Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-04-26
WOEFUL seen Es.
Distressing Tales from Oklahoma Set
tiers will Make Another Raid.

tiers will Make Another Raid.
CHICAGO, April 26.-The Daily News
special from Guthrie, Oklahoma, viz
Arkansas City, says:
Guthrie is plunged into seemingly in
extricable confusion. The differences O
rival factions seeking to control the towr
have baffled the efforts OF half q doze1
public meetings to settle them.
HIGH EXCITEMENT.
Excitement is at very high pitch and
confidence is beginning to waver. The
sufferings of Is, 200 unsheltered and un-
provisioned people are something that
could be endured only amid such furore
The scenes OF night and day are unex-
ampled, and as thousands more pour into
the wild country there is an apprehension
that amounts to distraction. There is nc
food, no water, no cover for the bitter
cold OF night and the whitening heat ol
day.
No building has been started and but
few more tents have been erected. No
body knows where the streets are and
everyone is just now yielding all things
else to the clamor for food, drink and
shelter.
EXTREMES OF WEATHER.
The sun fairly leaps out of the prairie,
and within two hours the cold has been
supplanted with Sahara heat. The wind
rose, but without cooling effect, and blew
hot sirocco that scorched the flesh and
filled the air with binding alkali dust.
To complete the general misfortunes the
only large tent, which was accommodating
1000 people, fell under the stress of the
furnace blast. 1t could not be repaired
and another tent could scarcely be
mounted.
The climate provoked Unsuitable thirst,
and water was the first supply to fail
There is quite stream hard by, but the
water is too strong alkaline to drink. The
railroad tank, that takes its supply by a
gravity pipe from a distant and elevated
spring, afforded the only possible drink
able water, and it is brackish. 1t was at
tackled by thousands OF people until the
railway officials called for military pro-
lection, under pretense that they needed
water to operate the road. The tankman
however, sold water at cents pint.
DEADLY DISEASE.
Pneumonia and sunstroke are begin
ming to claim their victims, but the sick
have neither refuge nor sympathy.
The whole scene in its countless and
painful details is simply horrible. Here
stands big city out Of doors and without
supplies. Only one train left over Grip
pied road, and it was crowded beyond ad-
ditional space for mouse on the floor or
a sparrow on the roof. Those who could
not get on cheered defiantly as the train
pulled out and another Just as crowded
pulled in from the north.
The Daily News correspondent secured
footing on the pilot of the locomotive to
reach Arkansas City, nearly eighty miles
north, with this dispatch. Along the
route during the long hours OF the tedious
ride scores of boomers wagons could be
seen forging northward across the Chero.
kee strip, retracing the hard journey they
had just completed.
Hundreds and probably thousands Of
them will halt on the strip and try to
force q settlement. They are strapped
and desperate, and the government must
yield this fine region, now uselessly se
questered, or cause great trouble.
MAKING TROUBLE.
Kansas City.-The Journals Oklahoma
special says: Oklahoma City, like Guthrie,
was built in day, or properly speaking
was claimed In an hour, excepting that
portion which was captured before time
by those appointed to go down and exc
cute the law. Water at Oklahoma is
plenty. There is not the same suffering
as at Guthrie, and in fact there is less
dirt and dust than at Guthrie. The DAYS
are hot, the nights are cold and food hard
to obtain. The new comers at Guthrie
are peaceably inclined but may yet show
their indignation over the action of gov.
ernment officials. There is now an or.
ganized crowd which will put squatters
on the town lots of every man who ante
dates IL O'Clock noon on the 22d. Build.
ing in both cities is going on rapidly
Work has already commenced and break.
ing of the sod and the conditions at this
time are favorable that there will be
enough vegetables raised for home con.
sumption.
A Times (Arkansas City, special says
One hundred and fifty men left this morn.
ing for the Cherokee strip with the
avowed intention Of squatting there
There is no doubt that q secret Organiza
ton is in existence which numbers in its
membership many prominent and influen
fio1 man Tho m am hora oov a. fha ,>oo,,I,