Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-10-09
INTO THE PROMISED LAND.
Mad Rush of the Boomers for Free
HOmes.

GUTHRIE, Oklahoma, Sept. 23.-Pre-
cisely at 70 o'clock to-day the report of
cannon announced to the excited
thousands of boomers" that the
coveted lands were open.
All the forenoon would-be-scttlers
had been nosing along the border Of
the promised land, and when the re-
port Of the cannon rang out there was
wild rush for the front. Thousands
of mounted men put spurs to their
horses and with wild yells they charged
into the coveted land like an army ad-
vancing upon the enemy.
The land opened for settlement to-
day consists Of the country of the Sacs
and Foxes, 472, 900 acres; Of the Iowas,
s29, $50 acres, and of the Pottawat-
tonnes, 100000 acres-in all,
l,l0l.559 acres. Some of this
is adapted for raising as fine crops
as any land and some of it fertil-
lied with TIN cans would afford an ex-
cellent pasturage for goats. The In
dams do not lose all their land. Each
bnck gets quartcr-section, and not
only that, but he Is lawful sooner"
and has already picked out the prize
spots. He cannot sell his land for
twenty-five years, but during that
time he does not have to pay any
taxes.
After the Indian land and the land
held for school purposes has been de
Quoted from the l,l0l ,559 q, res, about
100000 acres are opened for actual set
tlement. This makes SOC, 900 home
steads and about twenty men for every
homestead are on the ground. 1t is
The old Oklahoma rush over again
with some notifications. There are
not as many boomers and q smaller
number of them are in wagons. For
the last week, however, there has
been an almost continuous stream of
wagons over the Santa Fe trail across
the Cherokee strip and there are wag-
oners all around the border
The rush over the railroad has been
Just the same. The big crowds for the
last three days have packed the aisles
OF The cars. They look like the same
men who came to Oklahoma at its
opening A composite picture of the
whole "outfit" would represent a
young man with harvest field com.
plexion and white felt hat drawn SO
as to bend his ears. He would have a
four year-old yellow mustache and a
four-day old beard. He would have
blue eyes and he would sport a red
cotton handkerchief Just as sure he
would have big revolver.
The nearest point of the new country
is only little over nine miles from
Guthrie, and the greatest crowd en-
tered from near this point but the
truth is that a greater part of the
crowd did not wait to enter. The
country is already full of "sooners."
The plan was for one man to go in and
Jump" claim and then turn it over
to partner, who starts in after the
legal hour. Thus, between them, they
get good claim.
There is great rush for town lots
The new country will be divided into
two counties and the government has
selected the sites for the county seats,
although there is now not even the
shadow of town In either county. II.
ID. Baker OF Oklahoma City has already
been appointed postmaster of the COM
ing town of Tecumseh, to be located in
the Pottawattomie country, forty miles
from Guthrie. Chandler will be In the
Sac and Fox country, forty miles from
Guthrie.