Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-24
Secretary Mobiles Ratings.

Special to the Gazette.
OKLAHOMA, o. T., Sept. 23.-The new
country which was opened yesterday at
noon, continues attracting everybody'S at
tenIion. OF the 1S6 filings received at the
land office yesterday between the hours of
II and 1, ffty-three were rejected by the
register and receiver. Some of these
We're rejected on some technical de-
feet, but the majority were genuine,
because the attempted filing covered land
that was allotted TO the Indians. Not little
trouble will ensue, and great many de-
serving people will lose their claim. Secre-
tary Mobiles ruling Is TO the effect that
every person is a sooner who has been
upon the new land at any time since March
., 1883, when the memorable opening of two
years ago took place.
The military authorities repeatedly ad-
vised the people in waiting TO enter from
the PoltowatOmiel line, consequently all such
persons, according to Secretary Noble, are
soonerS.
Another class of persons against whom
this ruling VIII operate great hardship, are
the boomers, who have been camped
for months along the line, wait
ing for the country to Open
They have undergone many privations,
md many Of them would have starved but
for the abundance Of game in the Potto-
watOmie country and the kindness of the
indians, and all for the sake of I home
stead.
Tecumseh, the designated county seat of
the south county, IS surrounded by 4
crowd of at least 10 900 people. The town
site reserved includes $40 acres, which will
plake about $500 lots to be gobbled up in the
tHinkling Of IN eye.
The surveyors finished their labors to-
plight. and tomorrow al noon
Governor Steele, who is present
II Tecumseh in person, viii give
The word TO the waiting crowd. In the
meantime a strong force of cavalry and iu-
tantry keeps out would-be inruders. The
crowd that surrounds the townsite is a
motley one.
The wandering preacher evangelist is
here, and holds services morning, noon and
night but the people here do
not seem 20 crave so much for
crumbs of heavenly comfort as
They do for the substantial benefits of 4
ham sandwich. The food question is one
If great importance. The Commonest arti-
cles OF food command fabulous prices, and
water is more costly than whisky.
The gambler is present in all his glory.
There is scarcely piece OF ground twenty
five feet square in the immediate vicinity
of Tecumseh that is not occupied by lay
out of some kind, either faro, craps
or roulette None OF them pre-
tend to have any covering save the
blue canopy of heaven, and when play stops
for the night the proprietor makes his bed
On his layout
The only accident Of any serious impor-
lance so far occurred to-day H. II How
ard of the firm OF johnson x How
ard, the most celebrated firm of
criminal lawyers in the Territory,
had his horse shot from under him
while trying TO enter the coveted town site |
lie was arrested, along with half a dozen
guard. The stories told about |
the affair are conflicting One is 10 the |
effect that the lawyer made speech TO the |
waiting multitude, ana advised them |
that the withholding of the townsite |
from settlement was entirely lille;
Il perfect right TO the town lots. and |
TO show that he meant what ne said, he |
suddenly put spurs to his horse, a |
large and conspicuous animal, aad in |
second he had crossed on to the
forbidden grounds. The soldier on guard |
called out TO the daring lawyer to malt. but
he paid no attention to the command. Then |
Capt. Jack Hays sang ont, Shoot the fel-
lows horse" In an instant n dozen rifles
were heard The white horse staggered
several feet further and fell dead the law
yhr being violently thrown u distance of
fifteen or twenty feet, but he escaped unin-
iured, save some few trifiing bruises.
A youth named Renfro aged seventeen
years. had his leg broken by his wagon
turning over, and AN Oklahoma city police
man, Hopkins by name, mad his arm |
broken.
As soon as he declares the town site of
lecumaeh ready for settlement, Governor
Steele VIII proceed TO Chandler, the county
Seat oi ne north county, where the same
ioimat..y will be repeated.
The ferings at the latter place are re
ported - intense. II is estimated that
3ver hrce thousand negroes rushed
INTO the north counry. The great
majority of them are the poor
Ind sEiiiesS class who have been per
IuadeG u leave the cotton fields of the South
through the glittering representations of
oily-tongued agents. who pictured the new
eoIntry 10 the ignorant darkey as
land whore claims and town lots were
being exchanged for fortunes every day.
lie now knows different, but this does not
satisfy the cravings Of az empty stomach
y great many of them viii undoubtedly
become fhatges upon the county through
tie winter.S -