New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-17
INTO THE PROMISED LAND.
Continued from First Page.

|
was at Orlando. where were gathered 10000 citi-
zens of Perry all anxious for the time
WI en- they coud start their ten-mile race. From
the elevation Orlando the line could be seen for
distance Of eight miles east and ten miles west
| "A half-dozen times some one would shout the
hour OF noon. and fifty u a hundred horsemen would
! draw out OF the line. only to be driven back by
! the cavarymen who patrolling the Strip in
| front Of the impatient throng.
! At last a puff of smoke out the
| plains to the north and soon the dull boom of
cannon was heard. A dozen carbines along the
line were fired In response to the signal, and the
| line broken. Darling out at breakneck speed,
the racers soon dotted the plains in every direction
! The trains were loaded rapidly At first there
attempt to examine the registration certificates;
/ but this was given up. as the rushing thou
sands pushed those ahead OF them the trainmen
giving all their time to collecting the tickets. The
first train of twelve pulled across the line at
noon crowded as trains never were before even
the platforms and roofs black with human beings.
Following this train at intervals OF only TWO or
three minutes went another and another until the
last consisting of fiat and coal cars. all crowded,
had pulled across the line, followed by AT least
5000 disappointed, painting men who were deter
mined not to be deprived of their rights. The run
to Perry was made in three-quarters OF an hour
Before the train stopped men began climbing out
OF the windows and jumping from the platforms
FOUR scoNEIs" SHOT BY SOLDIERS.
Four "sooners'' were shot by soldiers north Of
saltwater Just Craig of Indiana. was accidentally
shot in camp. and Thomas Jameson colored' was
burned to death in prairie fire one soldier was
shot by a cowboy sooner Kildare.
Careful estimates show that the rush INTO the
Cherokee Strip from various principal points was
made as follows: From Arkansas CITY, SWo by
train. 1900 by other conveyances: from caldwell
Kan. 10 OOO from Orlando, o. T., 2'VW; from STILL
water O. T. 10000; from Hennesy, o. T.. 5000 from
,ba OlO. ms I'm all "A total OF 1,OJO.
The registration booths at Orlando were robbed
OF certificates and the official stamp last night, and
thousands of forged certificates were on the mar
ket to-day.
In theirhaste to secure the claims ahead OF the
trains were at least 900 horsemen who had come
The ten miles from the line in unprecedentedy snort
time and who claimed all the lots Immediately
about the land office and the public we'll They
were rubbing down their weary horses -as the trains
were unloading Soon the last OF the Trains pulea
in and the scramble for land about the town con
tinued with increased vigOr. The quarter sections
about the town had all been taken but In every
direction lines were being and additional towns
laid out to be called North Perry. South Perry,
East Perry and West Perry BY O'Clock fuly
2O.eo men and women. of all nstiohai'ies ana COL
ors were on the site Of what all hope VIII DE Il
great city They without food and without
water The scenes at Enid were repetition OF
those at Perry.
DESPERATE CHANCES TAKEN BY EAGER MEN.
The south line OF Cowley County. with Arkansas
CITY az the centre presented scene almost az
animated and exciting as that at Orlando When
the signal was given. away the great crown WENT
and the scenes on the south line were repeated
There WAS a Jam at Chilocco Creek which owing
10 the steep north bank, was passable al only
few points In many instances men leaped theH
horses down the cighteen-foot embankment' iahd-
Ing in the water and hastily scrambling out again.
n
horses and abandoning them, started on foot
Inst east OF the school. a heavy wagon loaded with
ak men was driven over he bank. when was
concealed by the clouds Of dust that came UP from
the burned prairie. As the horses went over the
men umped and all escaped unhurt except one man.
who had his leg broken.
The trains last night for the south carried 2V"
persons ost.nsIbiy to Orlando All the way down.
boweyer the boomers kept dropping OF the trains
while the cars were In motion. and when they
stopped at stations. At Ponca which Is In the
reservation only two miles from the line fuiiy
800 men left the train defying the feeble EFFORTS
Of the two soldiers who had been placed there TO
see that no one left the train. Some Of these men
w.r. wn-site spectators. while others were In
tending farmers All the towns I'm oklahoma and
Southern Kansas were practically deserted to-day
TREMENDOUS RUSH FOR THE TRAINS.
Guthrie O r. Sept lG-At least $4,000 persons
hi,ou,ckes unon the border OF the great strip last
night Long before daylight this morning thousands
had assembled about the Santa Fe station mere
and train after train was speedily packer WIN
people and pulled out for Orlando upon the me
The rush for good places on the tram was great
and many persons we're crushed and injured. Ar
rivrg nj Orlando all were compelled to leave
ia. cars and take their places with the ljNo per
sons who had spent the night there upon the ral-
way right Of way or had sat about the town.
Abou, 1000 who had not registered were
speedily accommodated. and then began strange
scene Of pushing and crowdIng and Glowing
More than |; on persons wanted to in on the
first train. which had a capacity Tor less IMAM
1000.
Al # o'clock the first train pulled mp to the line
the others being just behind II. There We're Il.
least a half-dozen trains. bat everybody "ahu'
to ride, on the first train and as far forward N
tho, no nossible With a wild shout the crowd
rushed forward. The soldiers on the ground were
,vept from their feet. and for moment II ser"eu
as though the mob would capture the tram 'or
men and women were around ana over the en-
zine and tender. upon and under the piauor"S'
and oven upon the roofs of the coaches. The sol
diers soon recovered. however. and with hxeh
h,von.ts cleared the train and compelled every
body TO show his her certificate before entering
But on every side people fought and struggled 10
get near the cars Women had their clothes torn
a,o .' If people were injured. yet the struggle
s sept up until the train ned and was repeated
on a smaller scale at cach succeeding ualh'
NIGHT OF UNREST or THE BORDER.
Few Of the boomers closed their eyes In sleep
last night with prairie fires raging in front Of
H., and with minds and bodies strained by the
nort-up excitement of the impending struggle,
there was no inclination to rest. During the night
thousands OF letters were written nome, ana AZ
,nurn rnurI.rs wer. sent 10 III" nearest poStoHice
loaded down with mail for many and many a man.
realizing the danger that was impending feIt thn,
perhaps this might be his last race, that me emu
might come in his long home. instead OF home