People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-09-22

; as thick as fence posts, until in some
places the claims looked more like
townsites. Each claimant sat on his
satchel or blanket and watched the
Others with defiant eye.
The train did not start till 10 o'clock
promptly when lieutenant Of the cav
airy fired pistol shot in the air At
at that time the engine whistled, and
at the rate of about seven miles an
hour the train moved out. This was
one of the prettiest sights that NOR
tai with reasonably good nerves would
care to see. Forty palace stock cars
were filed with men and women until
they cou-d not move hands or feet.
The dangers were increased by
reason of the fact that the brakes
could not be worked, owing to the
density of the crowd ON the car tops,
in case of an obstruction being placed
or the track, which was a very proba-
bic contingency on such an occasion.
At one place during the trip to Enid q
coupling pin broke, and the train was
severed in twain, and still not a man
was hurt, which seems almost miracu-
lous. In ones sober second thought
he would shudder to think of the acct
dents and fatalities that might result
from such trip.
And that fatalities did occur there
is no doubt, and it need be no surprise
to anybody if from two to half dozen
dead bodies are rot picked up along
that part of the road. When men saw
piece of land which they thought
was still unclaimed. they would drop
from the car sides to the ground with.
out thought of consequences, and some
of them would roll oyer on the clay
several times. Two or three men were
seen to alight this way and remain
motionless, and it was thought that
their necks were broken. There was
no way of notifying the conductor to
stop the train TO ascertain why these
men did not rise again. and perhaps
the poor fellows died without any
effort being made to give them assist
ance. One respectable looking woman,
crazed no doubt by the enthusiasm,
jumped from the roof of one of these
high cars while it was in motion, and,
after turning four or five somersaults
in the air, struck the earth and broke
a leg. And still nothing could be done
to stop the train to give her relief.
The mad craze for claims and the
reckless Jumping which resulted from
it had its funny side. Two young fell
lows jumped from the train simultan-
eously. One of them rolled on the
dirt three or four times, while the
other lit on his feet and made n ruiz
for claim inside the railroad fence.
The seat OF his trousers caught upon
the upper barb of the wire fence and he
hung suspended without being able TO
help himself. The other fellow in the
meantime gained his feet, and scramb-
ling through the wire fence, he
drove his stake IN the ground. He
then released the man who was on the
barb wire fence, and pointed to an
other claim. Men and women fell off
the trains in all shapes. and many
laughable instances occurred.
One pretty incident occurred near
Enid which is worth relating Two
young men and a young woman
jumped from the cars and ran for q
claim adjoining the right of way. The
young women was ahead, but in get
ting down on the other side Of the
fence her clothing caught on the barb
and left her in a very embarrassing
position. While thus hanging, the
two young men arrived simultaneous.
ly on the claim and began driving
their stakes. by some sudden i'm
pulse both of them ceased, and fixing
their eyes on each other for a mo-
ment, threw down their hatchets,
walked toward the young woman,
released her from the grip of the
fence, pulled up their own stakes,
drove hers on the claim, eacn one Civ
ing it blow, and retired amidst APP
plause from the train which was deaf
ening.
In the race for Enid the train was
outrun by not only all the saddle
horses, but by many of the lighter We
hicles.
ORLANDO OUTP0URING.
Twenty-Five thousand men and wom-
en-, with goodly number OF Toys and
girls, started in the race into the Strip
at the sound of the carbines held by
the cavalrymen at noon to-day. Hun
dreds went in on the trains, which
were jammed, but the great rush was
by horse and wagon. The total num-
Der which invaded the Strip from here
must have been in the neignborhood
of 2j.DO0. The boomers on horseback
and afoot got eff without delay or Sc
riou> accident. The Santa Fe special
train, got almost an even start with
the horscmen and pedestrians. Five
thousand made the trip by rail.
Wharton and Perry were the favor
ed townsites sought by the boomers,
each has population Of over 5000
souls. Following the excursion trains,
freight trains hauled great quantities
or household goods, provisions and
lumber to the new towns. The tenn
porary residences and shops were
made OF tents but they will soon give
way TO modern structures. In the
meantime groceries, restaurants and
saloons have been established in the
tents, and the towns have already be-
gun to take on the appearance of
municipalities.
Near Black Bear creek, northwest
OF here the dead body of James Rear
don of Milford, Mass, was found on
the prairie after the rush. lie had
been stabbed to death, and the weap-
on with which the crime was commit
ted was found sticking in his breast.
Further north, the dead body Of w.
D. Blake, supposed to be from Gaines
vile, Texas, VAS found. lie had been
shot through the heart. 1t is not
known whether he was murdered or