The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-12-08
A. NlLD illDE.
The Stirring Experience of Ken
tuckian in the Cherokee Strip.
Terrible Scenes Witnessed In the Mad
Rush for Land In the wly-Organ-
ized TerrItory-Hard Times
In Store.

Lieut.. Arnold, who is attached to-
the staff of Gov. Brown, of Kentucky,
recently arrived here from the Chero-
kee strip, where he was successful in
securing splendid claim, says the
st. Louis Republic. On the mem
orable morning he made the run on a
thoroughbred race horse he had brought
there expressly for the purpose.
Starting from a point four miles east
of Hunnewell he had to ride sixteen
miles south of a point known as Black
wells. He covered the distance in
fifty-two minutes, accompanied by a
''.cow-puneher', thoroughly acquainted
with the country. At least fifty we'll
mounted men were in hot pursuit for
the same claim, but the lieutenant got
there first. Several other Kentuckians
were similarly successful in the same
vicinity. Lieut.. Arnold's quarter sec
tion of one hundred and sixty acres is
one of the titbits of the strip. 1t is
close to the ShekaslSy river, and is a
splendid tract of land, worth between
two thousand and five thousand dollars
according to experts.
Arnold is a sunburnt, sinewy-look-
ing man. of about forty. He said: ~
was prepared for tough experience,
but, great heavens! not for what saw
and underwent. To begin with, thou
sands of men and women were kept
forty-eight hours in the line endeavor-
ing to register. The dust was simply
I'll A 4 41,,r Il
everyone was black and unrecogniz-
able. There was hardly drop of wa
ter to drink, and washing was an inn
possibility. Fifteen thousand grimy
human beings tore madly into the new
domain, reminding me more OF the
maggots on carcass than anything
else. The sooners were in possession
almost everywhere. Lots Of them were
shot, and saw one sooner hanged in
short order. In my ride ! noticed near
ly twenty dead horses and quite a
number of dead and dying men.
"There was fighting and bloodshed
enough to satisfy the very worst of the
bad men from Bitter creek. Not far
from my claim two men were quarrel
ing with drawn pistols, when a third
interfered and endeavored to separate
them. He got a shot through the wrist,
and then the two proceeded to kill
each other. ] saw one fellow lying
dead with handkerchief drawn
tightly around his neck. He had been
strangled, and when searched four
hundred and fifty dollars was found on
him. When / made the rush wore
mighty little and carried no arms, but
felt more comfortable when my Win
chester was in my hands. The scenes
after the rush were terrible. | saw
two women who were burned by the
prairie fire and the soldiers shot by the
sooners. In fact / have seen enough
of that sort of thing to last me the rest
of my life. Blackwell, the so-called
Indian, who gave his name to the town
site and owns every other lotin it, is a
'squaw man. He put his hay up to
one dollar bale after the rush, but
the boys went to him with few
double-barreled persuaders on then
shoulders, and he was glad to get
down to fifty cents after brief discus
sion. They also made him stand by
original prices for his town lots
shouldn't be surprised If they were to
hang him any morning.
''Well, I'm glad to get away from the
strip awhile, although, now that the
rain has come and the dust settled
there is not so much hardship.
"It was fearful at first, especially
for women, and l am afraid even now
an awful winter is in store for many Of
the settlers.
"My claim is disputed, like all the rest
but have clear case. My papers are
all right, and expect to return in q
month or so and commence improve
ments,"