Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-23
WAITING FOR THE WORD.
Scenes Among the Boomers on the Line
of the Promised Land.

Scenes Among the Boomers on the Line
of the Promised Land,
WICHITA, Kan, Sept. 23.-The follow
ing was received from Guthrie, .. T.,
Tuesday morning:
The day of opening has arrived and
the surging mass of humanity on tie
line awaits with impatience the coming
of high noon, when, at given signal,
they will start on a wild pellmell rush
for the promised land. Fully 10000
people are on the line, and there will be
o wild scramble for the 5000 claims and
1000 town lots.
A crowd of nearly 5000 in camp at
Topee will start in body for the new
county seat of Chandler They will not
wait for the survey to be completed, but
will take the town by force tonight,
and if they fail in this they will found a
town tomorrow in the adjoining section.
The camp of soldiers at the town have
orders to shoot, and blood will flow
freely if the alarm is made.
At Perkins 5000 people are fighting
and struggling to get on the bridge
crossing the Cimarron river, and when
the signal is given to go many will be
crushed on the bridge If 1t does not give
way and precipitate them into the river.
At Langston the negroes are getting
very excited. The sight of a gang of
COWBOYS encamped nearby infiames
their anger and mutterings are heard on
every side.
AT Cimarron City 500 Presbyterians
led by tall, raw -boned preacher, are
waiting to be led into the land of prom
ise by their modern messiah.
At the Sac and Fox agency, on the
east side, the crowd is turbulent, several
men having been killed already, Along
the line whisky jugs and bottles are
plentiful, and many men are now intoxi-
Gated.
The one hundred deputy marshals
and the handful of soldiers are unable
to do anything with the crowd.
The number of women on horseback
is remarkably large and fully 90 per
cent. of the claims will be secured by
the fair sex.
In this city everything is deserted.
| Stores are closed, and doctors, lawyers,
preachers, and everybody have gone to
the new Eldorado.
The boomers bought so many sup
plies that a provision famine now ex-
| lists.
Hundreds of men who arrived on the
midnight train could not get convey
ances and are walking to the line, while
scores slept in the streets.
Lieutenant. Governor Martin has left
| here for the county seat named Chand-
Ter. Governor Steele goes to the county
seat named Tecumseh, The intention is
| to clear the town, and then with a sig
nal let the race for the town lots COM
mence. The impression is that the coun-
ty seats will not be surveyed and plated
before Thursday. Should this occur,
then the situation can better be imag-
ined than written. Thousands will wait
| forty miles from civilization in an un-
explored country, where water is scarce,
food at fabulous prices and wolves howl
ing. Trains continue 10 arrive bringing
human freight seeking homes in this
land.
II is fortunate that there may be
quarter sections and town lots enough
70 20 around for honest settlers.
The horde is composed of men who
simply want to get there and sell out to
honest men. The land Office here pre-
sents ludicrous scene. Men who
have been in line foTty-eight hours still
stand there. They are Wild and looh
determined. A six days wa'sin0 =" a ''h