Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-03-28
THE CHEROKEE STRIP.
Ten Thousand Boomers Invade
the Reservation.
The Rush Caused by the Passage
of the Oklahoma Bill.

A dispatch from Arkansas CITY, Kan
says: As the sun went down this even.rs
over 10000 earth-hungry boomers were "a.
tered over the Cherokee strip. Many of th~a.
are men who have long been waitin. H..
word and are determined TO stay at all ha-
ards and meet any attempt a expulsion IN
recourse to arms The stock OF the Cattiernan
have been stampeied by the sudden AMI mn
expected lnundation and the force OF soldier.
at present available is totally unable t. cons,
with the reSlStleSS stream Of immigrant IN
The organized boomers had sat SUNDAY q,
the day upon which the invasion was t. b.
made, and the present DEVELOPMENT Is the r..
suit of an error
Reports from all points along the KanSa-
border show that the widest excitement tx
lists at every place and that thousands Of
men, women and even children have rushed
across the line in their haste 70 secure land in
the section. This wild dash was causAi by
the following Associated Press extract OF the
Oklahoma bill, passed by the Hous.. The
Cherokee Outlet is declared To be publ iauI
and open to settlement under the HOMESTEAD
laws and bona fide settlers and occupants al
given preference right"
1t was construed bv strange dizziness even
in the Offices of the newspapers in Arkansas
City, Caldwell and Winfield TO mean that the
House was the sole judge of the claims II the
CherokeeS to the strip and that no action by
cIIIeT SENATE PRESIDENT Vas necessary
Bulletins were posted i'll the newspaper
offices, and editors, reporters, printers
and preSsmen are all boomers" at Il o'clock
p. NJ the whole of Arkansas City, Caldwell
and Winfield was awake, and message,
were sent with all speed to kiOwa Hume
we'll and dozen other places, while horse
men rode at full speed to the camps Of
the boomers to tell the news Soon people
were running to and fro, half dressed Many
began making preparations to go at once T.
the strip. Before daylight a continual
stream of people of every description began
pouring into the strip in steady stream
At noon there was no let-up. They went in
wagons, in buggies, on horseback, on the
cars and on foot, until the cities looked al,
most depopulated. The Traveller, of thi,
city, printed enough extras, it was thought.
to meet all requirements; but at o'clock
every copy was sold and the office was full
of inquirerS for news.
The cattle men in the strip worried D.
know how to manage their herds or where t.
take them. By shutdown ten thousand
people were in the strip, with the nten.
ton of staying there, and nothing short
of the regular army will drive them from
their Mecca Many went armed with
Winchester rifles, shotguns and revOlyer,.
Some took the precaution to lay i'll pro-
visions for a week, but the greater number
went without knowledge of where their next
meal was to come from Some had tents
and stakes for their claims, but many went
empty handed and will have to camp on tn,
ground without pillow or cover, AMI
with not n morsel to satisfy then
hunger. There seems to be no doubt in
the peoples minds that the bill as it
passed the House will be passed by tn" Sen
ate and become a law; but the main worry
that they experience is that thoss who enter
now may not be permitted by the Govern
ment to hold their claims. They fear Also
that they will be expelled and every one
given a fair show TO enter after the bill be
comes law.
At Caldwell better cOunselS prevailed but
the colony of boomers decided TO start Sun
day at O'Clock in the morning. Ore hundred
and seventy-five families, with their prairie
from all over the State have Joined
the colony. j. W. Nyce, Mayor Of Caldwell Is
at the head of the colony. He rides about on
his fine black stallion, Pontiac, giving orders
to boomers regarding the start. The colony
has laid ont town site near Pond Greek and
named it Nyceburg There will be fully s75
teams ready to start Sunday. Captain Bur
bank of Oklahoma City, is in Caldwell try
ing to persuade the boomers not TO invade
the strip but Mayor Nyce says the people
are ready to go and will go if they
have to fight their way through. Captain
Burbank has telegraphed for troops to stop
the boomers. and when they get there a live
ly time is expected as Mayor Nyce and his
boomers are determined set Of men,
1t was reported that a company of United
States soldiers from Oklahoma City was al
ready in the strip, waiting the advance Of
the boomers, and thai a special train had
brought reinfOrcements from Fort Leavcn-
worth. Kan. DR.. Brown, an army surgeon
visiting Caldwell, has been ordered to &C
company the Leavenworth detachment.