Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-09-14
VERY HARD LINES.
Those That Fall to the Land
Boomers Lot.
SITUATION ON THE STRIP BORDER.

Many Terrible Disappointments Awaiting
Saturdays Development-Not One in
Five Can Get Amy Earth, Except Enough
to Bury Those Who Die-The SwindIer
Reaping a Harvest-The Rush Likely to
Bring Tronble.
GUTHRIE, O. T., Sept l4-Twenty
thousand people have bsen added to the
immense crowds on the line of the Chero-
kee strip The force of clerks at the regis
tration booths is being increased, but
work as hard as they will the line grows
longer instead OF shorter. Supplies are
running low and prices are going up.
Meals have jumped from % to - cents.
Sandwiches are % cents, lemonade 10 cents,
water cents without ice and 10 cents q
glass with ice. At Arkansas City booth
over 5000 are in line and registering is pro-
ceeding very slowly, the clerks being about
worn out At Orlando about 5000 are still
in line, and every train brings from 500 to
1000 peple \ hot wind has blown all day
from the south, burning everything up and
Eurling clouds of dust into the face and
eyes of everybody, the temperature going
to 10 degrees.
People Faint in the Ranks.
About twenty people, four or five of
them women, tainted in line during the
day, and several are dangerously i'll from
the effects of the heat. People with teams
are compelled to pay 81 a barrel for creek
water and from s. TO s. a day for camping
ground The afternoon train from the
north was in six sections of eight coaches
each Confidence men, gamblers, and
pickpocketS are getting thick, and people
are being robbed and victimiZed on every
side. a colony of several hundred negroes
has arrived, every one having printed
certificate granting him farm upon his
arrival and presentation of the same >
the land office NsSaz
Nictimized by Swindlers.
These people were victimized by some
scoundrel who travelled through Louisiana
and sold them these certificates at Sl0each.
At Hennessy man from Kansas City was
knocked down on the main street and
robbed of $3.50. The crowd there is even
greater than at Orlando and water has
given out At Saltwater the crowd is
growing faster than the clerks can regis
ter. 1t Is estimated by conservative men
that on Saturday there will be on the line
to take part in the race about five persons
10 every claim on the Strip.
Appeals to Secretary Smith.
Lieutenant Caldwell sent a telegram by
way of Camp Supply through his superior
officer Colonel Parker, to Secretary Hoke
Smith advising him of the conditions ex-
isting at the booths and suggesting that
as the registration has proven almost a
complete failure it be discontinued. All
of the newspaper men representing metro
poltan papers have united in a similar ap-
peal, saying that humanity demands it.
So bitter has the feeling become against
the registration system that when FRI
day night arrives and it is apparent that
thousands in waiting viii be unable to
have their names placed on the list, riot
viii be precipitated.
order Cannot BE Enforced.
Curses loud and hitter are aimed at Foke
| Smith and his representatives here, and rs
the end approaches ii will be difficult for
the handful of soldiers to restrain the
| crowd Practically the same condition ex-
| lists at Orlando Saltwater, Hunneweli
| and Caldwell 1t viii be impossible to en-
| force the order issued by secretary smith
! forbidding any one to board the trains en-
| tering the Strip at noon who are not
| armed with registration certificates.
| Train load after train load are arriving.
| loaded to their fullest capacity, and this
| influx will be kept up constantly until
| Saturday noon.