Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-09-23
THE STRIP OPENED.
A Wild Rush to Secure Homo
steads.
a Great jam of Men, Women. Chiidrens
Horses and Wagons A Scene of Excite
msnt, Hopes and Disappointmsnts
Stalking Claims.

high noon 100 United States car
bines cracked in the dry dir and with
exulting yells 80, 900 men and women,
all American citizens, rushed onto the
Cherokee strip-almost the last section
of the public domain that will DO
thrown open to general settlement
The view of the rush ut IL o'clock
from the observatory on the Chilocco
school was full of exciting interest
Just before the hour, with field glass
the long line of horses and men densely
packed for 200 feet back could be seen.
At high noon the sharp crack OF a re.
volver was distinctly heard and imme-
diately following came the reports OF
the carbines A hoarse yen went up,
softened by the distance, and the line
got in motion.
Horses were seen to shoot out from
the ruck and dash across the prairie
Then a dense cloud Of dust obscured
the line for moment, but brisk
wind cleared it away, and the men and
wagons could be seen scattering as the
slowest were left behind. Now and
then wagon would go over with q
wheel knocked off.
A horse was seen to rear in the air rs
he was struck by wagon tongue and
fall back. His rider was up in an in
slant and bent over his horse Then
he arose, and from his gestures it was
plainly seen that he had been left at
the post.
The last of the rushing hosts were
not long in disappearing over the hill
into the swale at the south line of the
Chilocco reserve, the rear being brought
up by throng of men and women on
foot and few teams on walk.
THE RUSH AT CALDWELL.
CALDWELL, Kan, Sept. 1S.-Two min
utes after noon 10, 900 people who had
gathered along the border south OF
Caldwell were rushing helter-skelter
into the strip in every direction as far
as the eye could reach. Five minutes
later, the fleetest and foremost horse
men were mere specks and in clouds OF
dust in the distance and behind them
were hundreds and hundreds of white
covered wagons and buggies trooping
into the land leaving behind them
great clouds of dust to mark the line.
The people did not become impatient
until few minutes before II o'clock,
when the cavalrymen made their last
rides up and down the column. For
five minutes before the signal all had
been getting ready and there was more
excitement than ever along the lines OF
people who had stood so many hours
waiting for the opening.
At 12 o'clock a cannon sounded away
off several miles east of the hills where
sightseers had assembled. There was
q cloud of dust in the distance. There
was another report nearer, but it was
the report of cavalryman's carbine.
The line of dust advanced up the col
'umn, the rumbling sound caused by
the stampeding of hundreds of horses
increased. Another carbine was fred
and away went all the people toward
the south
The race at first was fast one and
hundreds OF men on horseback darted
out of the mass and began to lead the
crowd. There were some lively races
but there were too many entries to OBJ
serve individual contests.
THE START FROM ORLANDO.
ORLANDO, Ok, Sept. 1s.-Twenty-hvs
thousand men and women with good
.ly number of boys and girls started at
the sound OF carbines held by cavalry
men sharp at noon. Hundreds went in
on trains which were jammed but the
grand rush was by horse and wagon.
Trains both north and south bound
ran in many sections and all were
loaded to the platforms. Women chung
to the guard rails and men hung to the
engines and the roof like bees. The
rush was especially big from Arkansas
City and was made up of men who came
10 this side of the strip to run for Perry
town lots. Conductors estimate that
no less than 5000 men crossed the strip
Friday.
THE SALTWATER CONTINGENT.
SALTWATER, Ok, Sept. Is. Ten
thousand sturdy homeseekers were let
loose on the heretofore forbidden lands
north of here sharp at noon.
All of this army of men were after
homesteads and none wanted town lots
In consequence there was no thorough
bred racers in the line. Scores went
into the lands in wagons with equip
ments necessary to begin farm work ut
once.
There were Of course many exciting
races for quarter sections believed to
be extra good, but these contests were
not marked features of the run
Yellow Fever Epidemic.
9AvANNAU Ga Sent ia special