St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-12
BEGR|MED BOOMERS.
Twenty Thousand Dust-Cov-
cred Homeseekers.
MATER TEN CENTS A GLASS.
Mistake in Locating Pooths
Away From Water.
NEAT TRICK OF A YOUNG MISS
To Outwit Others and Gain an
Early Registration.
NEAT TRICK OF A YOUNG MISS
TWAS A e00D-HUA0RED CROWD.

ARKANSAS CITY, Sept. n.-At z
o'clock this morning nine inexperienced
clerks from Washington began the
herculean task of registering 20,00O
strip home-seekers in this vicinity, with
more coming within the next five days.
During the first hour less than 100 GER
t1ficates were issued, but as the clerks
became more familiar with their duties
they performed their work with greater
rapidity, so that during the last hour
of business, from until O'Clock, over
200 were issued. The record for the
day was 1859. BY simple arithmetlcal
calculation it can be readily seen that
al the present rate all those seeking TO
register here will not have The oppOr-
tunity. The officer in charge states
that he has authority to increase his
force, and if more rapid work is not done
tomorrow, and if home-Seekers continue
to arrive in such great numbers as they
did today, he will establish
another registration booth here.
The prospect that all will not
be able TO secure certificates by
Saturday noon is causing many boomers
to go to other booths along the line. By
5 O'clock Saturday evening men had
begun to gather at the registration,
booths. An hour later about 1000 per-
sons had
FORMED IN LINE
and fro IN that time until this morning
the line steadily increased, and two
more lines equally long were added.
at Il fair estimate there are 10000 men
and women waiting Tor chance TO get
certificate, without which they Will
not be allowed to claim piece of pub
lie land. The scene at the booth is a
remarkable one. 1t is situated on the
Cherokee strip, at the northeast corner
of the Chilocco reservation. On the
one side is the barbed wire fence
which incloseS the reservation,
and on the; Kansas side is a hedge
which surrounds farm. Between
is a narrow road foot deep in dust.
Along the fence stretching west from
the booth are three lines of men stand
Ing and sitting on the ground. The air
is filed with dust which hangs in the
still air. Around the army tents which
compose the booth Is stretched wire
fastened TO posts, inside OF which are
three or four soldiers keeping the crowd
out and putting out those who have reg
istered. SO great was the movement Of
horsemen and wagons towards the
booth yesterday that by last evening
the roads leading there were so con-
gCsted by horses and wagons that it
was impossible for a horseman TO get
through, and very difficult for man on
foot The air was so
FILLED WITH DUST
that looking south from the city the
blue of the sky was concealed. Along
the roads leading south a constant
movement of wagons and men kept up
all night long. AS early as daylight,
men on foot, with canteens strapped TO
their backs, were moving along through
the snffocating air Oh the roads
with handkerchiefs tied across their
mouths. When the clerks stepped into
their tents to begin business at 7o'clock
cheer went up from the grimy, half
cAoked crowd. This was carried atong
the line and could be heard mile away
by the throng hurrying along the roads
to Join them. Such good-natured
crowd was never seen. 1t mattered not
to them that they had sat in the dust for
thirty-siX hours, that they were thirsty,
unfed and unwashed. They wanted to
get III line and to be registered. and any
prospect of doing so revived their Spir-
its. The night had been very chilly,
ard the hot coffee peddlerS moving
along the line all night had not relieved
the GOODNESS. Men stood i'll line wrapped
i'll blankets and canvas overcoatS, and
every one had a canteen. jug or bottle,
which held his limited supply of pre-
ciOuS water.
THE FIRST NAN IN LINE
was q real estate man from Kansas
City-John B. Cameron-who had been
there since O'Clock Saturday after
noon, and he received Certificate No. /.
After him a lot of women were let in
and registered, the tirst one Miss Kate
Durand, Of this place. They had not
stood in line. but the men chivalrously
gave them precedence. During the first
hour the total inadequacy of the regis
Iration system became apparent. Less
than one hundred people got their Ger
tiicates, and great impatience was be-
ginning to be exhibitec. Lieut.. Cald-
well. of the Third cavalry, had charge
of the line and stood on his horse at the
head of the lines, with half dozen
troopers keeping order. Great suffer
ing is experienced along the line. Many
delicate women and at least a dozen
men were carried out this forenoon en-
tirely prOstrated with the heat, dust and
exhaustion. There is a great scarcity
of water. The supply is being hauled
from Arkansas City in tank wagons, and
it costs % cents to get canteen filled
and 10 cents for a cupful. Along the
hedge tents have been set up, where
beer, sandwiches and pies are sold.
Everything is covered with an inch of
dust, and the natural color of the men
in line cannot be distinguished. The
interior department is being bitterly
condemned for its action in locating the
booths on the strip, away from water
and shelter.
FOOLED THE MEN.
Nora Wiley, a fourteen-year-old miss,
succeeded In getting certificate early
in the cay. The lines were blocked
solidly in front of and about tle regis
tration booths; !1;ur she went to one of
the Ierresiiment booths and secured a
Tray and two cups of coffee and started
.oTard the center OF the crowd, As she