The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-09-21

| L mere are no OIlc6rS Ol lno law ~
interfere and the lot seekers are tot
busy with theirown affairs to mix II
other peoples business, so the hghter
fight it out until one is incapacltated
I while the victor captures the prize
Immediately claim stakes are driven
| in some cases tents are erected and IL
a few instances town meetings are
| held, officers are elected and before
the thing seems to be possible nun
icipality has sprung into existence.
OUT ON THE PRAIRIE.
In the meantime out on the prairie
| the farmers continue their race foI
homestead pre- emptions. Heads OF
families and sons of legal age make
the race on horses or on foot if the
| horseS are not numerous enough to GO
around, while the women folks follow
more leisurely in prairi scaooners,
which pitch and roll about on the
broken prairie like a sure enough
| schooner ON a rough sea. From the
| line south of Arkansas City number
of young mon made the race on safety
bicycles. They practiced for days
riding over the rough prairie in prep
aration for the race. A deep gully or
miniature canyon, parallels the north
line of the strip about three miles to
the interior. Across this it was inn
possible for the cyclers to ride, and
those who outstripped the horsemen
were obliged to dismount and take
what they could find north of the
gully. This same gully proved an
obstacle in the course of many racers
and only trained cow ponies, sure foot
ed and adventurous enough, could de-
scend one side and climb up the other
in safety. The gully soon becomes
lined with horsemen. All the claims
are taken and those whose horses will
not attempt to cross it are obliged to
make long detour around the ends
They are not discouraged and hope
for better luck further on.
VAST HORDE.
Enough people make the run to fur
nish each of the 81 1900 homesteads
county seat and town site at least l 90
inhabitants. 1t is estimated that 70, 900
people made the race. 1t is known
that over 125 900 Ger iticates were is-
sued from the various registration
booths, but majority OF prospective
settlers took out both homestead and
town site certificates, so the number
of certificates does not represent the
number of settlers. 1t is estimated
that 25 900 people made the race from
Arkansas City, $4,000 from Caldwell,
II 900 from Orlando. 5000 from Hen
messy, 1000 from Saltwater, 5000 from
KioWa, 5000 from Hunneville,
and from 5000 to 5000
from other points. Tie total num-
ber nearly doubles the crowd which
raced in Oklahoma when the territory
was opened.
FAIR WEATHER.
The weather was all that could be
desil ed for the occasion. The sky was
clear and cool north wind was
blowing briskly, but still with not
enough force to raise dust which the
settlers had come to regard as a neces-
sary component part OF the strips at
mosphere. These favorable conditions
were great relief to the boomers who
had suffered so greatly the past week
from the unprecedented hot spell.
The greatest rush was in the eastern
portion af the conutry which contains
by far more fertile and the best farm
ing land in the whole strip. Perry,
the town site on the Santa Fe, was a
favorite destination for speculators,
but Milford and Pond creek on the
Rock Island were objective points OF
hundreds who made the run from
Caldwell.
A SETTLERS PROSPECT.
After the race was over and when
the settler looked around to see where
be was, he was sore, q very sore
man who had taken up homestead
He found himself located upon about
apparently as undesirable patch OF
land as could we'll be found in the
whole breadth of Uncle Sam's domain
except perhaps in portions of the
American desert. Prairie fires had
swept great tracts of land and left
them bleak and uninviting, Other
tracts had been cut clear of hay by
men who make living and some o.
them fortunes by gather ng rairie
grass. What hay has been left by
fires and haymakers was parched tc
crisp by the recent hot winds and
was matted on the ground by the same
agency. The prospect was dreary
one, prairie extending as far as the
eye could reach, relieved by no signs
Of human life except those brought
into the desolate by waste the set
tiers themselves.
| A few of the hOmesteads are DrO