Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-09-19
SOME BOOMERS BURNED
Caught on Their Claims by a
 Roaring Prairie Fire.
TWO RIVAL CITIES IN THE STRIP.

In Perry. Four Days old, Thcre Are 25, 900
 Persons. Daily Newspapers and n Bank.
 4 Dust storm Adds to the Discomforts of
 the Newly Settled Country.
 GUTHRIE. Q. T.. Sept. 1a.-A courier just in from the Pawnee reservation states that a terrific prairie fire is raging there. and Hundreds of settlers have been compelled to abandon wagons, tents and outfits and flee for their lives on their horses. Several dead bodies have been found, and it is feared that many persons will perish.
 The boomers are returning by the hun dre,ls, and there is a line several hundred strong at the barber shops and bathrooms waiting their turn to get cleaned
 A gale has been sweeping the Cherokee strip, lifting great volumes of the black, dry earth and tearing tents away from their faStenings. Tented towns were laid low by the wind, and little progress was made by the army of town builders. Thousands of people moved out of the land of promise
 Abandoning Their Hard Won Clairus.
 Many have lost the prizes they raced Tor last Saturday. but many others who had undisputed possession of farms abandoned their claims to return tu their old homes, thoroughly diSguSted with the country, Life on the broad, homeless prairies was almost uncomfortable, and every tented city from the north 10 the south line was tecnl- ing with dust begrimed thousands, whose principal occupation seemed to be tu escape the effects of the dust laden winds.
 At Perry the Sooucrs have full but dis puted possession of the business center, and business men are heinz driven to the town of Wharton. a mile below. where the railroad buildings are located ill the center of Indian allotmrntS. The Cherokees arc almost ,riN l,ts In fhpsa erect buildings, and the railroad company is encouraging he abandonment of Perry ill the interest of Wharton.
 The line of claim takers surrounding the land office rivals in numbers the line that awaited their turn at the registration booths before the opening. Reports com ing in are all to the effect that the choice claims in the strip were all taken by soon CTS. Those who made the great race hon estly last Saturday found the bottom lands all taken, and in many instances men were at work blowing ground about houses half completed of sod or boards. These soon CTS have protited by their Oklahoma expe- ricnCe. It will he impossible to convict them of perjury this time. They all will have their witnesses on hand to swear each other out, and the man who had the swift race horse will have no show because none of his friends was with him.
 Prairie Fires Are Fatal.
 Numerous prairie fires have been the cause of more deaths than six shooters, and more charrcd bodies on which there was nothing to identify them were found on the prairies. Near Blackwell four quar- ter sections were found in possession of as many Soonrrs by the racers when they came in on their foam tleCked horses, The claims were valuable, and the racers proceeded to drive the sOuuCrS away. X fight vnsued ip which three men were rkilled-Arthur John son of Pueblo, Colo. George Childs of Val ley Falls. S D.. and James Squirrs of Hen nessey. c. T.. all sounrrs.
 A large mass meeting was held here last night, and resolutions were adopted de manding the surrenderto the civil authori- ties of the soldier who killed ]. A. Hill at the line of the Chiltocco reservation Satur- day afternoon. The officers of the Third cavalry perSisteutly decline tu give the name of the soldier who did the shooting claiming that in killing Hill he was sim ply obeyiug orders The remains of the dead man were shipped to his former home in New Jersey.
 There are now 35,unN persons at Perry All the land adjoining the town site has been staked of into lots, and the Cheroke ee allotmcnts at Wharton, half mile away. were put on the market plated for a town site, and several hundred lots sold at from $100 to $4O0 each. Lots arr selling in Perry at $50 and S:an each and dozens Ot build inCs are going up today.
 T. M. Richardson and son opened d bank in a substantial frame building. There art three, daily aEd five weekly newspapers in the town and more coming.