St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-15
DOTTED WITH TENTS.
The Cherokee Strip Is Now
Staked Off Into Home
stead Claims.
Twenty Thousand Boomers
Cross the Border and Set
tie Down.
It Will Require Grape and
Canister to Move
Them Off.
No Precautions Taken by the
EOUnrY,Y1n1t m PpnVnnf
No Precautions Taken by the
Government to Prevent
an Invasion.

'On TO the strip" That was the signal
for the invasion of the Cherokee outlet
by the anxious ''boOmers," who have
been gathered on the border of the strip
for the past forty-eight hours. 1t
echoed around the outlet from midnight
until dawn this morning, and when the
sun rose over the promised land, the in
vasion had fairly begun. All day the
long lines of canvas covered prairie
scho0ners, with their many crews, drew
their lengths on to the coveted land.
Tonight it is estimated that from the
different points of entrance fully
10000 people have passed the bOr-
der, and half that number staked
their claims. The strip is invaded.
For a month past, in fact ever since
President Harrison issued the noted
proclamation ordering the Cherokee
Live Stock association to vacate the
'Outlet," boomers have been gathering
on the frontier, anxious to be among the
first on the ground, that they might Sc
lect the choicest land for their pros
pective homes and claims when per-
mitted by the government. The BOOM
ers were all sorts of people, and they
came in all sorts of ways. The trampS,
and there were plenty of them, came on
foot: the speculative real estate dealer,
with his paid claimants-and there were
plenty of them, toO-came by rail; and
the bona fide settlers, who were in a
great majority, came in
THEIR COVERED WAGONS,
converted for the time being into a
combination dwelling and vehicle.
Some OF the latter, who could not afford
the luxury even of a wagon. tramped to
the border, beside their horses laden
with household goods, and many of
them bearing their children-tOO small
to walk and too heavy to be carried.
The latter were mostly supplied with
tents. The temporary objective points
ofs the boomers were the rivers and
creeks, whose banks for two weeks past
have been dotted with tents and white
capped wagons. The settlers had not
been on the ground before the benefits
of organization presented themselves to
their minds, and at all the principal
points of assembly "boOmtr assOcia-
tions of various kinds, with various mo-
tives, have been formed. A majority
of these associations are formed for the
purpose of taking united action upon
the time of moving into the strip, it be-
ing the general belief among the lead
ers that President Harrison would not
insist upon their removal when once
they had established themselves upon
their claims. In the meantime the peO-
pie have been waiting patiently for the
coming of the day when they would eS-
tabliSh themselves i'll their new homes.
Yesterday afternoon all was quiet in
this city among the boomers. Six
hours later a scene of excitement was
witnessed that equaled in intensity that
which accompanied the INVASION Of Ok
lahOma year ago. The news had
been received from Washington that
the Oklahoma bill had passed the house,
declaring the outlet to be public domain,
and the extending the laws of Nebraska
over the strip.as we'll as over Oklahoma.
The news was spread quickly
FROM MOUTH TO MOUTH.
and by IL o'clock the male boomers
were running to and fro, some Of them
only half-dreSSed in their excitement,
making hurried preparations to move at
once over the border. The general
merchandise stores were beSieged by
people anxious to lay in store of pro-
visions, and the tradeSmen were obliged
to take down their window shutters and
supply the demands. The prairie
sch0Oners were hastily made ready for
the voyage, the wagons loaded and
horses hitched in their traces. The sun
was just rising when the first crack of
the teamster'S blackSnake was heard an
nOuncing departures for the outlet,
Those in the city had the advantage
of early information over their
comrades who were camped further
down the river, and carried to them
the news of the invasion. The latter
made ready quickly to join the process
sion, and soon a long line of wagons,
their inmates shouting joy0uSy and
waving hats, coats and whatever came
TO their hand, was winding its way over
the rolling prairie. The Invasion came
even the settlers themselves. The ten
ants OF the strip, the Cherokee Live
Stock association, and their agents were
taken entirely unaWareS. Chief MayeS,
Of the Cherokee nation, had placed at
the disposal of the former contingent
of Indian police to drive out occasional
settlers, but this was entirely too insig-
niticant force to oppose the invaders,
and they were pOwerless to cope with
the stream of immigrant invasion. The
government, so far as known, had taken
no precautions to arrest possible
MOVEMENT OF THE SETTLERS,
and it was not until early this morning
that the military appeared upon the
HNNilCt SfNpGs Duibt III VI
a small force Of United States regulars
at Oklahoma City, marched his force
into the strip late last night to stay the
progress of the boomers, having been
so ordered by telegraph. So far as
known this force had no effect in re-
tarding the movements, although moth
ing of the movements of the military
has been heard since last night. At
Least, everybody that started from here
got there. On entering the strip, the
cattle grazing there looked upon the
unusual scene with alarm. turned tail
and fed, a stampede ensuing which the
cowboys in charge were unable to either
check or control. The cattle fed five or
six miles before the invaders from the
north, where they were met by the
boomers who were coming up from
Oklahoma. Between these two fires
they were driven east and west. Ar
irving on the strip, the settlers dis
embarked from their "schooners' ana
Il.