Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-08
SAC AND FOX LANDS.
A Gazette Representative Re.
views Rush No. |.
THE COUNTRY AS 1T REALLY Is.
The Young Town Site Chandler, Result of Rush
No. PA Town of One Thousand.
Government Aliotters who Losfed Three
Months on Pay-A Farmer Near
Guthrie Fatally Shot by An
Unknown Assassin.
THE COUNTRY AS 1T REALLY Is,
A Review of Rush No. 1
Special to the Gazette.

| across the Creek Nation to Il point on the
| east line of the Sac and Fox country SIX
| miles north and three east of the agency.
| arriving there at 8 o'clock 4 N. of the
| 22nd. The border was crowded with foot
| men, families Ill wagons and boomers for
| the towns on horses of swift feet Near
she hour OF II every preparation had been
| made. There We're three squads in view
| Immediately south of the Turkey track
| pasture, located about three hundred yards
OF each other, agsregatiug 1000 people.
The town boomers represented Oklahoma
and Kansas. They were well mounted.
The three squads We're DESTROYS of Secur-
ing a common point go wards west OF the
line. An officer fired pistol as the signal
to go and the race commenced. 4 yell
went up, pistols and Winchesters We're
rapidly fired and the crowd made dash
for the common point as il charging upon
an enemy. After a race of Il quarter the
leader of one crowd took a trail to the
right, which led up the south side Of Salt
creek-where defeated candidates go-an-
other turned to the southwest in the direc-
ton of Deep Fork, and the third made di-
rect for the town site, fourteen mil west,
followed by many who dropped from the
line along the creek last named to locate
their future homes.
The reporter having no desire to change
his present location, and not wishing any
more corner lots, brought up the rear COM
fortably mounted on gentle bronco, keep
ing well in view of the supply wagon of our
party. Five miles from the line, on the
banks of deep ravine we made i search
for water. where TO our surprise we found
two men III hiding, who kindly located
pool of the sparkling beverage up the creek
4 lew hundred yards. These persons were
genuine, live SoonerS, ard were Onl y wait
ing for the dust to settle when they would
proclaim their rights TO the choice home
steads previously selected.
Our camp was lighted at the crossing of
the Deep Fork, where The water supply was
ineXhauSuble. This stream is appropriately
named-deep, with wide fertile bottoms,
covered with valuable timber, which bot
tom never overfiows. The creek makes "a
horseshoe bend, and the United States In
dian agency OF the Sac and Fox is located
in the opening of the shoe one and one
fourth miles away to the southeast from
the camp.
For four days the character of the boomer
and settler We're noted The latter was
honest and wanted simple home with no
contest or Winchester rife practice; the
former desired controversy with a mon
eyed consideration in settlement. The native
and cowboy, familiar with the country, al
though not able to distinguish a section
corner from bean pole, worked the new
Corners for all they could and made large
SUNS of money in locating" the credulous
and unsophisticated farmer.
The people We're from many states.
Texas, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas
furnishing the reaternumber The Texans
We're feared; the word went along the
line that the Lone Star. men never went to
law but settled their contests on the spot.
kansans were principally old soldiers,
pensioners, who seemed to thiSl they
should have first choice because OF their
youthful bravery when the country was in
danger. A veteran by the name of Nash,
drawing $32 per month from the govern
ment, settled on center of section l6, school
lands, and proposed remaining until the
government generously showed him
vacant quarter section with spring,
mill-race, good soil and plenty of valuable
timber. The MissOuriaus and Arkansaus
were retlicent and looked strictly to the
honest securing of homes. Even in the
brush and bramble of the wild West the
characteristic representative of the bowie
knife state does not permit the reputation
of his birth place 10 lose any of its merited
reputation for innocent puns. Our party
fell III" with long, lean and honest look
ing countryInan Kidding mule who adj
dressed US: Strangers, lam from Ar
Kansas" with the accent on the last
syllable, land having lost my bearin's. l
would be obleeged if you would put me on
the right road to the Indian Stripe" mean
ing the sock country, which is long and mar
row. misnamed by some, The Strip"
There We're soldiers at the agency, but
their services were not brought into requi-
sition in that locality. rs the corners were
peaceably disposed and the land was not
worth the quarreling over.
The Sac and Fox agency is on the south
east quarter of section 81, township "A,
range east. three miles west of the east
line, surrounded on the south by rolling
prairie and on the other sides by timber of
ha,a n, DIV oil
eral merchants at this place. and provisions
sell for but little more than at the railroads.
Corn retails at 20 cents per bushel, meal az
81 per hundred and -four at 1910
The soil is red sandy loan, and the
deeper you dig the more Dlack-like is the
appearance. Near the stream is heavy
timber consisting of pecan, oak and wal
nut. The croaking of the frogs and the
songs of the mosquitoes are in exact har-
mony with their cousins of the states, and
their size and number speak well for the
healthfulness of the climate. Back from
the river less that one mile are the foot
hills, rocky at the base. but higher and
further away are 10 be found rolling, rich
and ubeautiful spostoak prairies. Still
further from the stream, say one and
half miles, commence the high, dry, rough,
rocky and undesirable prairies. The can
yon, 800 yards on either side, were so deep
the witness could look down and still down
upon the thin growth of vaIueless timber
The Indians have taken their lands in
neighborhoods, and in doing SO have selected
the best. This action has caused the vaca-
ton of some improved farms, which are left
for the paleface. One man secured farm
having brick house, fences and out-build-
ings. Others secured cabins with less i'm
proyements. In one hut was found sew
ing machine in apparent order save the
tensions had been removed The machine
evidently was regarded as worthless. Old
guns. wooden mortars in which some kind |
of food was prepared, peculiar kind of |
soap and various articles were left, not be- |
ing regarded worth the moving Corn was
yet ungathered in many instances, and hogs |
running the commons were there at the |
mercy of the hungry boomer.
In roaming the woods your correspon- |
dent and party found covered vehicle, the
pole having dropped out from the effects of |
fire and long standing, in the brush far |
from any trail Not far away were two |
graves, said to be the resting places of two
years since, who were hung at Wichita for
the crime. Still further on were found the |
bones of horse and the tree of a saddle.
At night the woods had death-like still |
ness; no bells, no whistles and no rumbling
of engines and cars. The hundreds OF peo-
pie within sound of a Winchester or the !
human voice seemed contented to rest qui-
city in the high grass and bushes where |
they had crossed four logs for their future |
homes with no desire to be heard or seen.