The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-09-17
Camps and Hastily Constructed Build
ings Dot Every Quarter Sec
tiOn and Town Lot.
WILD RUSH OF BOOMERS
Many Left Behind in the Scramble
for a Bit of Prairie Land.
Several Murders Committed and Few
SOOners Shot by SOldiers-Terre
Haute Woman Dead.

Special 20 the Indianapolis journal
GUTHRIE, o. T.. Sept. 16.-To-dsy was o
day long to be remembered By thousands
upon thousands of people. An army invaded
anew EN- pire and planted families of another
race upon the soil of the red men. The in
vasion, although a peaceful one. was none
the less magnificent in its proportions. and
great consequences depend upon Its ao-
tion. This invasion. unlike the
invasion of an army. was not direct
cd by any great general; no man
acted as leader and directed the points of
attack. Like the swarming hordes OF
Huns and Northmen they came in bands.
colonies and dozens. in threes and fours.
hundreds and thousands. individually aud
for themselves. responsible to no one.
Spectators. gamblers and confidence men.
thousands of professional land jumpers
who have exhausted their homestead rights
and have no honest claim whatever upon
the vacant Indian lands; the sporting man.
with the fastest horse TO be bought or
hired-all running for the best claim
or the best town lot. Here
were poor individuals with Sec
ond rate horses. but the best
they could get; old plugs. mules and cast
offs that are gathered up by the poorer
boomers. none the less anxious to secure
their share of the government domain.
Here were fine carriages with men of style.
well "heeled" with all the precautions
against wind. water and the cravings OF
drink; gentlemen who will probably como
back and boast of what they have seen.
but without claims; women on horseback
who will stake claims and hold them; old
greasy covered wagons occupied by women
and children. and the paraphernalis for
going right to work and not returning until
compelled to for something to
eat. There was all manner of men
aGd women, in all manner of
dress. racing for homes or fortunes over the
miles of level prairie up hills and through
streams and gullIes. Tonight are thou
sands of claims where camp fires of civili.
cation are burning. where never before
aught but hunters camped; tonight the
sun set upon land thickly peopled. where.
since time began. none but the wandering
Indian made his home. where the buffalo
and the wild horse roamed at will; tonight
tens of thousands Of domestic animals are
peacefully browsing and taking the rest
they need so badly, and thousands of peo-
pie have eaten at the camp fires the first
meal in the home claimed from the wilder
ness. and thousands of men are for the first
time looking over broad acres they cali
their own.
1t Is crude yet. hut out of the dust and
excitement of to-day will grow great and
popuious communities where will be
wealth. and prosperity, and fine homes.
schools and churches together with noted
men and women. Out of chaos and confu-
sion Will come quiet and contentment; out
OF the raw prairie will spring orchards and
waving grain whore the blue stem now
grows, and where the buffalo grass covers
the ground there will be planted tame
grasses which will pasture thoroughbred
stock.
Many weary weeks. months and years
these people have waited to enter the
Cherokee Strip. during hot and sultry
days they stood in line in burning sun.
their eyes blinded by dust and their
throats parched with thirst. obeying the
useless red-taps requirements of whimsical
government officials ana paying out almost
their last dollar for food and shelter doled
out at rates almost amounting TO highway
robbery.
Ali night last night the people on the
border were on the move or active with
preparations for the coming race and the
sun rose over the eastern hills on @ scene OF
activity on every side of the great domain
that was at last TO be possessed by white
men. Along the southern 4ine were gath
cred close on TO hundred thousand people,
the greatest number being massed at Still.
water. Hennessy and Orlando. At the lat
ter place fully 20. 600 people were gathered.
two-thirds of whom depended upon going
into the lands upon the Santa Fe trains
and every one determined to be on the first
train in.
The registering booths ran all morning,
but were entirely. ont of business by IL
O'Clock and the clerks packed up and pre-
pared to make the run with the rest. The
objective point of the great mass OF people
in this vicinity was Perry. where. tonight.
is city of two thousand people on land
which this morning was just as God created
IL. save for o few hundred stakes. q
small frame shanty and q railroad track.
All night the people stood or lay along the
railroad track. each hoping to secure and
hold place most favorable for the getting
upon the trains. and when the time APP
preached to-day for the trains to start. the
srruggle for first place was q hand to- hand
combat between ten thousand people.
Every man had TO rustic for himself. In q
moment after the signal gun was fired &C
noon she Strip was the home of enough
people to make State.