The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-22
Hundred Thousand Men Ready
to Rush Into the New
Eldorado To-Day.
Bome Are Waiting at tho Land
Omoes, But the Majority Are
ON the Border.
rke Indians Had the First Choice and
Have Picked Out ths Prize Sections
An Old TlMo Rush.

GUTHRIE, o. T., Sept. 21.-From early
morning the streets of this town have been
blocked with wagons, horses and people,
men, women, boys and girls sorambling to
get here to take part in the race for govern
mert land. Everything is wide open.
Liquor ia plentiful and gamblers are here
with their outfits. Gov. Steol will 60 to the
bounty seat, named Tecumseh. The inten-
tion is to clear the town and, with signal,
let the race for town lots commence. Trains
continue to arrive, bringing people anxious
the land Office are still there, determined to
to make entries. The hotels printing Of
foes, stores and shops are taxed to their
utmost capacity. Some establishments,
especially the newspapers. nre. seriously
crippled on account OF their help going to
+ join in the race.
The land to be opened for settlement to-
morrow at noon consists of the country of
the Sacs and Foxes Iowas and Pottawat-
tonnes, in all, 1,1O1, ,559 acres. The Indians
do not loss all their lands. Each buck gets
quarter section, and not only that. but he
is lawful ''soonar," and has already
picked out the prize spots. He cannot soil
his land for twenty-five years, but during
that time does not have to pay taxes. After
the Indian land and the land held for
school purposes has been deducted from
the 1,1O1. $50 acres. about 800, 600 acres are
opened for actual settlement This makea
5000 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 NOR
row. forbidden country. 1t is the old q
lahoma rush over again, with some moolh-
cations. There are not as many boomers
and smaller number are in wagons. For
the last week, however, there has been an
almost continuous stream of wagons oyel
the Santa Fe trail across the Cherokee
strip, and there are wagoners oil around
the border.
The nearest point to the new country is
only little over nine miles from Guthrie
and tho great crowd will enter from neal
this point. but the truth ID, the greater par
Of the crowd is not waiting to enter. The
country is already full of ''sooners." The
plan il for one man to 90 in and Jump"
claim, and then turn it over to a partner
who starts in after the legal hour. Thus
There will be great rush for town lots
The government has selected sites TO
county seats, although there is not nov
even the shadow of town in either coun
ty. The one that is to be the county SEA
Of the northern county ig Chandler, name
for the assistant secretary of the interior
and tho southern town is Tecumseh.. Gov
ernment surveyors are not through wit
their work on the town. sites. an
Gov. Steele has announced the site
shall not D6 taken up uuG
the survey is finished. No attention viii
be paid to this, however. and the force o
soldiers on the ground will not be larg
enough to keep them off. A crowd o
Guthrie men has been organized to NOV
on Chandler. Every one is going. Cook
have deserted their stoves, lawyers thei
Offices and merchants their stores. Man
are bound to be disappointed, whethe
they 20 for lots or quarter sections, 70
there are at least 1900 people waiting TO
the hat to drop at noon tomorrow.
Couriers from Langston city, the negr
colony, came in this morning and pur
chased twenty carbines and hastsnsd BAG
to the front. They report that tho entir
town is covered with the tents c
emigrants, and that they are determined
protect themselves from any nttem pts O
the part of the whites to keep tn EN- frol
land in the Cimarron valley. A squad c
negroes visited the cowboys' camp la'
night and declared their Intentions. The
said they would make a race for the land
and if they got there first they would d
fend their rights with their lives. II til
cowboys do not imbibe too much whisky
which is being sent out by the wagon load
there will probably be no trouble; but o
the other hand, if they grow reckless unde
the influence Of liquor, bloodshed is certain