New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-19
HARD ON THE BOOMERS.
4 GALE ADDS TO THE DISCOMFORTS OF
THE TOWN-BUILDERS.
cu,RRED BopIEs IN THE PATH OF PRAIRIE
FIRES" sOoNERs" HAVE SEIZED TIE BEST
OF THE LANDS AND THE TOwN-LOTS.

cUARRED BODIES IN THE PATH OF PRAIRIE
FIRES" sOoSERs" HAVE SEIZED TIE BEST
OF THE LANDS AND THE TOwN-LOTs.
Arkansas City, Kan, Sept. 1s.-A gale swept
the Cherokee Strip to-day. lifting great volumes OF
the black, dry earth and tearing tents away from
their fastenings Tented towns were laid low by
tho wind and little progress was made by the army
of town builders Thousands of people to-day moved
out of the land of promise. Many have lost the
prizes they raced for last Saturday, but many
others who had undisputed possession OF farms
abandoned their claims TO return to their ola
homes. thoroughly dsgusted with the country.
Life on the broad, houseess prairies was almost
uncomfortable to-day and every tented city from
the north to the south line teeming with dust
begrimed thousands whose principal occupation
seemed to be to escape the effects OF dust-lahen
winds At Perry the "sooners' have full but dis-
puted possession of the business centre ana pus-
ness men are being driven to the town OF wharton
a mile below. where the railroad buildings are
located in the centre of Indian allotments inc
Cherokees are almost giving away lots TO those
who will buildings. and the railroad com
pany Is encouraging the abandonment OF ferry
in the interest of Wharton.
The line of claim takers surrounding the land
office rivals in numbers the line before the regis
tration booths before the opening. Reports coming
in to-day are all to the effect that the choice claims
in the Strip were all taken by "sooners." Those
who made the great honestly last Saturday
found the bottom lands all taken. and In many
instances men work ploughing ground
about houses half completed of sod boards These
'sooners" have profted by their Oklahoma ex-
perience 1t will be impossible to convict them OF
perjury this time. They will have their witnesses
on hand to swear each other out and the man
who had the swift racehorse Will have no snow
because none of his friends with him.
Numerous prairie fires have been the cause of
more deaths than the sixshooers. and more charred
bodies on which there is nothing to identify them
have been found the praries. Near blackwell
four quarter-sections found in possession OF
as many "sooners' by the racers when they came
in on their foam-hecked horses The claims were
valuable and the racers proceeded TO drive the
'sooners' away. fight ensued. I'm which three
men were killed-Arthur Johnson, of Pueblo. Col;
George Childs. OF Valley Falls 5. D., and James
Squres. of Hennessey, Okl4homa-all 'sooners.
A large mass-meeting was held here tonight
and resolutions adopted demanding the sur
render to the civil authorities Of the soldier who
killed J. 4. Hill at the line of the Chillocco
Reservation on SATURDAY. afternoon. The officers
of the Sd Cavalry persstently decline 10 give the
name OF the soldier who did the shooting, claim
ing that in killing Hill he was simply oDeying
orders. The body Of the dead man was ths AFTER
noon shipped to hs former home IN New-Jersey.
Guthrie o. r.. Sept ia courier Just IN from
the Pawnee Reservation states that a terrific
prairie fire is raging there, and hundreds OF set
tents and outfits and flee for their lives on their
horses Several dead bodies have been found ana
il IS feared that many persons VIII PERISH Inc
boomers are returning to-day by the hundreds. and
barber shops and bathrooms waiting their turn to
cleaned.