Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-04-28
THE RUSH FOR HOMES.
Opening Of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe
Lands-wnd Rush Into the Country From
All Points.
TIE SIGNAL GIVEN.

Opening of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe
Lands-wnd Rush Into the Country From
All Points.
THE SIGNAL. GIVEN.
ELRENo, Ok, Apri. 20.-Just at noon
yesterday, as provided by the presidents
proclamation, the cannon Numbered
forth the signal, carbines repeated it
and 25 900 men on horseback, in wagons
and on footrushed into the country of the
Cheyennes and Arapahoes and this after
noon horsefesh is suffering. Animals
drawn from the Cherokee strip to the
country of the Wichita, from Oklahoma
to No Mans Land, are rushing over fla
and hollow under whip and spur, madly
racing for quarter sections and town
lots.
A field-piece had been hauled from
the fort and stationed on a rising knoll
and as the hour for the dash drew near
the word went down the line. Horse
men twisted to see that their saddles
were tight and drivers looked to their
harness.
Just at noon the sharp report of the
cannon followed by the cracks of car
bines sounded and the next second the
horses went off. The horsemen sprang
away as though they were riding a
quarter dash The wagoners put the
whip to their beasts. There was cloud
of dust and the flood of pale faces swept
into the country of the red man. The
soldiers at the signal put spurs to their
horses and flew to get away from the
rush behind them. After a ride of a
mile or SO they formed line.
Every man seemed to know just
where he was going and headed for his
longed-for land without even bestowing
a glance of attention to his brother
rushers.
A special train over the Choctaw road
from Oklahoma City dumped its load at
the Rock Island crossing few moments
after IL o'clock. A crowd@from Elreno
City, which had a town organization all
complete, also reached the land at the
same time and the site was black with
men within half an hour after the open
ing.
RUSH FROM KINGFIsHER.
KINGFIsHER, Ok, April 20.-The open
ing of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe res
ervation was tame affair besides the
Oklahoma and Sac and Fox openings.
Everything is quiet at the land Office.
Capt. Woodson, with but forty-two
men, successfully guarded forty-five
Au11CS VI 1IOhIiCI. L hC oOiNi1CIS WCIO
continuously on duty for seventy two
hours.
Nelson Church associated press agent,
was kicked in the face by a pony while
watching a fight between a white
woman and negro for claim. His
nose was broken and his left eye badly
injured.
Charles B. Pierce, of Nebraska, rode
tho hO1Ca EOScafta ST &ha Rnolr
Island special train, pulled by two en-
gines for Ol1arche, beating all competi-
tors and took the proposed townsite as
a homestead. The palace car boomers
We're much disguised.
Sixty-six entries were made yesterday,
thirty-nine of which were soldiers de-
claratories. A conservative estimate
gives 1900 people along the border un-
der Capt Woodson's control and over
half that number near Eingisher.
A CITY SPRINGS UP.
OKARCHE, Ok, April 20.-Yesterday
morning Okarche was n lonely depot on
the Rock Island railroad just inside the
Indian lands, last night it had 1,500 in
habitants.
The morning train from Caldwell had
five coaches. After it came Wichita
special of eight coaches. All these
were loaded to the platform with men
who came to build town at Okarche.
The trains halted just outside the
line until exact noon and then run for
Olzarche at full speed. There was, a
wild scene at the station. Men jumped
out of the windows and rolled off the
platforms in swarns.
A townsite had been established con-
tanning 1900 lots, but these were not
marked off and there was general
scramble. Every man drove his stake
where he saw fit and many got in the
middle of the streets. There were over
twenty women in the party and they
all drove stakes, too