Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-05-16

~ y"
e,'ts with the Indian owners
Whereby this country can be thrown
o,cn TO settlement
0tTie adventurous raids made into
otlopoma will always be interesting
,,;s-orv. and a correct and accurate ac-
s..s, Of these forcible raids at this
.;mp will prove Of interest, as they
n nn,e all made across the Cherokee
Germ. the present land in dispute.
T X. Albright, of Caldwell, Kan,
wiling 10 the Chicago Times, gives an
;n.eresting history OF the various raids.
Rack in the '7Os, he says, when good
covernment land was still to be found
IN large lots, Oklahoma began to at
trac. attention and be coveted by those
who had visited it, because of its great
~riclpess and splendid location.
II was in 1879 David L. Payne, an old
so13;er and scout, better known under
tbe title of the "Cimarron Scout" be-
ran to make speeches on the Oklahoma
~naestion at Wichita, Kan. Payne had
been %doorkeeper at the National House
Of Representatives and had there learn
cd that the Indians had no clear title
to the land known as Oklahoma, and
raturning to the West infiamed with the
shirt of the adventurer had begun his
liework.
c. G.. Carpenter started to boom the
opening of Oklahoma several years be-
fore Captain Payne formed his Wichita
colony. He had headquarters at Cot
i~eyyiile, Kan, and from there issued
circulars, setting a day in 1879 for a
grand raid, and telling of the beauty OF
location and fertility of soil in the
Oklahoma country.
These circulars created great excite
ment in parts Of Kansas, Texas, Mis-
souri,, and Texas.
Among those who received and read
one Of these Carpenter circulars was
Harry Hill, then a young man stopping
al Fort Worth, Tex. Hill is a Ken
tuckian by birth and a n%atural-born
trader and adventurer. After reading
this circular issued by Carpenter he
conceived the idea OF joining him with
q Texas colony, and gathering q crowd
Of fifteen together, he telegraphed his
wife at St. Louis that if she wished to
see him again soon, to come to Fort
Worth at once.
As soon as steam could bring her
Mrs. Hill joined her husband and in
sisted on accompanying him On his
trip to Oklahoma. Hill fitted up a
wagon for her and the children, and
the first Oklahoma expedition left
Texas in 1878.
There were just fifteen in the party,
and all went well until the Red River
was reached. Here a desperate gang
Of horse-thieves lived and had head.
quarters. The boomers camped there
all night, and at all hours the cries q
owls and wolves could be heard in the
woods. These cries were signals ut
tered by the horse-thieves. The mer
in the camp had to remain awake all
night and guard the horses, and the
next morning, rather than face the
hardships and dangers of the raid, five
Of the party Went back, while Hill.
with the rest Of his train, went on.
confidently expecting to find Carpen.
ter on his arrival at the North Cana.
dian country.
As the party moved north they en-.
conntered many hardships and dan
gers. Indians and desperadoes flooded
the country, and several more of the
Texas contingent dropped out and tool
the back track for home. By the time
Oklahoma Hill reached the old Jacl
Wantland ranch, three miles southeas'
Of the present site Of Oklahoma City.
his party consisted of himself, wife
two children, and three men.
They rebuilt the old ruined cabins
about the Mainland ranch and settled
down to await Carpenters arrival into
the country. The old pony express
route ran close to the ranch on the ole
Arbuckle trail, and from a mar WIZ
passed along several days after thei7
hrst advent into the country it was
learned that Carpenter would be alone
soon, and they were advised to hole
the fort. Long, weary months passed
away, and the raiders failing to appear
HILLS three Texas companions deserted
nm and went back home, leaving tn
plucky leader alone in his glory, sur
rounded by Indians and horse-thieves
About this time Captain David L
fayne was just beginning his Okla