Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-09-15
OUTLOOK is DARK
For Those Who Yearn for Cher.
okee Strip Farms.
CROWDS ARE HOURLY INCREASING.

Discomfort, sickness and Death Make Up
wofuI story of Their Experiences,
While the Future Is Full of Trouble
Half of the Promised Land in Flames
Women Numerous in the Throng-
Girls Who Ride Man-Fashion.
GUTHRIE, o. T., Sept. 15.-Thousands
upon thousands of people are still arriv-
Ing daily to enter the promised land, and
the situation is indeed getting serious all
along the line. With from 1, 900 to IL 00
people lined up at each registering booth
and the clerks all tired out TO start with
but little Roadway was made and now the
lines are longer than ever. The tempera-
ture at lO2 in the shade. hot winds blow
ing clouds of dust, with the scarcity of
water and prospect of spending many
more hours in line have disgusted many
and fully 500 people have boarded the
trains and left for their homes. Two men
died near Hennessey of prostration and
one poor, old negro who came all the way
from Georgia to get home persisted from
hunger and thirst.
Half the Country Fire.
At Arkansas City, 1900 people are in
line and registering proceeds slowly.
Four persons have died from the effects
of exposure and twenty have tainted in
line. At Orlando 5000 people are in line
and eight train loads of people are en-
route from Kansas City and other points,
People are dropping over by the scores
and hundreds leaving in disgust The
whole eastern half of the strip is on fire
aud hundreds Of thousands of tons of hay
are being consumed. With all the grass
burned off the land and no water in the
streams the settlers will suffer terribly
Telegraph poles are on fire at several
places.
One Ray of Hope still Left.
With all this there is one ray of hope
for the lines of land hunting people Sec
rotary Smith, finding that the number of
people who are flocking to the promised
acres is immensely larger than the most
liberal estimate with which he had been
supplied, has sent orders to Arkansas City
and other booth points to increase the
clerical force to the extent that is deemed
necessary. He has also authorized them
to open all booths required at Arkansas
City and thus make it unnecessary for
persons to undergo the hardships Incl
dent to registering at the border line.
The news of this order was received by
tired the hOme-seekers with great rejoic-
ing and has tended to allay the bitter feel
ing that has been aroused against the reg
istration system.
place Aux DANES" the Cry.
At one booth No. g at Arkansas CITY,
the whole day was given to the women.
and over coo OF the centler sex had their
names recorded. Six additional clerks
were employed, and a new line was formed
for the accommodation of women home
seekers. Ii was noised about the night be
tore that special privileges would he
granted ladies, and before daylight they
began to congregate on the border. A line
was formed of women only, and they reg
istered rapidly. They were made up prin-
cipally of school teachers, typewriters,
clerks, and servants. y few widows accom-
panied by their children Were in the line
some of the more timid ones had male es-
corts One gray-headed grandmother from
near Fort Smith, Ark, stood in line with
two boys about IL and II years of age. her
grandchildren.
Some EnterprisinG Young Women.
One party OF five young ladies rode to
the line on horseback. They had regula-
tion cavalry saddles, wore improved
bifurcated skirts and sat on their mounts
man fashion. The conduct of the women
was in striking contrast to that of the
men and there was no testing or quarrel
ing and no words except of n pleasant
nature were interchauged between them
The crowds are steadily on the increase.
II twenty booths should be opened at
Arkansas City, and force of eighty
clerks employed it would, be impossible
to register all the home-seekers
Protests Against Eegistration
The cattlemen have held a meeting and
sent a telegram to the interior department
declaring the registration system fail
ure and asking that it be abrogated, so
that it may be a free-for all run All
sorts Of rumors are abroad One is that
boomers have organized to burn railway
bridges so as to prevent the railways from
running trains into the Strip. The camps
are being abandoned to the women, the
men going TO the border to be ready for
the run at noon tomorrow.