Rocky Ford enterprise., 1893-09-21

folks" follow more leisurely In prairie
schooners, which pitch and roll about on tho
broken prairie like . sure-enough schooner
In n rough sea-
From the line south Of Arkansas City a
number Of young men make the race on
safety bicycles.
The weather was fair with . cool breeze
blowing.
Enough people made the run to furnish
each one of the $1,000 homesteads with an
occupant and give each county seat and
town-site Mt least |, 800 Inhabitants.
On the old town-site of Perry will be es-
tablished the negro town Of Liberty. It will
contain 100 acres In tho heart Of Perry and
serve to drive the white people down to
Wharton.
Wagon and frelght-train loads of supplies
followed the settlers into tho Strip. The
trains distributed provisions at the various
county seats and town-sites where stores
have been opened In canvas tents pending
the erection of buildings.
Camp-fres dotted the praIries In all dircc-
tions where the homesteaders have established
temporary camps Tho recent drought has
dried up tho creeks and streams, and those
who failed to provide themselves with water
will be forced to endure suffering from
thirst, for water Is obtainablo only In few
places on the Strip except from the rivers.
The drought Of the past month has left the
country burned dry. A smothering dust
composed of q combination Of hue sand and
nshes from the prairie fires hlls the air and
adds to the thirst and general discomfort Of
the unhappy boomers.
The careless building Of camp-hres has set
the parched prairies blazing In many places,
and boomers are out fighting the flames. In
other places inscriptions men started the
fires in the hope of driving some timorous
claimant OF valuable tract.
Sunday was generally given over to an ef-
fort to bring order out Of chaos The farm
ers' families have put up tents, arranged
their primitive houses as comfortably as pos
sible, and have begun the search for water,
either In creeks, springs or in driving wells.
While the head Of the family has hurried to
the nearest land office to nle his preliminary
papers, this work 10 done cy the remainder Of
the family.
The county seats and town sites have be-
come busy communities. Those reached by
the railways have been very we'll supplied
with provisions. In those on the lines OF
travel the commonest commodities command
fancy prices, SO greatly does the demand ex-
ceed the supply. At Willow Springs water
sells at ten cents glass, bread at fifty cents a
loaf, and other supplies At proportionate
amounts. Restaurants, shops Of all kinds,
drinking places and gambling houses have
been established In tents, and arc doing .
thriving business.
At Perry and Wharton church services were
held but wero very slimly attended. People
were too weary after tho great race, too busy
In administering to bodily necessities, or too
Indifferent to go to church.
The centers Of interest have now been trans
ferrcd to tho government land Offices, and long
lines Of settlers are formed at each Of them.
Reports OF murders and fatal accidents arc
beginning to come in. At one point man
started across the line before 10 O'Clock He
was warned back by q soldier, but refusing to
stop was shot dead. The soldier was then
shot by another settler. There are many
stories Of crime and casualties, but, all being
strangers to one another, names arc missing.
The crimes are mostly isolated murders which
took place Saturday in tho fight for claims.
Many fatal accidents are reported as the re-
suit Of the rush-men trampled TO death by
horses or killed by falling from the over
crowded excursion trains.
1t Is now stated on NIL sides that the settlers
have been fooled in their belief that the
Strip was good farming country. This may
be ''sour grapes" cry Of those who failed to
secure desirable tracts, but there seems to be
some ground for the statement Caldwell,
Arkansas City and other railroad points are
crowded with people who arc trying to get
away from the Strip, and who claim that 1t is
no good. At any rate 1t 10 certain that there
will be great suffering next winter, BY those
who lack the necessaries Of life.