The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1893-09-23
THE CMEROKEE STRIP.


ASs
Arkansas City, Kas., Sept. TO-
At Eve minutes before noon to-day
| 1900 men were gathered upen
the north and south boundaries Of
the Cherokee Strip, awaiting
brest hlessly the signal which
woull anH0unce to them the or.
rival Of tho hour when the land
should pass from the ownership Of
the United States government to
the possession Of its individual
| citizens. All were ready for the
race which would bring fortune
and happiness to some, disappoint.
ment and suffering to others. All
expected the fortunes, and all were
ready for the race for lands. Some
were mounted on thoroughbred
racers, some on the less fest but
surer footed COW ponies, and some
on bicycles. Others were 10 make
the race in buggies aud wagons.
An cir Of strained expectancy per.
vsdes the throngs, and each was
eager for the signal.
Bang! Bang! The revolvers Of
the United States army officers
who have the AFFAIR in charge gave
the signal to start, and the race for
homes was on. 6eventy-fve thous.
and men aud women rushed over
the boundaries and into the COW
eted land - IL their very lives,
rather than the mere possession
of . farm or two, depended on
their going. The shouting of the
men and the screaming Of the wo.
men, the neighing Of the frighten-
ed horses, the cracking Of Whips,
the creaking Of prairie schooners,
the rafting Of wheels, the CHATTER
of hoofs and the explosion of fire.
arms combined 10 make Q cOnfus-
ion Of sounds In keeping with the
general confusion of the start and
to render the scene one of indie.
scribable pandemonium.
After the line was crossed and
the racers spread out over the
strip, hundreds Of exciting con-
tests took place. Here was neck
aud neck race between h0rsemen
who had all selected certain lot
in q certain tOwnsite as the only
thing worth having in The whole
country. The stake is allurlng and
each horseman puts forth every
effort to snatch the prize. There
y choice farm is the stake, and the
lace is equally exciting. Here the
racers come to . gully over which
they car not urge their horses.
They abandon their animals, trust
ing to luck to find them again, and
make for the goal on foot, stumb-
ling over rocks, wading streams
aud climbing precipitous banks in
the mad race. Here women en-
gage in q race for . prize, and there
men and women are chasing over
the prairie for the same piece Of
land. During the long, hot days
Of registration, when standing in
line in the blazing sun entailed
great suffering, the men chival-
r0usly surrendered to the weaker
sex their places In the lines. There
10 no chivalry now. This race IL
. business affair, and NO sentiment
interferes with the transaction Of
the matter In hand on . business
basis. The women must take their
chances. Their sex availed them
nothing in this contest.
The trains ON the railroad lines
In the Strip were loaded until NO
more could hang on and being nj.
lowed run only ~ miles IN hour
were passed by the swiftest horse.
men. The main body Of the pass.
enger on these trains were after
town lots but when the h0rsemen
passed them many Of them left the
train and took anything they could
get that was unclaimed.
SIZE OF THE CROWD,
Enough people made the run to
furnish each one Of the $4,000
homesteads with an occupant and
give every county town site Of
at least 100 inhabitants. 1t lie
estimated that $4,000 people made
the race. 1t 10 known that over
l22,O0O certificates were issued
from the various registration
booths, but the majority Of the
prospective settlers took ont both
homestead and town site certifi.
Gates, 80 the number Of certificates
does not represent the number OF
settlers. tis estimated that o..
600 made the race from Arkansas
City, 5000 from Caldwell, IL, 900
from Orlando, 1900 from Hennesy,
1000 from saltwater, 5000 from
Yiowa, 5000 from H7nnewell and
from 5000 to 5000 from other
points. The total number nearly
doubles the crowd which raced
into Oklahoma when that territory
was opened.
The Fate nf lrkansaa Train Rohhers.