The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-02
"Never mind" replied the boomer,
"I'll get there all the same"
FIGHTING FOR SEATS.

FIGHTING FOR SEATS.
It had leaked out during the wakeful
hours of the night that the press special
coach would be part of the first train
to move out. The railroad manage
ment had SUCCEEDED well in keeping
this fact secret. No one but represen-
tatives of the press were informed of
the fact or knew of the location Of the
coach or the time of its departure, but
it is impossible to keep such informa-
ton from people who 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
it.
The newspaper men were ranged in
solid phalanx, but had to fight for ac-
cess to the rear platform of the car.
There were rustlers there who had been
fighting along the border for years and
who had death grip on the iron rail-
ing and expressed determination to
60 in that car. These were not easily
disposed of, but after them came a
swarm of men with bogas credentials,
presuming to represent every great
newspaper in the United States. Nearly
every correspondent was called upon to
discredit some Of these ISSUED journal
lists ard scores of others failed ofidenti-
ication or recognition and had to fall
back with more of precipitancy than
good order.
AS the coaches which were to be at
tached to the newspaper special were
brought out of the siding, every car
brought up to the line was greeted with
tremendous cheers and there was a
simultaneous rush oftwo or three thou
sand men toward them. They were
filled to overflowing in less than half a
minute and a countless throng was
struggling for place on the steps.
ALL ANXIOUS TO BE FIRST.
1t was in vain for the officials to say
that trains would run in sections, fifteen
minutes apart. Every man there
wanted to be fifteen minutes ahead of
everybody and not fifteen minutes be-
hind anybody. The first section made
up consisted of nine coaches, the news
paper coach and one caboose. Itpulled
out at S.45 railroad time, drawn by en-
CINE 266, in charge of Captain G. H.
Cooper, who has been on the Santa Fe
line for eleven years and is one of the
oldest and most trusted engineers in its
employ. Trainmaster Foukes was in
charge of the entire train.
This " as the first train that ever ran
out of Kansas loadedfor Oklahoma with
settlers, and even those who were dis
appointed in getting aboard of it Joined
in the wild enthusiastic cheer which
rent the Kansas air as the first step to-
ward the realization of hopes and
dreams Of years and the reward for the
sacrifices of the past was taken.
The train ran slowly, as there was
great danger of misplaced rails and
switches or distractions ofvarious kinds
placed there by those gone before and
who wanted a corner on the best lands
in sight. II was twenty minutes to ten
when the sign which marks the State
line and the dividing line from the
Cherokee strip was reached. It was
greeted with cheer which rolled from
the news car in front to the rustlers'
caboose behind. It marked the depart
,ure from State government toward a
country where government is yet to be
created and established.
sts sULKY INDIANS.
0 pStill the Cherokee country lay be-
E2een them and the rainbow. There
III IRE no Indians to be seen until after
sVillow Springs was passed, when a
wagon load of bucks of the Poncha tribe
passed upon the trail, and responded to
the shouts of those on board the train
with sullen looks and gesticulations of
defiance, as not evidently pleased at
the coming of the pale face. Among
the Pawnee trail the train also passed
caravans of boomers wagons, many
going South, butsome returning toward
Kansas.
Between Willow Springs and the
Poncha Agency somebody i'll the news
paper car discovered u man riding on
the trucks beneath the coach. Imnedi-
ately an effort to open negotiations with
him were made, but they resulted un-
successfully until the train stopped at
Poncha, when the adventurous boomer
was taken up into the car and furnished
with refreshments, which he drank
with relish and enthusiastic applause.
He gave his name as Henry Saddler,
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. r., to get a foothold in Oklahoma.
He was elected as the mascot of the
new city of Guthrie, and to make the
bargain sure it was agreed he should
have one of the best lots in the heart of
the city.
At the last station outside ofthe Okla
homa territory there was great crowd
of boomers who had forsaken their
teams and hoped to get in quicker by
rail. There being no room inside, they
climbed to the top of the coaches and
the entire train, from one end to the
other, was lined with them.