Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1893-09-23
IndeSCribable P andemonium
in the Strip.
IT WAS A FINE SCENE.
Seventy-Five Thousand Men and
Women Rush Over the
Boundaries.

effect that prairie fires are still burning
Seven charred bodies have been discov
cred. They had bullet holes in thei
heads. The great exodus of disap
pointed boomers from the strip contin
ues.
DETAILS OF THE MAD RACE.
ARKANSAS CRY, Kas, Sept. 1S.-Fiv,
minutes before noon Saturday $4,000 mel
gathered upon the north and south
boundary Of the Cherokee strip await
ing restlessly the signal which shall an
nounce to them the arrival of the houl
when the land shall pass from the
ownership of the United States govern
ment into the possession of its indi
vidual citizens. All are ready for the
happiness to some, disappointment and
suffering to others. Some are mounted
on thoroughbred racers and some on
less fleet but surer-footed COW ponies,
some on bicycles. Others will make the
race in buggies and wagons. An
air of trained expectancy prevades
the throngs and each is'eager for the
signal.
Bang! bang! The revolvers of the
United States army officers who have
the affair in charge gives the signal to
start and the race for homes is on.
Seventy-five thousand women and men
rush over the boundaries and into the
coveted land as if their very lives
rather than the mere possession of
farm or town lot depended upon their
going. The shouting of men, the
screaming of women, the neighing of
frightened horses, the cracking of
whips, the creaking of prairie schooners,
all the rafting wheels, the clatter of
hoofs and the report of arms, come In
to make confusion of sounds in keep
ing with the general conclusion of the
start and torrent of the scene of in
describable pendemonium.
After the line is crossed and the rae
ers spread out over the strip. exciting
contests take place. Here is a neck
and neck race between horsemen who
have all selected certain lot in a GER
tain town site, as the only thing worth
having in the whole country. The
stake is alluring, and each horseman
puts forth every effort to snatch the
prize. There is a choice farm in the
stake, and the race is equally as excit-
ing. Here the racers come upon a
gully over which the cannot urge
their horses. They abandon their ami
mails, trusting to luck to find them
again and make the run on foot,
over rocks, wading streams,
and climbing precipitous banks in the
mad race.
Here women engage in race for a
prize, and other men and women are
chasing over the prairie for the same
piece of land.
Through the hot days of regis tration
when standing in line in the blazing
sun eutailed great suffering, the men
surrendered to the weaker
sex their places in the lines. There
S no chivalry now. The race is bust
hess affair, and no sentiment interfere
With the transaction of the matter in
hand on business basis. The women
must take chances Their sex avails
hem nothing in this contest. There
along the railroad track the boomer
rains, loaded to the guards with town
STEERS, are creeping along at snaiPs
PACE it seems to the anxious passen-
,ers, while feet animals outstrip the
mighty iron horse handicapped by be-
ng forbidden to exceed twelve miles
N hour.
Tie horsemen shout derisively as
hey pass the trains, aud some of the
more hot-headed passengers pile of
he cars forthwith, scamper distance in
he prairie, and squat upon the first
'acant patch of 160 acres which comes
n their way.
LIKE AN ARMY OF ANTS.
AS a train pulls into townsite or
county seat 1t disgerges its load and |
he townsiters scatter over the land |
ike an army of ants. The plot of |
,round which fifteen minutes before |
vas nothing but a surveyed patch of
,rairie with not an inhabitant becomes
populous community. Innumerable |
disputes, many alterations, and some
lights take place. There are no Off |
:ers to interfere and the lot seekers |
re too busy with their own affairs to |
nix in other peoples business, SO the |
lighters fight it out until one is incapa- :,
itated while his victor captures the |
,riZe. Immediately lot is claimed,
takes are driven, in some cases tents |
re erected, and in a few instances
own meetings are held, officers elected |
nd before the thing seems possl BILE
municipality has sprung into exist
nee. In the meantime out on the |
prairie the farmers continue their race |
or homes and Prescriptions. The |
read of the families and sons of legal |
ge make the race on horses or on
cot, yet horses are not numerous |
nough to 90 round while the woman
olks" follow more leisurely in prairie |
chooners which pitch and roll about |
N the broken prairie like sure enough |
chooners on rough sea. From the |
inc south of Arkansas City number of |
'oung men make the race on BICYCLES, |
They need "safeties." They |
lad practlced for days riding over rough |
,rairie in preparation for the race.
A deep gully, miniature canyon, par
.llels the north line OF the strip about |
hree miles In the interior. Across this |
t is impossible for the cyclers to ride |
nd those who ride are outstripped by |
he horsemen, are obliged to dismount
md take what they can find north of |
he gully. This same gully proves an
obstacle in the course of many racers
md only the trained COW ponies are
enough TO descend on this
tide and scramble up tie other side in
afety. The gully soon becomes lined
With horsemen. All the claims are
aiken and those whose horses will not
attempt to cross it are obliged to make
ong detour around its end They are
lot discouraged and hope for better
uck farther on. Enough people make
he run TO furnish each one of the /