The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-09-29
CITIES BY MAGIC.
A Wilderness at Sunrise, 100, 900 Homes
by Night.

Dy NlSnl
GUTHRIE 20. T), September To-
AT dawn a vast wilderness, at sun
down complete settlement. The
rising sun looked down upon 6,000,-
600 acres of virgin soil devoid of a
single inhabitant, but at setting cast
it's rays over 100000 established
homes. The wilderness has been
conquered half score of cities have
been born during the single passage
of the sun from the zenith to the hori-
zon; civilization has ceased its slow
march, and at one bound is master of
the ground, ard the frontier and
frontiersman in the eyes of the world
are no more.
Two hundred thousand people
camped upon the border land last
night, and the early morning trains
brought many thousands more. A
large force of clerks had registered
everybody in line last night, so that
the new corners had no trouble in
getting certificates.
|
are beyond description. People
fought like wild animals to get aboard
trains to get into the strip, and hun
dreds were injured, some fatally.
The arrival of the morning trains
from the south was the signal for the
opening of the Cherokee strip. A
mighty shout went up as the first
train moved out over the prairie, fol-
lowed by a second, third, fourth and
fifth. The run to the town site of
Perry was made in forty minutes, but
when the trains came in sight of the
town two-t thirds of the best lots had
been taken up by "sooners. Horse
men were pouring in over the bluff to
the east at the rate of fifty minute.
Those on the first train secured some
business lots, and those on the second
some residence lots in the outskirts,
but the 700 in the other trains got
nothing.
1t was wild and exciting race all
the way between the trains and the
horsemen, with the odds in favor of
the horses. w. c. Ramseyer of FL
| Dorado, Kas., was the first horseman
to arrive from the south line. He
staked a fine corner lot at 1928
O. clock He says large portion of
| the town site was taken by "sooners
who were walking leisurely into the
town from the west when he arrived.
Carl Craig of Guthrie made the run
in twenty-five minutes and was the
first man to file, securing a claim
adjoining the townsite on the north
worth $4,000.
In the rush for the line cowboys on
horses took the lead. They had gone
but a short distance when they spread
out over the prairie, and, dismount-
ing, set fire to the thick prairie grass,
hoping thus to turn aside those who
were following.
The fire spread rapidly at first, but
was soon stopped by deep gully
which parallels the Cherokee line
three miles south of Arkansas City.
The horse could not be urged through
the flames and many turned back.
No damage was done by the flames
further than destroying the grass and
Impeding the racers.
-Four new townsites have popula-
tons estimated at 5000 each, while
others boast of populations of from
1000 to 5000. Every desirable claim
has at least one claimant and many
have two or four. Contests, OF
course, will be numerous. Soldiers
shot four sooners near Saltwater, O..
r., and Arkansas City, Kas.
A wagon and freight train with
loads of supplies followed the settlers
into the strip.
Camphres dot the prairies in all
directions tonight. Drought has
dried up the streams, and those who
failed to provide themselves with
water have been forced to endure
much suffering,
Enough people have made the run
to furnish each of the p, 900 home
steads with an occupant and give
Ievery townSite 500 inhabitants.
Over l25, 600 certificates were issued,
but as a large number took both
homestead and town site certificates
does not represent the number OF
boomers. 1t is estimated $4,000
raced from Arkansas City, $4,000
from Caldwell, 1000 from Orlando,
5000 from Hennessy, 1000 from, Still
water, 1000 from Kiowa, 5000 from
Hunnewell and 5000 to 5000 from
other points-in all, nearly double the
number which raced into Oklahoma.