The record-union., 1891-09-22
Oklahoma's Border Crowded with
Excited Land-Seekers.
TWENTY MEN ON THE GROUND FOR
EVERY HOMESTEAD.
The Streets of Guthrie Blocked with
Wagons, Horses and People of All
Ages Scrambling to Take Part in
the Race-Lawyers Desert Their Of
fees and Merchants Their stores in
Special to the RncoRD-US1oS.

GUTHRIE 20. r., Sept. 2l.-From early
morning the streets in this town were
blocked with wagons, horses and people,
men, women. boys and girls scrambling
TO get here to take part i'll the race for
Government land. Everything is wide
open. Liquor is plentiful and the gam
blers are here with their outfits. Governor
Steel will go to the county seat, named
Tecumseh. His intention is 10 clear the
town, and with a signal let the race for
town lots commence.
Trains continue to arrive, bringing
people anxious to secure homes The
men in line before the Land Office are
still there. determined 10 make their
entry. The hotels, printing Offices, stores
and shops are taxed TO their utmost ca
pacity. Some establishments, especially
those of the newspapers, are seriously
crippled on account OF their help leaving
to join in the race.
The land TO he opened for settlement
to-morfow row consists of the country Of
Sacs and Foxes, IOwaS and Pottawat-
omies, in ali /. .l0l, ,559 acres The Indians
do not lose all their lands. Each buck
gets quarter section, and not only that,
but he is a lawful 'soOner' and has al
I
cannot sell his land for twenty-five years,
but during that time does not have to lfay
taxes. After the Indian land and the
| land held for school purposes have been
! deducted from the ,I0l, ,559 acres, about
$4,000 acres are opened for actual settle
ment. This makes 800 homesteads, and
ABOUT twenty men for every homestead
are on the ground. Some are lowering
along the line and some are already in
what IS until noon to morrow a forbid
den country.
1t is the old Oklahoma rush over again
with some notifications. There are not
as many boomers and a smaller number
are III wagons. For the last week, how
ever, there has been almost Il continuous
stream Of wagons over the Santa ife trail
across the Cherokee strip, and there are
wagoners all around the border. The
nearest point OF the new country is only
q little over nine miles from Guthrie, and
the greatest crowd will enter from near
this point. But the truth is a greater part
of the crowd is not waiting to enter. The
country is already full Of "Sooners." Tie
plan Is Tor one man to go IN and Jump
claim and then turn it over to his part
ner, who starts in after the legal hour.
Thus, between them, they get good
claim.
There will be great rush for town lots.
The Government has selected sites for
county seats, although there is now not
even shadow OF town in either county.
One that is to be lis county seat OF a
northern county is Chandler, named for
the Assistant Secretary OF the Interior,
and the southern town is Tecumseh. The
Government surveyors are not through
with their work on the town sites, and
Governor Steele has announced that the
sites shall not be taken up until the sur
vey is finished. No attention will be
paid to this. however, and the force of
soldiers on the ground viii not be large
enough to keep them off. a crowd of
Guthrie men has been organized to move
on Chandler. Every one is going. Cooks
have deserted their stoves, lawyers their
offices and merchants their stores. Many
are bound to be disappointed, whether
they go for lots or quarter sections, for
there are at least $1,000 people waiting for
the hat to drop at noon tomorrow.
Couriers from Langston City, a negro
colony, came in this morning and pur-
chased twenty carbines and fastened
back to the front. They report that the
entire town is covered with tents of emil
grants, and that they are determined to
protect themselves from any attempts on
the part Of the whites to keep them from
the land in Cimarron Valley
a squad of negroes visited a cowboy
camp last night and declared their in
tentions. They said they would make a
race for the lands, and if they got there
first they would defend their rights with
their lives. If the cowboys do not inn
bibe too much of the whisky that
is being sent out by the wagon
load there will probably be no trouble:
but, on the other hand, if they grow
reckless under the influence of LIQUOR.
bloodshed ascertain.
THE FIRST VICTIM TO SUFFER.
WICHITA (kas.), Sept. 21.-The first
victim to suffer at the hands of boomers
IS A. l.. Glazier, Santa Fe conductor,
who was badly cut and otherwise injured
by an enraged mob on his train. Some
Of the boomers had no tickets, and
Glazier demanded an extra ten cents
levied IL such eases. This caused trouble.
A number of the rioters were arrested
and a ra in iaiI