The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-03-16
Invasion OF the Cherokee Strip.

KANSAS CITY, Kas., March 15.-The
boomers were stampeded into the Cherokee
strip much the same as the cattle were
stampeded out of it. They misconstrued
the passage of the Oklahoma bill into an
act providing for the immediate opening OF
the country to settlement and each com
pany of boomers, alarmed lest it might not
be the first on the ground to select the
choicest townsites and claims, rushed pell-
nell over the border. Fear is expressed by
the cooler heads that this premature and
ill-advised movement may be entirely use
less and that the government may deprive
them of their advantage and drive the set
tiers out TO wait the formal opening
OF the country and give all prospective
settlers an equal chance. This view was
entertained only by a small minority. The
great majority are already settling down
on their claims as if assured of permanent
residence. They believe that now the in
vasion has been accomplished, they will
allow them to remain and permit others to
take up land whenever they arrive. The
majority of bona fide settlers carried on
wagons yesterday enough lumber to con-
struct small dwellings and to-day the white
tents and wagon covers that dotted the
praries in all directions are being replaced
with the less picturesque but more sub
stantial board shanties. Especially is this
case at the centre settlement at Ponca
Only yesterday it was a small station
of a hundred people on the Santa Fe.
Just over the line from Guthrie
Oklahoma, city of 1000 inhabitants,
sprung up over night. The gambling
fraternity is here in full force. Monte
men, wheel of fortune, walnut shells, with
the Elusive plea. are all being manipulated
in the open street with the usual degree of
success. Several disturbances occurred
over these gambling devices and many
fights took place, but nothing serious re
suited
AT Guthrie last night reporter boarded
the train in which representatives of the
Cherokee Strip Cattle company, were re-
turning from the Fort Worth Cattlemen's
convention. Hewins, the president of the
company, was among the number. The
first intimation they hao of the invasion of
their leased lands was gained at Guthrie.
They could not believe it, but a few
minutes later camp fires, surrounded by
the invaders themselves, were seen glow
ing in the darkness and confirmed the re-
port. The cattlemen are greatly disturbed
at the invasion and have appointed a com
mittee to notify the secretary of the in
terror Of the fact and ask for troops to
lands. No military force is on the ground
now, and so far as known none
has been ordered to proceed thither.
Captain CaVenaugh, commanding the forces
at Guthrie, and Captain Burbank at Okla
homa City, have both officially notified
General Merritt at Fort Lesvenworth,
commanding the department of the Mis-
souri,, OF the invasion. and the cattle com
pany has requested protection from Wash
ington. No replies, so far as known, have
been received to these dispatches and surely
no orders have been given to move troops
into the invaded country The cattlemen
are completely routed. The fences are cut
down, grass burned, cattle stampeded and
the range completely destroyed for the
near future at least. They will be COM
PEELED 10 get their cattle together as well as
possible and hunt other pastures.
Prof. Coppak, of the Indian school, tele-
graphed last evening for troops to expel
the boomers from Indian school land, as
they, not knowing its boundaries, located
there