Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1893-09-22
The STRIP IS OPENED.
Three Hundred Thousand Boom
ers in the Race.
For Choice Sites in the Cherokee
Country.

Three Hundred Thousand home-seekers
made the race across the Oklahoma border
for lots In the Cherokee Strip. Fifteen thou
sand bivouacked at Orlando, on the border,
and their number was doubled early by train
loads from Guthrie, Okla
AT IL O'Clock the first train pulled up to the
line, and others came right behind 1t. Here
were at least half-dozen trains, but every
body wanted to ride on the first one and as
far forward as that is possible.
With wild shout the crowd rushed for
ward. The soldiers on the ground were
swept from their feet, and for moment 1t
seemed as though the mob would capture the
train, for men and women were around and
over the engine and tender, upon and over
the platform and even upon the roofs OF the
coaches.
The blue-coated soldiers soon recovered,
however, and with fixed bayonets cleared the
train and compelled everybody TO show GER
dticates before entering. But on every side
people fought and struggled to get near the
cars. Women had their clothes torn on and
men were knocked down and trampled upon
Scores Of people were injured, yet the struggle
kept up until the train was filled and this was
repeated on a smaller scale at each succeed
ing train.
Just on the stroke Of noon the bars that so
long enclosed six million acres of public
land were let down, and the rush began.
Men who had the fastest horses rode like the
wind from the border, only to find other men
with sorry-looking animals ahead OF them
Fast teams, carrying anxious home-seekers,
were driven at breakneck speed only TO find
men on the land who had gone in afoot.
Every precaution has been taken to keep
out the "Sooner" element and yet that same
element. proiting by former experience, had
,aptured the land.
The first train Of twelve cars pulled across
the line almost simultaneously with the orig
lnal The platforms and roofs of the cars
we're as black with human life as were the
lnsides. Following this train, with an inter
val of only two or three minutes, went an
/ other and another until the last consisting
Of fiat and coal cars, all crowded, had pulled
across the line.
The run to Perry WAS made in Is minutes.
Before the train stopped men began climbing
out Of the windows and jumping from the
platform.
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 q prairie
fire. One soldier was shot by cowboy
''soOner" near Kildare.
All night long sleep was stranger to the
thousands in and about Arkansas City an d
10 the thirty thousand lying out on the bare
ground at Orlando, ka with only the DUST
laden air for a covering At O'Clock there
were houseless add tentless cities at Perry,
Enid, Willow Springs. Ponca and Pond
Greek, while numerous towns and villages
were claimed by site spectators. In every
direction could be seen the white flags OF
home-seekers, on which were painted the
words, "This claim WAS taken at / o'clock.
The owner. having driven his stake, rushed
on to join the line at the Perry land office to
make his filing ahead of any other possible
claimant.
There was no shelter, and food gave out
before dark, while dirty red water was sold
at ten cents a drink. In groups and singly,
like cattle on range, men and women slept
out in the open air, or tried to sleep, for
anxiety and the chilly night prevented slum-
ber. They moved to the border like great
wave, and early found places on the 100-foot
strip, or along the railroad, awaiting the
special trains that were to carry them to their
mecca. Strong men and delicate women,
steady, sober citizens and hoodlums, all
crowded and jotled each other in their eager
ness to be in the front line, no matter how
that line was formed.
The scenes Of the opening were exciting,
and great numbers Of perilous incidents oc-
Cured. The registration scheme kept none
OF the 'sooners" out, and the woods were
filled with them. They got everything. The
race for Enid was the principal race for the
west side, and about $4,000 people got on the
town site before dark in the evening and all
kinds OF business started off with rush.
The Rock Island road started rival
town, about three miles from the govern
ment town site, and sold tickets to Enid.
and 40 cars started, densely packed with
people who boarded the train for that point,
. expecting the train to stop at the town
site to let them of. Instead, the
train ran at speed of twenty miles an hour,
and thousands OF people were pushed from
the cans by the people who wanted to Jump
many jumping and falling from the train and
rolling down the embankment to the ditch.
Here great number were hurt, having their
limbs broken and sprained by the fall They
were carried TO the land office, which for the
time became hospital The government
wells OF which so much has been said, were
carefully locked and guarded by
armed soldiers, who have already
made an unenviable reputation fol
shooting people The wells are for the use
OF government employees only. while thou
sands stood by famishng with thirst, an,
not drop OF drinking water to be had. Tn
list OF killed and injured is being constantl
Increased as news from the remote point
comes in, more people being killed in tn
race than all the former ones. One man rod
from California to get a claim in the strip
and found his claim and his grave at tn
same time and place.
The heat on the prairies was terrible an
was greatly increased by the heat from vas
fires increasingly day and night
The town fight at Enid is already very bit
} ter and wakes warmer, but the county sea
and land Office has the advantage as ye
. having about 10 900 people. while the railroa
, town has about 500. Lots in new Enid az
selling at 800 and at old Enid $3.50.