The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-04-22
A QUIET SUNDAY.
Gossip in Regard to the Boomers in
Oklahoma. .t.
At EINCFISHER And ELRENO.
Enlivenins Scenes on the Streets OF These
and other Border Towns-A General
Movement Along the Line to
Secure Better Positions.

KINeFIsHER, Ok, April 1s.-Easter
Sunday in Kingfisher and Elreno was a
very quiet if not religiously observed
day. Down here, indeed, it was not Sun
day at all, but big medicine day" for
on the first day of the week the Indians
out at Darlington agency always have
their medicine dance. They are doing
the ghost dance, too, right along.
The vast swarms of boomers in Elreno
put in the day very lazily. They have
about got their beasts and traps in shape
for Tuesdays rush and there is little to
do but to wait
Many of the boomers are putting for
the south. They are bound for county
II. This county is believed to contain
the best lands in the new country ard
the rush across the line there will be
terrific. The line is far from the rail-
road and boomers congregating at Min
co drive across and camp on the border.
There will be good many more set
tiers than claims in county II. 1t is
from the south to the county and into
county G from the east line that the
most of the land hunters will enter the
new country.
There is much talk at Elreno and
Kingtisher over the reports about
Wichita men going to set up big town
at Okarche, small town just inside
the Indian land on the Rock Island. a
special train carrying 1000 men is to
run down from Wichita and stop just
outside the line mile and half north
of Okarche. At noon the train will run
into the new country. The boomers
will pile off and set up big town at
Okarche.
The excitement is running higher
than ever. The line formed at the
Kingfisher land office four weeks ago
has no legal status. The receiver has
so decided and published it in his paper,
but now it is understood that the mar
shall will recognize the sooners and
there is serious talk of forming another
line.
There has already begun general
movement along the line of boomers
camps scattered along the streams along
the border toward securing more adj
vantageous positions directly on the
line of the new territory and at the
nearest and easiest approaches to where
the settlers intend locating homes. The
request of United States Marshal
Grimes that the boomers collect in
groups along the lines is not SO gener-
ally being followed out, as there is a
feeling that they do not require groom
ing. .
There are less disreputables among the
boomers at this opening than in the
history of the west. As Il rule there is
class of loud-mouthed irreconcilables
who. not content with grumbling on
their own account. are continually
picking up the troubles of others as
their own. Happily there are few of
this class in this movement.
There are some enlivening scenes on
the streets of the towns in the path of
the boomer at times. In kingfisher.
Elreno, Hennessy. Minico, Oklahoma
City. and even at Little Chicasha, at the
terminus of the Rock Island. the streets
are lined with boomers provisioning for
the siege until the stores will have been
established in their prospective county
seat towns. The streets are blocked at
a dozen places in square with horse
Jockeys and an eager throng crowding
around them, bidding on the animals
put up at auction.
Ponies are cheap enough: from s25 to
$50 will buy good riding pony. but to
get runner one must pay $50 and SO.
There are few horses offered that bring
800. although the animals ON sale will
compare favorably with the ponies" of
Kansas and Missouri. Indeed, nearly
all offered north of Elreno come from
those states, while south of that point
the ponies offered are usually from
Texas or the Chickasaw country. The
Missouri and Kansas animal is superior
to the Texas or Indian pony and is
much better natured and more easily