Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1891-09-23
THE RUSH FOR LANDS
Two Out Of Every Three Seek
ers Lief. In The Cold.
A DEFICIENCY OF TROOPS
Incidents OF the Opening OF the
New Lands.


yours" That Is what every timepiece on
the border Of the lands opened TO settle
ment yesterday proclaimed when its hands
pointed TO the hour Of noon. Simultane-
Gus with the arrival Of that hour the
homo-seekers gathered on the border, made
a headlong rush over the line into the
coveted country aud on TO the Quarter-seo-
tions upon which their eyes had been
feasting, some for days and others for
weeks and months. The rush was q mad
one aud was made 80 by the fact that the
number Of home seekers greatly exceeded
the number OF quarter sections OF land
available for settlement. First there.
first served" was the motto Of every
racer. There was room IN the new lands
for about 5000 settlers, allowing 100 acres
for each. There were on the border wait
ing to claim the available land fully 5000
people, so that there were three persons
for each section. 1t was no wonder that
the rush was a mad one. for IN this case,
at least, the race was invariably to the
swift Like scenes have never been wit
messed before. except when Oklahoma be-
came the peoples two years ago.
Tho Government supsrvision
of the opening Of the lands seems to have
been sadly deficient. The entire govern
ment force was composed Of two com
panies of United States troops. or 800 men
under Captains Hayes and Styles, and the
forces Of three United States marshals,
numbering about $50 men. OF these latter
fifty were sent TO Langston to preserve the
peace between tho cowboys aud negroes;
fifteen were required at each Of tho three
land offices and twenty-five at Tohee. OF
the regular troops squad OF men were
stationed at each Of the two county seats.
This left only some 800 men to patrol the
borders Of about 200 miles In extent. The
men. however, were not stationed az regu.
lar intervals. In some places there were
ten and fifteen men to q mile, while at
others there were stretches of ave or ten
miles entirely unguarded. Under these con.
ditions 1t might have been expected that
numbers Of boomers would enter at the ap-
pointed time, and they did.
Two miles north OF fohec about 200
boomers bad gathered In o secluded spot,
knowing that the governments forces
would bo massed at tho border town.
They had oil set their watches three hours
ahead Monday night. 30 that their testi.
monyiwouid agree n ever their claims
would DO contested on the ground Of their
being "sooners." At o O'Clock their
watches indicated the noon hour, and
They Rushed Over the Border
and began to race for choice sections The
''sooners" ot other unguarded portions OF
tho border were also very numerous, and
10 is estimated from ell reports that the
number Of settlers who entered tho land
before the legal time was fully 1000.
Near Tohee woman crossed the line be
fore the appointed time and one Of the
deputy marshals guarding the party ar.
rested here ana forced her back over the
limo. Soon afterward she again crossed
the line prcmatu.ely, and when tho deputy
q second time drove her back she drew o
revolver and opened fire upon him The
marshal returned the fire and shot her 10
the left leg, Just below the knee, ,shnttcrine
the limb.
Mr.. Robertson, u photographer, who is
Just in from Lapdgston, saws: Tive
negroes we're killed there yesterday One
Of them was dead when first roached
there. and the other died few minutes
before left"
No BiotiDg mt LargstoD.
The story OF every arrival from Laugs-
ton agrees that there has been no riotnr
between the negro settlers and the COW.
boys. All arrivals from Langston confirm
the report that two negroes were killed IN
the new lands south of the negro colony,
but no one seems 20 know how they met
their death Some say they shot each
other In quarrel over u claim; others that
they were thrown from their horses and
killed in the stampede, while Others say
they were shot by the cowboys. Two
negroes. women, secured the quarter sec.
tions Immediately adjoining Langston.
The news from Chandler Is reassuring
The Guthrie news courier from that place
reports that the soldiers still held the
town site and that the settlers have made
no attempt to occupy IL 10y force A town
site company has planted on the quarter
section Immediately adjoining the govern.
ment town site. aud most OF the people
who rushed TO Chandler TO claim lots have
taken claims on Chambers neighboring
rival.
News from the south county's town site
is to tho effect that the survey has been
completed and approved by Governor
Steele, who issued his proclamation open.
ing il to settlement at 10 o'clock this
morning.