The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-09-20
THE START FROM CALDWELL.
Ii Is Estimated That $4,000 Left There
For the strip.

IL Is Estimated That $4,000 Left There
For the strip.
CALDWELL. Kas., Sept. 16.-Thou-
sands of people made the run to the
strip from here. The conductor of the
Rock Island train which left Kansas
City at 8 o'clock last night had instruc-
tions to run the train ahead Of time so
as to pass through the strip and reach
Hennessy on the southern boundary be-
fore s o'clock, in obedience to the order
of Secretary Smith. The enormous
crowds of passengers at stations along
the way, however so delayed the train
that it had to be abandoned here and
the run through the strip was not at
tempted. At all stations between Cald-
well and Wichitaw hundreds of people
were left. At wellington the crowd al
most took possession of the train, climb
ing on top of the cars, on the trucks. in
the cab and on tho tender and pilot.
Even then several hundred were left at
Wellington. 1t became impossible to
handle the crowd and the doors of the
cars were locked and he people outside
left to take care of themselves. The in
formation that this train would make
an early morning run through the strip
preceded it and the people became des-
perate almost in their efforts to find
place to hold on. hoping they might
jump off at convenient places in the
strip. There were thirty-fve cattle cars
on the side tracks here and they were
switched down to the boundary line.
two miles, and made into a train TO
make the run through the strip, start
ing at noon and running at the rate of
twelve miles an hour. There was an
enormous demand for tickets and two
way cars and half a dozen clerks were
sent down to the line early this morn
ing to sell tickets. With all this pro-
vision for selling tickets, people fought
for places at the ticket window at the
Caldwell station. and thirty-five cars did
not accommodate half the people who
wanted to go.
At several places on the streets ponies
and horses of all descriptions were sold
at auction at high prices. The people
were wild in their efforts to obtain some
sort Of conveyance to the strip and half
of them had TO make the run on foot.
The favorite town site seemed to be
Enid. and half the people bought rail-
road tickets for that place. II is about
fifteen miles away. Wild Horse and
Pond Creek got many people from the
Caldwell contingent also. The Rock Is
land north-bound train, which reached
OdluWell at o CLOCK, ran through the
strip at high rate of speed. 1t was
loaded with people and the conductor
said he had left about a thousand pas
sengers at Kingfsher and hundreds at
other stations along the line. He said
also there were many "sooners'' in the
strip and that he had seen scores of their
camp-hres burning along the railroad.
A north wind blew all night and many
of the campers who had just ceased suf-
ferfng from the heat began to suffer
from the cold. They did not have blank
cts enough and hundreds OF them sat
around their camp-1res TO keep warm.
There were many runaways and some
few break-dOwns, but the first half
hour OF the run at Caldwell passed ap-
parently without serious accident The
first train into the new Cherokee dis
trict was pulled by Engineer j. a. Col
burn, who has been thirty-three years
in the service of the Rock Island The
train was composed of thirty-fve stock
cars and every available foot OF space
was taken. Two engines pushed from
the rear and after much putting and
snorting, the train moved slowly out
one minute after the signal guns were
fired. II was alive with people, cheer
Ing wildly and waving hats, handker-
chiefs and flags. The train was run at
the rate or fifteen miles an hour and
was slowed up every FIVE minutes to
allow those who so wished TO jump of
and make the race for a neighboring
claim on foot.
An hour after the opening the scene
was a quiet one again. Away I'm the
distance, three or four miles perhaps,
covered wagons were seen moving
slowly along, leaving their trail Of dust