Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1893-09-23
RUSH FOR HOMES.
Thousands Settle Upon the Chero-
kes Strip.
Wild Struggle to Secure Lands a Scens
That Beggars Description The Race
An Exciting Ono from Start
TO Finish.

| ARKANSAS CRY, Kan, Sept. 1s.-At
high noon 100 United States car.
binescracked in the dry air and with
exulttng yells 30, 900 men and women,
all American citizens, rushed onto the
Cherokee strip-alnost the last section
OF the public domain that will be
thr6nn open to general settlement.
The view of the rush at II o'clock
from the observatory on the Chilocco
school was full Of exciting interest
Just before the hour, with feld glass
the long line of horses and men densely
pacse{ for 200 feet back could be seen.
~ tiSanston the sharp crack Of a re-
volver was distinctly heard and imme-
diately following came the reports of
the carbines. A hoarse yell went up,
softened by the distance, and the line
got in motion.
Horses were seen to shoot out from
the ruck and dash across the prairie
Then dense cloud Of dust obscured
the line for a moment, but brisk
wind cleared it away, and the men and
wagons could be seen scattering as the
slowest were left behind. Now and
then wagon would so over with
wheel knocked off.
A horse was seen to rear in the air as
he was struck by a wagon tongue and
fall back. His rider was up in an in
slant and bent over his horse Then
he arose, and from his gestures it was
plainly seen that he had been left at
the post,
The last of the rushing hosts were
not long in disappearing over the hill
into the swae at the south line of the
Chilocco reserve, the rear being brought
up by throng of men and women on
foot and few teams on a walk.
THE RUSH AT CALDWELL.
CALDWELL, Kan. Sept. Is. Two min
utes after noon o,000 people who had
gathered along the border south OF
Caldwell were rushing helter-skelter
into the strip in every direction as far
as the eye could reach. Five minutes
later, the fleetest and foremost horse
men were mere specks, and in clouds of
dust in the distance and behind them
were hundreds and hundreds of white
covered wagons and buggies trooping
into the land, leaving behind them
great clouds of dust to mark the line.
The people did not become impatient
until few minutes before II o'clock,
when the cavalrymen made their last
rides up and down the column. For
five minutes before the signal all had
been getting ready and there was more
excitement than ever along the lines Of
people who had stood SO many hours
waiting for the opening.
At l2 o'clock a cannon sounded away
off several miles east of the hills where
sightseers had assembled. There was
a cloud of dust in the distance. There
vas another report nearer, but it was
the report of a cavalryman's carbine
The line of dust advanced up the col
umn, the rumbling sound caused by
the stampeding of hundreds of horses
increased Another carbine was fired
and away went all the people toward
the south.
The race at first was fast one and
hundreds of men on horseback darted
ont of the mass and began to lead the
crowd. There were some lively races,
but there were too many entries to OBJ
serve individual contests.
TIE START FROM ORLANDO.
ORLANDO, Ok, Sept. Is. Twenty-Five
thousand men and women with good
ly number of boys and girls started at
the sound of carbines held by cavalry
men sharp at noon. Hundreds went in
on trains which were jammed but the
grand rush was by horse and wagon.
Trains both north and south bound
ran in many sections and all were
loaded to the platforms. Women clung
to the guard rails and men hung to the
engines and the roof like bees. The
rush was especially big from Arkansas
City and was made up of men who came
TO this side of the strip to run for Perry
town lots. Conductors estimate that
no less than 5000 men crossed the strip
Friday.
THE SALTWATER CONTINGENT.
STILLwATER, Ok, Sept IS. - Ten
thousand sturdy homeseekers were let
loose on the heretofore forbidden lands
north OF here sharp at noon.
All of this army of men were after
honesteads and none wanted town lots
In consequence there was no thorough
bred racers in the line. Scores went
into the lands in wagons with equip
ments necessary to begin farm work at
once.
There were OF course many exciting
races for quarter sections believed to
be extra good, but these contests we're
not marked features of the run.
Yellow Fever Epidemic,