The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-19
SCENES AT KINGFISHER.
The Crowd in Line at the Land Of1ce-The
Counties and Town Sites.

The Crowd in Line at the Land Ofice-The
Counties and Town Sites
KINGFIsHER, o. T., April 1S.-The borders
of the Cheyenne and Arapnhoe reservation
arc dotted with boomers tonight. Thou.
sands who are homeless for the present
Will tomorrow have either located site
for q home on either homestead claim or
a town site. The legitimate settler wants
q homestead claim of 16O acres. 1t is tho
speoulator who wants tho town-sIte lots.
There are not enough farms to go around
and those who fail of locating one will join
the speculstora There will be plenty of
town lots and to spare.
Each of the six counties has, of course,
coun nty-seat. and any number of other
towns are proposed. One IS to be located
on the line of the Rock Island. about half
way between Ell Reno and Kingtsher. 1t
will be called Okarche. The Rock Island
will run special trains to it from both di-
rections, SO they will cross the line of the
bocder at exactly noon. Another town
will be located at the terminus of the
Choctaw branch of the Oklahoma road,
west of Ell Reno. while various others will
be located at desirable distances from the
county seats of the respective counties.
lnnumerable rumors are current tonight of
the locating of these towns. involving fed
eral and railway officials, but none can be
traced to reliable sources.
The scenes at the land office tonight are
unique. The seat-warmers are passing the
night, some wrapped up in tarpaulins.
some covered with blankets and some Sit
ting up and telling over their war expert
ences. Most of them are old soldiers the
only ones who are permitted to file declar-
atory notices, and they do not mind the
hardships incident to q night spent out of
doors The scat-warmers arc confident of
holding their line. and of being permitted
to make their filings the moment the mar
shaps watch points the hour of noon. They
say there is no law prohibiting them form
| ing IN line before the land office at any
time they please. They pleased to form
line week or so ago. and" they ask
what are you gong to do about itf" AS q
matter of fact. nothing can be done about
States Marshal Grimes is respon-
sible for the maintenance of order about
the land office. He authorized the line
ard has given its members their NUN bers.
| and nothing can break it now but an at
tacking force able TO overcome the mar.
shaPs deputies. sufficient number of
whom have been sworn i'm TO MAINTAIN
order and Quell any possible disturbances.
| The line now nun bers about four hundred
men. and will probably be added to here
after. IL is estimated that not more than
| three filings can be made in a minute so
4
| filing In until three hours after noon. by
| which time most of the racers from the
border will have located their claims
Filings after that time will be of nc use.
| AS il is. there will be much disappoint.
ment both among the racers and seat
| warmers.
The scene on the border tonight is an
| interesting one. The white tops of the
| prairie schooners. the fires of the campin q
boomers and the horses give the scene a
| military aspect. There was considerable
confusion early In the evening. caused by
many new arrivals who were seeking ad-
| vantageous starting places for to- -morrow's 8
race. Those who have been strung along
| the border for day or two look upon the
| newcomers as interlopers and wiil2 not
give way On inch of their advantage.
| There was much ill-feeling in consequence
| and in some instances brawls were narrow
| ly averted. BY Q o'clock. however all was
quiet along the line of the border, opposite
this place. except for the ccmmotion occa-
stoned by the arrival of some belated
schooner or party of hOrsemen. The