Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-03-19
HE WESTERN BOOMERS.
Tens Of Thousands Of People Seekinl
Homes In Far on Regions.

J IenN OF Ln0Nhhuua ~ bt'aAAHh
Homes In Far on Regions.
The rush TO the new lands that are now
open for settlement in several parts Of the
west is going on, and there is no doubt that
| It will be increased largely during the com
| ing months. Nearly two years ago the
| Oklahoma boomers were pushing theiI
way to the Indian Territory, and thousands
Of them were camped beside their teams
along the southern border of Kansas, anx
iously waiting for the opening Of that re-
don to settlers.
Many Of them crossed the line before they
had the right to do 50, and rs no crops could
then he raised there were hardships and
suffering among them. Some took refuge
in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas, some
were driven out by Federal troops and
others made their way TO obscure regions,
where they lived for time on such pro
visions as they had brought with them or
as could be procured from Kansas Tie
boom had suffered a setback, though
squatters still got into Oklahoma somehow
in considerable numbers. Last year the
government had trouble with the Cherokee
Indians in its negotiations for the surren-
der of their lands, and this continued till it
was evident that legal settlements could
not be made on these lands in 1890.
Many boomers were again gathered on
the border at the close of the year, and
when the report came to them that nego-
tiations had been closed several hundred
families struck out for the lands in ques-
ton. As the report proved to be inaccu-
rate, they had TO return to the Kansas side
of the line. The trouble has not yet been
brought to a satisfactory termination, but
as the adjacent lands of the Sac and Fox
Indians are now open by treaty the new
settlers have begun to take up claims
there, though the land is not yet surveyed.
II is very certain that the movement in
that direction will be heavy during the
next few months, or till every acre of the
soil has its claimant According to re-
cent dispatch. the "town lot boomers" are
especially busy there at this time.
1t is not only TO Oklahoma that the land
hunters are bound just now. Recently
printed dispatches from northern Wiscon-
sin describe the rush to the big strip that
has been opened to claimants there. At
the land Offices in Ashland, Wausau and
Eau Claire thousands of settlers have stood
in line awaiting their turn to file their
claims, and so highly have advanced places
in the line been valued that round sums of
money have in some cases been offered for
them. AT two OF these offices a short time
ago the homesteaders became so turbulent
that a company of infantry was needed to
keep order. 1t is probable that by this
time nearly all the claims in the big strip
have been taken up.
There is news also of heavy immigra-
tion to the state of Washington on the Pa
cilic coast 1t has been in progress during
the winter months and is now very sure of
The papers there do all they
can to encourage it by publishing accounts
of the fine climate and fertile soil of the
state especially those parts of it west of
the Cascade range and along the rivers
that empty into Puget sound, which, ac-
cording to the Seattle papers, beat all the
rest of the world for raising grains, vege
tables, berries and all sorts of 'family gar
den truck" Nowhere else" so it is said,
"can man live and flourish on so small a
piece of land as in this attractive region"
New York Sun.