The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-27
A SPICY INTERVIEW.
What Charlie Strohm Tells Victor Murdoch
About the Boom RS,

|
and when he is dead and gone, generations
yet unborn will rise up and call him
blessed. There is nothing in the entire
range of the newspaper profession more
| fascinating than spicy interview. 1t is
| better than a cocktail on a chilly morning,
or drink of champagne when the blues
| hover over the kingdom Of mans humor.
1t catches the fancy quicker than anything
else within the possibilities of the printer S
art.
| To make good interviewer man must
have n fine vein of humor and a subject to
work on. 1t does not make much differ
ence whom you interview; the result de-
ponds on Yourself
A few days ago Charley Strohm, train
master of the Santa Fe road was in Chica.
go and he fell into the hands of Victor
Murdoch, who is always on the alert to
meet kansan and extract from him the
treasures OF his rich and fertile mind
Victor wanted an interview, evidently,
and of course he found in the opening of
the strip a favorite theme. The interview
will be found more funny to those who
know the disposition of Charlie Strohm,
who is on all occasions modest, but who,
nevertheless, is quite humorist when in
the hands OF the right party
AS preface to his interview Victor,
says:
''Oh, for a north wind on Sept. IS! Let
the ZephyrS cavort from the south on the
day before. Let the gale whista, if it sill,
from the east the day after Let the hurri-
canes or tornadoes rip in from the west for
weeks previous. But on Sept. 16 have the
atmosphere move in . solid phalarx from
north TO south.
This is n prayer. 1t is the one fervent
plea Of $1,000 unshorn, unshaved men
camped OBJ the southern Kansas line Just
at present"
With these ''few remarks" as Ingalls,
would say, Victor continues, and Charlie
says:
Yes. the boomers are praying for a
north wind the day on which the great
uhlnhablted meadow, the Cherokee strip,
VIII be opened l ahave just arrived from
the scene aud it is surely most interesting.
PRESIDENT Cleveland has declared that the
land shall be opened at noon Sept. 16
he rush will equal, il not exceed that
of the original Oklahoma scrambl
There are now $4,000 boomers on the Kan
sas side of the strip and 10000 on the Okla
homa or southern side. Their number is
growing every day"
Having now 10000 poor fellows on the
border, with the wind blowing a violent
hurricane through their whiskers and the
hot sun beating down on their unshorn
locks, both Victor and Charlie agree that
1t Is necessary, if not merciful, to move
them, and with this end in view they first
select horses and bicycles. Charlie con-
tinues as follows:
The largest number of boomers are
ore tod oh AL.
you have never had an experience with
a real, live, A caliber, self-acting and |
repeating boomer you cannot imagine |
the state Arkansae City is in just now !
The QuIeter residents of the town are |
kept III hiccough of constant nervous
excitement Fifty or sixty men have |
brought race horses into the town and |
are training them for the race. These |
moonlight nights they will canter out five |
miles into the country, toe mp To line and |
at pistol shot tear away at breathless |
rate.
They come chattering. foaming and |
snortlng into town and people tumble out
Oh bed with dim idea that an occasion has
arisen for another Paul Revere.
but the men on the race horses are not
hall. There are fifty or sixty bicyclists on
Ihh ground, who are practlcing for the |
for land. They also race and
make life a burden for pedestrians
FIFTY nine thousand, niue hundred and
ninety nine boomers are now provided
with vehicles, but there is still one left.
All the horses and bicycles are exhausted
and these two good natured young gentle
men feel sorry for this old gentleman who
stands in Imminent danger of getting left.
Out OF the generosity Of their hearts they
consult the scientists and are determined
10 get him transportation TO some fair
'pot-where he can find home for himself
ana his family. Being old they do not
want TO trust him to the mercies OF mad
crowd of rough rushing boomers, so they
provide him with balloon as the follow
ng story goes 10 show:
The most interesting of all the boomers.
however, Is IN old man called Professor
6rlggs. All he Is professor of Is "a balloon.
tie IS also the general manager and vice
president of Il parachute. At high noon
III Sept. 10, he will push the balloon off,
wing his flight into the Cherokee strip,
'ick out arlch farm and drop"
But the north wiud?"
Yes, the wind is what is bothering all
If them on the Kansas line. If the wind
) from the south on Sept. 16, they will
rave To run In the teeth OF it. \ man who
des horse or a bicycle knows what that
means. The boomers on the Oklahoma
Inc at Orlando, who race northwald, will T..
lave the aid of the breeze, and secure all
he best land. A strong headwind will
lso play smash with the heavy canvass
overed wagons.
but Professor Briggs and his balloon
would be in the worst fix. You can almost
i've the professor IA fit now by mention
ng a south wind. He must have north
Wind on that day. They tell story about
IIm down III the boomers camp. The
finn, of, h., h., E. |
0 that he went up to Wichita, where the
Iearest weather bureau is, and called on
he signal service man.
Are you ;he weather bossp he asked.
The clerk asseated. ,
Tell when wind will get risky and
reak out OF the corrall?' :
"'Possibly. ,
Well how is the old thing going to
lex up on September 10? North or south?'
That Is very hard to say. \ on see the
torn center
=" / dldn't ask about any storm center l /
7ant 10 know about the pesky wind
Yes, l see; but low barometer in 9
Ugh area 4,
Did you say something about bars?
Veil. now, let me tell you stranger, that
killed the biggest bar in Colorado"
No. no, said the clerk. barometer"
That amt 10 the point" Briggs went
n. viii she blow north Sept. 1872"
Il don't know" b
lymph" And Briggs bolted out and e
anne back 10 the boomers swearing that ;
g would write 10 Washington aud have
be weather man bounced.
The Cherokee strip is 4 fine BODY OF @
snd, Mr.. Strohm continued, land a farm
! "A choice section is worth great deal
or proof of this and the hunger with :
hlcn fine claims are desired, can cite an !
lcidenJ which occurred few DAYS ago. :
eSeral men wanted 10 charter an eugiu-.
coach and two box cars from the Santa y
e company for one hour on Sept. 10, aud
ere Wiling TO pay $50, coo. The only o
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