Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-09-23
The Mad Rush for Homes in the
Opened Indian Lands.
THEGOVERNMENT ARRANGEMENT
Was Sadly Dsfcisnt-A Number Of Persons Cross
the Border Three Hours Before the Tins
Kxsd-A Town Settled and q Mayor
Alsctsd in Very Brief Period.
Trouble Feared at langStoH.
Number Reported Killed.

GUTHRIE, 0. T., September 22.-"The
land is yours"
That is what every timepiece on
the border of the lands opened to
settlers to-day proclaimed when its
hands pointed to the hour Of noon.
Simultaneous with the arrival of the
hour, the home seekers gathered on the
border, made headlong rush over the
line into the coveted country and to the
quarter sections on which their eyes
had been feasting, some for days, and
others for weeks and months.
The rush was mad one, and was
made so by the fact that the nunber of
home-seekerS greatly exceeded the num-
Der Of quarter sections available for set
tement. "First come, first served"
was the motto of every racer. There
was room in the new lands for about
3. 900 settlers, allowing 100 acres for
each. There were on the border, wait
ing TO claim the available land, fully
Is, 900 people, so that there were three
persons for each section. 1t was no
wonder, then that the rush was mad
one, for in this case, at least, the race
was invariably to the swift. Like
scenes have never been witnessed before
except when Oklahoma became the peo-
ple's two years ago.
A crowd of nearly 300, who have been
in camp at Topee, started in a body for
the new county seat of Chandler. They
declare that they will not wait till Fri
day for the survey to be completed, but
will take the town by force tonight,
and II they fail in this they will found a
town tomorrow on the adjoining sec
ton. The company Of soldiers at the
town have orders to shoot, and blood
will flow freely if the attempt is made.
At the Sac and Fox Agency on the
east side of the crowd is turbulent, sew
eral men have been killed already.
Whisky Jugs and bottles are plenty and
many men are now intoxicated. 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 full twenty 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
Eldorado. The boomers bought so
many supplies that provision famine
now exists. Hundreds OF mem who ar
rived on the midnight train could not
get conveyances, and walked to the line,
while scores slept in the streets.
The government supervision OF the
oDening of the lands seems TO have
been sadly deficient. The entire gov
eminent force was composed of two
companies OF United States troops, or
200 men, under command OF Captains
Hay and Styles, and the forces of three
United States marshals, numbering
about $50 men. Later fifty were sent
10 Langston to preserve the peace be-
tween the cowboys and negroes, fifteen
required at each of the three land Of
fees and twenty-five at Tohee. Of the
regular troops a squad OF men was STA
toned at each Of the two county seats:
This left only some 300 men to patrol
the borders of about 200 miles In
extent or one man TO every two-thlrds
of mile of border. The men, however,
were stationed at regular Intervals. In
some places there were ten and htteen
men TO mile, while at others there
were stretches of five and ten miles en-
tirely unguarded. Under these condl-
tions it might have been expected that
a number of boomers entered before the
appointed time, and they did. Two
miles north Of Tohee about 200 boomers
had gathered in a secluded spot, know
ing that the Government force
would be massed at the border town.
They had set watches three hours
ahead. so that their testimony would
agree as to time if ever their claims
were contested on the ground OF their
beinp "sooners." At Q o'clock their
watches all indicated the noon hour and
tbey rushed over the border and began
the race for choice sections OF land.
The "sooners' at other unguarded por-
tions of the border were also very
numerous, and it is estimated from all
reports that the number or settlers VINO
antered before the legal time was fuliy
1000. Tohee this morning was an In
dian town. Just over the Iowa border,
dne east from this place. Tonight it is
n white mans city of 1,500 inhabitants.
An election was held this afternoon,
and Joseph Mcneil, of Guthrie, was
elected mayor.
AT a point five miles below Tohe
quite a number of boomers were gath
cred TO make the race. Among them
was one woman whose name has not
been learned. Upon attempting TO
cross the line she was forced back. She
then drew a revolver from her dress
pocket and opened fire upon the mar
shall. The marshal returned the ire
and shot her in the left leg just below
the knee, shattering the limb and dis
abling her so that she was unable TO
make the race.
Reports have been received from sew
eral other places along the border, all
of which agree there has been no serl-
Gus disturbances.
News Is anxiously awaited from Lang
ston City, the new colony, and from the
two county seats. Langston is eigh-
teen miles distant. The newspaper
ccuriers were under orders TO leave for
Guthrie at 6 o'clock and will take three
hours to make the run over the un-
broken country and through the tall