The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-09-21
TEE CHEROKEE STRIP.
THE LAST DAY OF GRACE PASSED
WITH LESS SUFFERING.
It Is Estimated That the Now Deserted Will.
dsrness Will Tonight Contain One
Hundred and Fifty Thousand Peo-
ple-All Can Register.

bllc W hOhANSNShN''
At that hour the Strip will be withor
a single white inhabitant. Two mil
utes afterwards it will have a popula
ton of at least "a, 900 and by nightfa
fully an equal number of Members c
families OF those who actually max
the race for homes will be within tn
borders. There is now every prospec
that all homeseekers and town.lotter
gathered at the various registration
booths will be in possession of certifi
Gates, without which they will not bt
permitted to enter the land, and il
they escaped the vigilance of the
guards will not be allowed to file on q
claim at the land office. There has
been a steady EXODUS today and to-
night of certificate holding homeseek-
ers from towns and camps to con-
venient places along the border, from
whence an advantageous start will be
made in tomorrow's race.
The farmers have about all secured
certificates and have loaded their
prairie schooner and sailed away with
their families, The Santa Fe road
will run six trains for boomers on the
Arkansas City line. Three will start
from this side of the line. and three
from the Oklahoma side. On the
Kiowa line one train will be run in each
direction. The Rock Island will run
six boomer trains, three south from
Caldwell, Kans., three north from
Hennessy, o. II. These trains will be
run under the supervision of the
interior department and will be allow
ed to make speed not exceeding 10
miles per hour. The crowd that
participates in tomorrow's race far
outnumbers that which raced into
Oklahoma. The entries for tomor
rows race are now estimated at rs, 600.
Twenty-Five thousand will go in from
Arkansas City vicinity, $4,000 from
CALDWELL 5000 from Kiowa, 5000 from
Hunneville, 1000 from Orlando, 5000
from Saltwater and 5000 from other
places Half of the homeseekers, it is |
estimated, have families, and the total
population of the strip will doubtless
be at least 100000.
This morning eager strippers con-
gregated at the booth established here
last night A large force of clerks was
on hand and registration progressed
very rapidly. In the line were many
men who would have dispensed with
registration had the booth not been
established. When the situation be.
came known out in the dusty lane on
the border an exodus took place and
they filled the roads hurrying back to
town. Only 200 were left in line. In
the alley where the men are now wait.
ing there is complete shade. Store
keepers furnished it free and some
sent men out with coffee and sand
wiches. Yesterday 5000 certificates
were issued at the border, but even
TT en- there were thousands in line and
thousands in town who would not reg.
lister had they been compelled to stand
IN line out there. Despite the large
crowd at the booth in town there is a
growing crowd at the booths on the
border. The boomers are taking
heart and believe now that all will be
registered.
The booths will be kent open all
night and applicants will be served.
The weather today while hot was cool
in comparison with the past few
day. The thermometer did not get
above 80. The wind blew strongly
from the north but while it served to
keep the ambitious murcurv down it
stirred the dust up in choking, blind
ing clouds.
At Caldwell practically all the BOOM
ers are supplied with certificates
owing to increased facilitses afforded
by the interior department and nearly
all are ready for tomorrow's race. At
Hennessy todaya man named Niblock,
said to be liquor dealer from Kansas
City, fell dead in tine line while await
ing an opportunity to register. Only
town slters remain in town tonight
Homesteaders have distributed them
selves along the line looking for suita
BILE places whence to start in the race
tomorrow. Five thousand people will
make the lun from Henessey and
vicinity.
At Saltwater this afternoon j. H.
Carswell of Gainesville, Tex, vas bun.
coed out of $3.50 by confidence man.
Carswell realized he had been buncoed
soon after the operation and started
after the confidence man with a gun.
The gambler ran but the Texan
brought him to the ground with a
bullet in his shoulder, and not only re.
covered his money but relieved the
bunco man of 500 in cash. Common.
dation Of the Texans method of deal
ing with the man was so general
among the boomers that the gambler
made no effort to recover his money
and was glad to get away alive.
AT Guthrie contraband business in
certificates has been going on since
Tuesday, and it is estimated that there
and at Oklahoma City 500 to 1000 per
sons have given up S. each for certif-
Gates. If they are genuine trouble is
10 store for some booth clerks. The
plan OF operation was for men to sign
the official declaration which was
taken TO Orlando on the afternoon
train, and next morning the certificate
was regularly signed and STAMPED
TO be delivered and paid for. The
scheme was worked with great secrecy.
and persons in it at this end of the
line say they divided the pie with the
clerks. This was stated to CORES
pendent of the Associated Press. who
was approached in the presence of
reputable witnesses yesterday after
noon, and the person who unfolded
the scheme eXhibi' ed full supply of ALI
necessary blanks SOMA rar,lorI,-