The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-17
CHEROKEELlND TAKEN.
A Hundred Thousand Boomers
Rush Into the Strip.
NOT ENOUGH FARMS FOR ALL.
4 Mad Race on Horseback, In wag-
ons, Afoot and by Train.
Whist Was Yesterday . Parcked and
Tesantiess Desert Has Today zoo 900
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. XIII . sooner
and Several Men Are Murdered.

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NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. XIII . sooner
and Several Men Are Murdered.
Arkansas CrrY. Kan, Sept ia hun
dred thousand people settled upon the
Cherokee strip today. AT noon the signal
was given and the great race began. As
far as the eve could reach In either direc-
ton could be seen men mounted and in
wagons and on foot closely packed to-
gether, making solid column 30 feet or
more wide in the middle and tapering
away to a mere streak of black in the dis
tance. Confusion reigned everywhere so
closely were the contestants packed TO.
gether
The start was hazardous Horsemsn
we're unseated, wagons overthrown and
pedestrians prostratsd in the mad rush.
Cowboys on ponies took the lead, and had
gone but a short distance when they
spread out over the prairie and, disgnount-
ing. set fire TO the thick prairie grass, hop
ing thus to turn aside those who were fol-
lowing. The fires spread rapidly at first,
but we're soon stopped by q deep gully
which parallels the Cherokee line three
miles south of here Horses could not be
urged through the flames. and many were
turned back. No damage was done By the
flames further than destroying the grass
and impeding the race.
Some of the boomers were mounted on
thoroughbred racers. some on less fleet but
sure-footed COW ponies. some on bicycles,
others in huggies and wagons. The
throng was made up of all classes. from
the shrewd fiuancier and real estate specu-
lator 10 the young farmer bent only on
securing a homestead for himself and
family AS the inmates decreased TO Sec
onds reins were frightened, girths cinched,
stirrup straps looked after and every
muscle was tense with excitement
Exactly at high noon the re-
port of the revolver Of the commanding
officer of Uncle Sans representatives
rang QUIT the signal for the start. Peii-
nell. helter-skelter. hurry-scurry, the
great speculative army began a rush for
the line and raced for home and fortune
Shouting. cracking whips, rafting wheels.
clattering hoofs and the explosion OF fire.
arms combined to make confusion of
sound in keeping with the general dis
order of the start and to render the scene
one Of indescribable pandemonium.
The serTied ranks broke and rushing
boomers sprang out over the strip, those
best mounted in the lead. There were col
lisions and mtshaps here and there Break
downs .of vehicles, dashing not only the
boomers but their hopes to the ground.
Horses refused TO cross deep guiches and
their riders abandss1t them. continuing
The race on foot or making long de-
tours to avoid bad ground. Here
was q neck-and-neck race between
horsemen who mad chosen some
town lot or quarter section OF farming
land, stumbling over rocks. wading
streams, climbing precipices and banks
on their way. The chivary which re-
linquished places in the line to women ali
disappeared in the scramble for actual re-
suits. Women had TO take their chances
with men in the race. 1t is to their credit
that some of them made as good show
ing in the struggle as the alleged lords of
creation, reaching the goal in time TO pre-
empt desired bits of mother earth.
Arrived in the strip, the throng found
desert waste. Most OF the hay had been
cut off. and what remained was either
burned off by prairie fires or scorched
brown by drouth or sun. The creeks have
run dry and the Arkansas and Cimarron
rivers are nearly so. There will be great
suffering for lack Of water, which in some
places il is almost impossible to obtain. In
others 10 will have to be hauled miles.
The water is oi poor quality. which will
probably entail much sickness. The work
of digging wells in sandy soil will be very
slow, and they will have 10 be put down
100 To $50 feet to secure flow.
The boomer trans loaded with town.
siters crept along. being forbidden TO ex-
ceed twelve miles an hour. while horse
men passed them, waving their hats in
derision. As a train pulled into q town
site the boomers swarmed out of the cars
like ants, and in fifteen minutes what
was merely waste country became a pop
uious community. Innumerable fights
over lots resulted, and in the absence
OF other means OF settlement the
right OF might carried the day and
the stronger took possession. Tents
went up. town meetings were
held and officers elected. and in an inered-
IDLY short time fnll-fedged municipality
sprung into existence. Engineers of the
trains were instructed to run carefully, as
ii was feared the tracks would be tampered
with. The discovery was made Yesterday
that straps and spikes had been removed
from some bridges. consequently the
trains we're so slow that those in wagons
and on horseback easily outstripped them.
Meantime out on the pralries farmers
continued the race for homesteads, leaving
the women folks 10 follow in slow-moving
prairie sehooners, bringing household
goods, implements and shelter till such
me as a permanent abode can be erected.
Enough people made the run to furnish
each Of the s.. 90 homesteads with an oc-
cupant and give every townslte 1900 IN
habitanta
Four new townsites have populations
estimated at 5. 900 each. while others boast
population ranging from 1000 to 3,0C0.
Every desirable claim has at least one
Claimant, and many have two or four.
Contests viii. Of course, be numerous
The greatest rush waz in the eastern part
of the strip. which contains The most
fertile land in the entire reservation.
Perry. on the Santa Fe, wss the most IA
vored townsite Msiford's and Pond
creek, on the Rock Island. we're the OBJ
jective points of hundreds who made the
run from Caldwell. The fact that the
town surveys we're only by blocks, not by
lots. has caused much confusion and
numerous disputes.
The weather ass ali that could be de-
sired, the sky beng clear and cool north
wind tempering the sas's rays. Tonight