Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-21
DRUMMERS ON HAND
Taking Orders in Eoomer Towns
Only a Minute Old.
THE POPULATION IS NOW $1,000.
4 Claim Stalker Dies From the Excitement
and Plenty Get Left.
ONE TOWN SITE WAR BREAKS OUT

OKARCHE, OKLA, April 20.-Yesterday
morning Okarche was q lonely spot on the
Rock Island Railroad Just inside the Indian
lands. This morning It has 1900 inhabi-
tanta Two long Rock Island trains, loaded
to the platforms, halted just outside the
line until exactly noon, and then ran for
Okarche at full speed. There was wild
scene at the station. Men jumped out Of
tho windows and rolled of the platforms in
swarmA A town site had been established
containing $500 lots, but In the scramble
every man drove his stakes where he saw
fit, and many got in the middle of the streets
There were over 20 women in the party. and
they all drove stakes. About the first men
to alight in town were two drummers. They
went right to taking orderL
Died From the Excitement.
Elmer Evans staked his claim not far
Union City and then died from sheer e1-
citement. The phenomenal escape Of BOOM
ers during the rush from serious casualties
will encourage those defeated to try again
when the Cherokee Strip comes IN, and the
schemes that will be worked by 'sooners"
and spectators will eclipse all former
offering to sell his claim for $5. The after
noon train will carry big load Of disgusted
boomers to the North, but ready to try
again next time.
No Disorder Of . Serious Kind.
A Kingfsher dispatch says; The great
rush of oolonists Into the Cheyenne and
Arapahoe country yesterday WINS remarka-
BILE for the same reason that tho rush into
Oklahoma was noteworthy - for free
dom from trouble and accidents.
The rioting reported from Guthrie
last night a. having taken place at
the Oklahoma City land Office did not
occur. The story Of disturbance told by
Miss Connie Sorenzo seems to have been
only the exaggerated Imagination Of
timorous woman. The soldiers at no place
had any trouble with the crowda It was
an American gathering and acted as check
"boomer rush" know just how it would
the talk of the possibility OF bloodshed
INDUCED in by the tendertoot correspond
ents.
There will be great many contests
growing out Of the rush. Most of them
will be over claims on the borders. There
are now an average Of six people on every
claim along the Kingfsher border. Each
one swears he was the first on the land and
has witnesses to prove 1t.
"A Long Limo at the Land Onice.
When the Land Office here closed last
evening 66 sets Of papers had been fled by
claimants. The line outside had been added
to every minute during the afternoon, and
when the Office closed 800 claimants were in
line. They were all given numbers by
Marshal Grimes These were respect
ed during the day, and each
new arrival as he took his place at the end
OF the line was given ticket which bore on
its face, besides Its number, the signature of
the Marshal. One hundred and fifteen
filings were made during the day, and there
was but little diminution in the number Of
claimants. No trouble Of serious nature
has occurred and none Is now expected.
The town site boomers at Okarche do not
seem to be disturbed over the claim by
Pierce, the Nebraskan, that he has taken
up the town site as homestead. The
boomers staked out the town site just the
same and organized q municipal govern
ment G. S. Cooper, formerly of Colorado
Springs, COL, was chosen Mayor, and Jacob
Switzer, of Ell Reno, Town Marshal.
Those who depended on steam to reach
Island and Choctaw roads had better luck
than those who made the journey to Okarche
by rail. Trains on both roads from both
directions reached the town site
at just three minutes after noon.
The run was only half mile from the
border. The crowd of horsemen and pedes-
trians arrived few minutes later, and at
o'clock over 1000 people were swarming
over the site like ants. The site has been
named Caddo Springs, and its occupants
have chosen town government
Rode Hard but Never Landed.
A messenger from Watonga, the county
seat of County c., says the first settlers
reached there at 2:30 o'clock in the after
noon. 1t was a ride of % miles from
the border, and many who started
never got there, having ridden
their horses to death at the start
Several good horses worth more than any
lot in the town were killed in the race.
There was no trouble at Watonga A
temporary city government was organized
last night and things are running along
smoothly to-day. The town numbers about
1000 people.
The population of the new country is now
estimated at $1,000 people, nearly double
the number which it was expected would
colonize in the lands Captain Woodson,
of the Fifth Cavalry, figures the population
this way-12, 900 people invaded the country
Cherokee Strip line, 5000 from the western
border and %, 900 from the southern border.
All of the new county seats have been
heard from more or less directly.
War has broken out between the Kansas
and Texas boomers, rival claimants for the
town site of the county seat of county G.
Tho powc of tho conA ,ct 10 vorv yneaoer