The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-20
GREAT RUSH FOR HOMES.
Nearly 1OO, 900 People Now Camping on the
Promised Land. in the Cherokee
Strip.

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan, Sept. 16.-
When the locomotive steamed across
the Kansas line at high noon the misty
plain, girded on the North by a mighty
mass, was as bare of population as the
ocean off the IIong-Island coast. When
darkness fell two mighty hosts, the one
from the South, the other from the
North, were met, and mingled in q
homogeneous commonwealth. Between
the boom of the gun at meridian and
the sinking of the sun a wilderness Of
agricultural and mineral wealth has
been transformed into the actuality OF
a State more populous than any Of the
members fthe Union, save New York,
when the Colonies became Repub-
lie.
Nor was the event destitute of grand
characteristics. The Cherokee strip
spread vast and misty below the Kan
sas border, unbroken by vestige Of
human life or civilized activity. So
that the instant the etrain shot from the
post making the boundary the spectacle
spread out for ten miles or more on
either hand unimpeded by an obstacle.
FROM THE OKLAHOMA SIDE.
GURTH1E, O. T., Sept. 16.-The reg
istration booths at Orlando were robbed
of certificates and the official stamps
last night and thousands Of forged GER
tifcates are on the market to-day.
Four "sooners" were shot by soldiers
north of Saltwater. just Craig Of
Indiana was accidentally shot in camp
and Tom Jameson, colored, was burned
to death in a prairie fire. One soldier
was shot by a cowboy "sooner" near
Kildare.
When the dull report of cannon
was heard at noon dozen carbines
along the line were fired in response
and the line was broken. Darling out
at breakneck speed, the racers soon
dotted the plains in every direction.
Following them come light vehicles,
driven with madness that disregarded
every obstruction, the drivers yelling
and urging their horses with whip as
we'll as voice.
Then followed heavier wagons enve-
loped in clouds of dust, the noise made
by their wheels resembling long con-
tinuci rolls of thunder. Behind these
came anxious footnlen carrying blank
cts, water and stakes, regardless Of the
heat and dust. Before them was the
unknown; behind them were all dis
comforts of that hell upon earth, Or
lando.
The trains were loaded rapidly. at
first there was an attempt to examine
the registration certificates, but this
was soon given up, as the rushing
thousands pushed these ahead OF them,
the trainmen giving all their time to
collecting the tickets. The first train
Of twelve cars pulled across the line at
noon, crowded as trains never were be-
tore.
Platforms and roofs of cars were as
black with human life as were the in
sides. Following this train, with an
interval of only two Or three minutes,
went another and another until the last,
consisting of fiat and coal cars all
crowded, had pulled across the line fol-
lowed by at least 5000 disappointed.
painting men who were determined rot
to be deprived of their rights.
CALDWELL, Kan, Sept. l6.-Ien
thousand people made the run into the
Cherokee strip cars were jammed early?
and hundreds were disappointed. All
the boomers and town lot seekers were
on the line by 10 o'clock. Many women
in masculine attire rode horses, and
some were on bicycles. The day was
cool but dusty. There was no disorder
whatever.
KANSAS City. Sept. 16.-Careful esti-
mates show that the rush into the
Cherokee strip from various principal
points at noon to-day Was made as fol-
lows: From Arkansas City, 5000 by
train, 22,Cco by other conveyanees;
from Caldwell, Kan, 10000: from Or
lando, Okla, $4,000; from Stillwater,
Okla, 10000; from Hennesy, Okla,
5000; from other points some $4,000
more-making in all a total of at least
100000.