Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-11
THE SIGNAL GIVEN.
Transformation Scene on the
Sioux Lands.
G0-As-YOU-P PLEASE RACE FOR DIRT.

Incidents of the Scramble for Home
steads and Town sites at Chamberlain
and Pierre-A House on wheeIs-Buiid-
inss Going Up by starIight-Cold Steel
Stops the Rush at Pierre and the Boom.
ers Meet . Repuise.
CHAMBERLAIN, 8. D., Feb. 1.-THE loud
information of a cannon yesterday afternoon
startled the horde of people camped here
awaiting an opportunity to get into the Sioux
| lands. This was the signal that the proclama-
ton bad been issued, and was intended as
a warning TO the crowd of town-site boom
ers secreted in the heavy timber on American
island to get upon the coveted bottom on the
east side of the river Immediately repre-
| sentatives of the various combinations sent
here for the purpose of securing this tract
were in motion, and teams laden with lum-
Der were at once started ON a dead run
across the river. Crowds gathered on the
high bluffs to watch the exciting race
| Horses were whipped up, and great loads Of
| building material moved at a rafting pace
| to American island, which lies between this
| city and the reservation.
Ihufan iOltce fOWefless.
The Indian police, to the number Of nearly
| 100, who had been been placed as guard to
prevent any premature invasion, stood dazed
| and stunned as they viewed the irresistible
rush for the reservation. They were per
fectly powerless to check the wild stampede
| The most novel sight Of all was the moving
Of reasonably large building, under which
bad been placed heavy timbers and wheels,
| on a dead run for the coveted lands.
Many Legal Complications.
In a few minutes the several sections or
the valuable bottoms were literally covered
with claimants and it will take a score OF
, Philadelphia lawyers to solve the problem as
| to who are the rightful owners. The loca
town site boomers undoubtedly scored an ad.
| vantage of the other organized bodies by q
| few minutes, but along with tina boomers
are many vino intend TO secure homestead
| filings, If possible, and if this course is per-
| sisted In it will complicate matters and re-
| suit in protracted legal struggle. Many
rushed promptly into the uplands and began
| at once the erection of houses, and they will
vigorously defend their rights as against
later settlers.
Vain Attempts at Election.
United States Marshal Fry and Agent An.
derson, assisted by deputies and Indian po-
lice, however, were soon at work attempting
| to eject the invaders in the absence of word
| from the secretary OF the interior, but the
forces at their disposal were entirely made
quate to the requirements Of the occasion,
| and while many were notified and escorted
back to the river there was not a large
enough force to keep them OFF, and they
promptly returned to their claims. Last
| night the settlers camped on their claims.
Rush at the Lumber Yards.
The lumber yards were rushed to their ut
most capacity all night, the boomers being
| too anxious 70 await the arrival of dawn,
and by morning the appearance of the reser.
walton for many miles westward had under
gone great transformation Building went
on all night, and inside of forty eight hours
| the buildings will have been erected and
| everything in running order, with popula.
ton of between 2 200 and 800 The grea,
| difficulty, however, and one which viii
seriously hamper development, will be their
inability to transfer and give title to their
lands