The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1893-09-19
ALTERNATE OF THE CHERO-
KEE STRIP OPENING.
SCORES OF BOOMERS RETURNING
Tho Prairies strewn with Dead Bodie1
ana Sreckage -- Many Lives Were
Lost la the Mad Rush for Land
Two Towns Of Enid-Sunday
scenes and Incidents IN
New Empire.

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan, Sept Is
The bright land of promise, the Cher
ol1ce Outlet, has proven land Of dis
appointment and despair to hundreds
of people who rushed into it full of
hope and confidence To-day they
are moving wearily back over tho
route which they raced over Saturday,
thoroughly convinced that the coun-
try is not what they supposed it was.
The trains GU! of the strip are all
heavily loaded with disappointed
town lot hpnters and the many who
went in merely as ,ightsecrs The
prairie between Arkansas City and
Perry is dotted with settlers wagons,
tents and miniature sod houses erected
by those who located on claims.
Small white flags on which are the
words, "This claim taken, wave vic
toriously in tho breeze on every hand,
and frequently three or four on sin
gle quarter section, Indicative Of bit
tcrly fought contests to be made be-
fore the land Office. Broken wagons
and disabled horses are scattered
along the highway parallelng the
railroad telling of tn, mishaps en-.
countcrcd by many who rodu and
drove rcclSlessly
At Kildare Chief BuShyhcad's al.
lotmcnt there was visible great life
and activity and in the distance, Il
mile away, could be seen many scores
of tents, making the toynsitc of Will
low Springs. E,low F<Ndare is The
tented city of POntitse and just be-
yOnd Is the allotment town OF Cross,
which is the gateway TO the Ponca
res 'rvation and the wealthy Usage
nation. Here the railroad crosses The
illou Of Pouca and eighteen miles
below is the metropolis of the strip.
Perry
This town of Perry stretches along
both sides of the railroad for a dis
tancc Of four miles, reaching to and
beyond Wharton, whore n depot was
located when the road was ii st built
All sorts of rude business houses
were u. oucd and groceries saloons
restaurants. und 50 called hotels did
n thriving trade and restaurants were
all running in tents, but none Of them
were dust proof and table, platcs and
food were black with dirt Waiter,
wore dust glasses and wells, and dishe,
were wiped with towel that would
rival a priating Office towel for bia lt-
ness, a moment before the food was
served. The homlicst meals were i'm
demand at fifty cents each, aud beer
was sold only by the bottle and at
the same price. Water wa, very
scarce and water vendors had stanas
m all parts of the Z ity. leo water
brought five cents a glass and water
for horses, that was it for use, was
not obtainable.
The postohicc was not open for bus
mess yesterday, but n, entire front
was covered with cards aud slips of
pa per on which were written commu-
/ nications TO friends who had been
lost in the great rush, telling where
meetings could be had on the town
site.
Real estate, lawyers and doctors
signs are the most numerous, and ho-
tcls and restaurants come next i'm
point of numbers In the center of
the town, that is in the immediate
vicinity of the land Office every lot
has from two 10 six claimants. butall
appear 10 be willing to peacefully
await the decision of the land office