The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-03-20
THE BOOMERS PARADISE.
Thousands Waiting to Enter into Chero-
kee Strip-Everybody After a Town
Lot.

ARKANSAS CITY, KAN, March Is.
The boomers were stampeded into
the Cherokee Strip much the same as
the cattle were stampeded out Of it:
They went without any preconcelved
plan or method and plunged into the
outlet without order or reason.
They misconstrued the passage of
the Oklahoma bill by the House of
Representatives into an Act provid-
ING for the immediate opening of the
country to settlement, and each colony
of boomers, alarmed lest it would not
he the first on the ground to select the
choice of town sites and claims, rushed
pell-mell over the border, regardless of
consequences.
The cattle men are completely
routed, their fences cut, their grass
burned, their cattle stampeded and
their range destroyed for the near fu-
ture at least.
They will be compelled to get their
cattle together as well as possible and
hunt other pastures.
Prof Coopeck, of the Indian chill
dren's school, telegraphed last evening
for troops to eXpel boomers from the
Indian schools lands, as many, not
knowing its boundary, located therein.
Prairie fires could be seen all over the
Strip last night. No casualties have
occurred so far is known.
Within the first forty-eight hours OF
the invasion at least $4,000 persons
have invaded the Cherokee Strip from
different points along the border.
Nearly every quarter section OF land
for eighteen miles south Of this city is
at present staked off, and many of
them are occupied by squatters.
At t o'clock the news that the Presl-
dent had issued a proclamation order
ing all settlers off the Strip was re-
ceived. Some counselled prompt COM
pliance with the Presidents order, but
others Insisted that it was wise plan
TO hold their claims until expelled by
the troops, and then as soon as the
bluecoats were out of sight to return
and begin farming operations. Should
the soldiers attempt to remove the
settlers there will be no organized re-
sistance, but it will take any army of
5000 men to keep them from settling
back on the Strip.
One perplexing trouble the soldiers
will labor under will be to distinguish
between home-seekers on the Strip and
home seekers in Oklahoma. Movers
have the right to pass through the
Strip on their way to Oklahoma. Ask
any man in the Strip where he is going
and his answer invariably is "Okla-
homa," though it is known that 30
per cent are hunting claims in the
Strip.
Cattlemen here did not receive the
news of the Presidents proclamation
ordering the invading settlers Oft the
Strip with much interest. 10 them it
was like locking door after the horse
was stolen. The settlers seemed to
think that the easiest way to get pos
session of the Strip was to drive the
catlenen off, and the easiest way to do
that was to fire the prairies, and fire
the pralries they did.
These prairie fires served double
purpose. They drove most nf the cat
tie before them and also destroyed the
fodder which those remaining might
have upon. Therefore the cattlemen
are naturally depressed over the gloomy
prospects. The damage is already
done. The cattle cannot be marketed.
If left in the Strip they will starve.
There are sixty thousand head of cattle
good for nothing but hides, glue and
bone dust.