The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-04-18
ON 10 OKLAHOMA.
The Soldiers Unequal to the Task of
Keeping the Boomers Out.
The Land Office Building in Process
of Erection at Purcell.
GOIOnists at Wichita Building Raft
to Float Down the Arkansas.
Frank RlDgO, the Well Known Bass
Bali Player, Dead.

WICHITA, April 12.-MaJ0r Parker
arrived here last night from Oklaho-
ma and reported that the soldiers are
not equal to the task of keeping the
boomers out. They slip into the coun-
try and conceal themselves so effect
ualIy in the woods that the scouts can
not find them. Every station on the
Santa Fe road is guarded and only
those having permits are allowed to
get off the train.
The Santa Fe has nearly completed
the depot at Guthrie, and workmen are
engaged on the land Office building at
Purcell. The border is black with
boomers awaiting the opening of the
country. Many of them are in very des-
titute circumstances. The Santa Fe
road people say arrangements have
been made to transport all who apply
and the Rock Island is preparing to
run line of stages from its southern
terminus into the territory.
Two immense RATS are being con-
structed here for the transportation OF
Hills colony. They expect to float
down the Arkansas, as the recent rains
have swollen the river. and they can
land within seven miles of the Okla
homa border. Others have arranged
for relays of fast horses, which are ex-
pected to transport them to the claims
already chosen. Every south-bound
train arriving here is crowded, and the
wagon caravans are passing in an end
less chain.
A LETTER FROM OKLAHOMA.
MILWAUKEE, April ia gentle
man residing in this city has re-
ceived a letter from his brother-in-
law who lives twelve miles from
the Oklahoma border. The writer
saws that the president should have
declared the territory opened the day
after the issuance of the proclamation
and continues: There were at that
time in the neighborhood, men enough
waiting to occupy its every home.
Many of them were the followers OF
the late Captain David l.. Payne. who
labored so long and faithfully to &C
complish the work that the presidents
proclamation does. Many of these men
will be cut off and ruined now.
AS it is, there are now in the
neighborhood of this territory, ready
to move at moments notice, five
times the number of people necessary
to settle it, and every wagon road con-
verging toward this point from Mis-
souri,, Nebraska, Colorado, Texas and
elsewhere is grooming under the burden
of wagons. Everyone is going in the
direction of OklahOma-crOsS lots when
he can. This is merely the van OF the
army that is to come, notwithstanding
all reason and warning. The great
mass OF the walters have no desire to
hang around the frontier day or two.
so they will try to be on hand
just as the gate swings open.
The result. as 1t may be
reasonably calculated, will be never
ending series of bitter and bloody bat
ties, in comparison to. which county
seat rackets and race wars are but
] child's play, Another element is the
western rustler, who has been through
| the mill-been raised, as it were, on the
county seat fights and rocked upon the
pillows of land col tests. He does not
care about homesteadS, but he will be
| there. He will be satisfied with few
of the best lots in all of the best towns,
and he won't be satisfied unless
he has them. He don't want anything
that involves trouble, but if trouble
comes that is just what he has been
looking for, and he will welcome 1t as
an old friend. In fact, the man who is
now selling his farm or other property
and picturing to himself a quiet, peace
full home in Oklahoma, is the fellow
that 1 am writing these lines for-tht
man l want to wake up l would tel
him to come with the idea of staying
but with the means of returning
There is bound to be lots of trouble.