom land,
can grow nothing but buffalo grass and
cactus. The adjacent stream is small and
alkaline, and we'll water deep and scarce
The temperature bounds from blighting
cold to withering heat, and there are long
periods Of draught and irregular occasions
of floods and hurricanes. This meteoro-
logical data is on the evidence of cattlemen
and others familiar with the region, while
the soil speaks for itself.
Ye1lovt Eever Rarin~