People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-09-22

wa 4OllO"Su W bHe ulScnarge OIL q
crrbinc in the line here, and away
went everybody towards the south.
The race was at first fast one. Hur.
dreds of men on horseback darted
out of the mass and began to lead the
crowd. Two men on safety bicycles,
who had really gone into the Strip
along the Rock Island track unob-
served ten minutes before, were for a
long time in the lead of everyone else,
and they went out of sight first
There were several accidents. There
were many runaways and a few
breakdowns, but the first half hour of
the run at Caldwell passed APP
parently with only one SER
ious accident, one horseman being
thrown from his horse and hurt.
Suddenly rider fell to the ground
and half dozen horses passed over
him. His life was saved by cavalry
man, VINO was near by, and who at
the muzzle of revolver compelled
the wild drivers to turn aside. The
man was soon given aid by the soldier.
He was helped to his horse, and imme-
diately dashed away again to regain
his place in the procession. He was
conspicuous in the crowd on account
of his clothes, and the people who
were interested in seeing him regain
his place were Mortified to see him
dash to the ground second time as
his horse passed over the hill a mile
away. Behind the unlucky racer came
wild troop of several horsemen, and
they rode on without giving attention
to the poor fellow who was down. He
escaped serious injuries. Although he
lost his horse, he stayed in the race,
continuing on foot.
The first train into the new territory
was driven by Err gineer Colburn OF the
Rock Island road. The train was con-
posed Of twenty-five palace stock cars.
Their roofs and the tender of the en-
CINE were crowded, and every avail
able space was taken. The train must
have carried about 5000 people. 1t
took three locomotives to haul the
load. An hour after the opening the
scene was quiet one. The race was
one grand rush for townsites along the
Rock Island road.
The conductor of the Rock Island
train which left Kansas City at s
o'clock last night had instructions to
run his train ahead of time, so as to
pass through the Strip and reach Hen
messy on the southern boundary before
6 o'clock, in obedience to the orders of
Secretary Smith. The enormous
crowds of passengers at the stations
along the way, however, delayed the
train, and it did not reach Caldwell
until Z o'clock, and the run through
the Strip was not attempted.
Information that this train would
make all early morning run through
the Strip had preceded it, and the peo-
became desperate in their efforts to
find a place to hold on, hoping that
they might jump off at convenient
places in the Strip.
There were thirty-fve cars on side
tracks here, and they were switched
down to the boundary line two miles
away and formed into train through
the Strip, starting at noon and run
ming at the rate of twelve miles an
hour.
The favorite townsite seems to Enid
and half the people bought railway
tickets for that place. 1t is about
fifteen miles distant Wild Horse and
Pond Creek got many people of the
Caldwell contingent also.
THE RUSH AT HENNEssY.
The greatest horse-race the world
has ever seen, perhaps, was that which
took place from the Cherokee Strip
border, four miles north of here at
1l;40 o'clock.
Four years ago last April race was
made south from the very same ground
but those who witnesses of both say
that the race of today was at least
five times greater, in point of the num-
Der of participants and excitement,
than the race of 1889.
The presidents proclamation was
disobeyed, and under its terms nine
tenths of the settlers in the Cherokee
Strip south of Enid are sooners. There
was no general intention, however, to
disobey the presidents proclamation,
and the premature start was false
alarm, which drove about. 5000 per-
sons headlong into the Strip, with no
more means of checking, them than
checking the falls of Niagara.
AT an earty hour this morning the
streets of this city were crowded
to their utmost capac ty with vehic-
les, horses and men of all conditions,
sizes and colors. 1t started before
Z o'clock a. IN. and the end of it had
not reached the scene when the alarm
was given that started the irresistible
stampede along the Rock Island right
of-way about two miles. Every foot of
space in the line was utilized, and
man could scarcely find standing
room between anr two wagons. The
saddle horses we Z in frOat and made
a handsome appearance, for the line
was as straight as brigade of caval-
ry at monthly inspection.
1t was given out by the Rock Island
officials the previous night that no
tickets would be sold at the depot.
and that everyone who expected to
go into the Strip by rail should pro-
coed to the line and buy his ticket
there.
When three engines and two ca
booses appeared on the sceEe from
the city it required lieutenant and
two soldiers and about forty deputy
sheriffs to clear the track sufficiently
to permit the ticket cars to pass
through. This was about nine o'clock,
and from that until noon several
men were kept busy sell
ing tickets till all of them were ex-
hausted and no more could be sold.
Then the car was pushed back some
,On or cnO foot and tho oovarnuant