The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-10-07
MAD RUSH FOR HOMES.
Exciting Scenes at the Opening
of Eastern Oklahoma.
Boomers Pour Over the Line and
Pick Gut Their Farms.

open and fully G0000 persons entered the
reservation from the west and SOUTH. The
wildes: OF scenes We're enacted and several
persons were shot.
Two co.orel men killed in fight at Langs-
ton, the S.oot.nr Of a woman who attempted
to cross rna border before the allotted time
and the dro wing Of two mea in the Cimar-
ron Rive: were the principal events reported
in the great rush for the Oklahoma lands
The popuIation OF Oklahoma increased
has recor of any such sudden growta.
That morning the settled area Of the Terri
tory Numbered 3, ,00G GO0 acres and the popu-
lation WAS LOCO. Between noon and sunset
1,5O0, COZ acres were added to the area, and
the population is now 10000.
All along the line during the morning the
scene was one of great excitement. People
on foot, 'oole on horseback, people in bug
gies. in WAGONS, men, women and children,
were gath red in groups a short distance
apart. The scene at II o'clock, when the sig
mails were fired. was one never to be
forgotten. Out from the line and across'th
rolling prairie borseman shot like missiles
from a catapulr. Covered wagons filed
with people rushed up hill and down dale.
and hundreds Of home-stakers on foot started
valiantly forth in search of the coveted
claim.
Thspent up excitement found vent In the
firing of revolvers and rifles shouting and
singing and cracking Of whips and furious
driving and running. The horsemen, Of
course, had the advantage over every other
man in the race and most of the racers were
horsemen. The man who had pro-
ceeded to the border on O prairie schooner
with his family left the schooner, family
and one horse on the border and mounted
the other and became horseman. After 10
eating his claim he will return and direct his
possessions to his new home. Men
who came with nothing but
money purchased saddle horses,
ponies, mules or any kind Of an animal that
would carry a man, while others rented
them. Some OF the more desperate cowboys
mountel steers. and the latter, joining in
the stampede, carrie their riders to the in
terror. whi.e others were uuceremoniou sly
unhor>e or mustered, not far from the
border.
A pistol shot fired by an army Lieutenant
was tae signal for the waiting crowd at
Chocraw City to start in the big race for
the new country.
{ When the signal shot was fired it was eS-
actly IL O'clock according to central
standard time. the crowd had ranged
up as closely as possible to the line
until they looked right into the eyes of
the soldiers who were there to see
that 20 one got in ahead Of time.
The tall young Lieutenant galloped along
the line Of waiting settlers and told them
that the signal for starting would soon be
given. When he arrived at point near the
centre 10 drew his revolver and rapidly dis
charged it's six leads into the air.
The first report had no longer rung out
when the great crowd commenced to move.
It was Derby that is simply beyond de-
srriptlon. There were blooded Kentucky
r. ,ers, Texas bronchos, mules and OK teams.
Everybody applied the whip and spur,
aud many were the catastropheS, although
none of them was serious. It was race that
and the man who reached claim and found
it unoccupied was lucky indeed.
Every man going into the country carries
q gun and a whisky bottle, and many ara
going to their death.
A crowd OF nearly 5000 that was in camp
In Topee started in a body for the new
county seat Of Chandler. They declared
that tney would not wait for the survey to
be completed, but will take the town by
force, and if they fail in this they will
found town in the adjoining section. The
company of soldiers at the town have orders
to shoot, and blood will flow if the attempt
Is made.
At Langston the colored people were very
excited The signals Of a gang Of cowboys
camped near by inhamed their anger, and
mutterings were heard on every side. From
Cimarr On City five hundred Presbyteriaus
led by tall, raw-boned preacher, starte1
for the land of promise led by their modern
Messiah.
At the Sac and Fox Agency on the east
s side the crowd was very turbulent, and sew
eral men were killed during the morning.
:Alcsg the line whisky jugs and bottles were
plenty and many men were intoxicated. Inc
one hundred deputy marshals and handful
of soldiers were unable to do anything with
the crowd. The number Of women on horse.
back was remarkably large, and fully twen-
ty per cent. of the claims will be secured by
& the fair sex.
In Guthrie everything was deserted. Stores
are closed and doctors, lawyers preachers
and everybody has gone to the new FL
dorado. The boomers bought so many sup
plies that q provision famine now exists.
night train could not get conveyances and
are walking to the line, while scores slept In
the streets.
One girl Of twenty-one from Winfield,
Kan, walked ten miles on foot to establish
claim. A colored woman with baby in
I her arms and leading si1-year-otd boy,
s walked fifteen miles and secured claim.
Z horseback, and two women rode on
9TH little children on horses behind them.
There are 5000 people in town. and the worst
kind OF q scramble for the 2000 lots Is going
on. AT the northern county seat, the survey
is not completed, and 10, 900 people are being
held at bay by soldiers The crowd will at
tempt to capture the town site.
The reservations Of Pottawatomie, Shaw
nee, Iowa, Sac and Fox Indians amount to
1-2ST. 900 acres. Part of the land is prairie,
part in timber and much broken, and not
over half of it is suited for farming The
reservations lie directly east OF
the settlement part of Ok.a loma, aud
are divided into two countleS WIN
800 acres reserved at the centre OF each LOT
the couuty seats. The location OF
the county seats is on poor broken
grounG, timber underorusn ano
rocks. with absolutely no water
Z is to be the county seat OF the northeTI
z county is Chandler, named for the Assistant
Secretary O, the Interior, and the southern
town is Tecumseh. H. u. Baker, OF Okla
homa City, has already been apponte;
Postmaster of the coming town OF Tecutlsth
A careful man estimates the number oi
actual settlers who went into the lndlaI
Lands ol the opening day to be Close t. ~,
600 OF these it is estimated that III, 0Oo VII
settle in the new cities and towns whici
will sorinr up The other 1O,OUO arc mer
and women VINO want farms. The tota
number Of acres which have been thrown
into tracts of l6C acres each, Will give tarm
to 5000 people, AMI the result is tina
not less than 5000 others will b
disappo;nted. When in connection VIII
this is taken the fact that Of the $40, % acre
ready for settlement, at least one-eiihth I
unfit for cultivation, it can readily Q
seen that there will be much suffering II tn