The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-03-01
GOING TO CHEROKEE
Grand Rush Toward The Strip Dur
ing the Month of March.
TOWNS BUILT IN A DAY
An Active, Well Built, Thriving Cltv of
Ten thousand Inhabitants Erected
In Three Months.

GUTHRIE, o. T., Feb. &c Before an
other month rolls around the roads
leading frt m Kansas, Nebraska and
Missouri on the north and from Texas
and Arkansas on the south into the far
famed Cherokee strip win again be
lined with white-toppcd wagons, each
carrying family and household goods,
a chicken crate strapped on behind,
perhaps an extra horse or a few cattle
following in the rear; by day hurrying
forward, by night camping by the road
side, all eager to take up their abode
In the promised land.
OF the hundred thousand or more peo.
pie who rushed into the strip on that
memorable 10th of September a large
portion were men who had left their
families behind. They picked claim,
filed on 1t, made few improvements
and then went back to spend the cold
months of early winter at the old home.
Now they are coming with family and
goods to begin permanent residence
upon the newly acquired farms for the
six months allowed by law, for this will
expire March 16.
The great majority who came in on
opening day, prepared to stay, went to
the towns, for the only sure way to
hold town lot is to remain on it from
first to last. Thus 1t wes that towns
sprung up into prominence on every
side-cities born in a day, municipal
government organized and put in force
in an hour.
OF the score or more of towns that
have attained the growth of dozen
years In half as many months Perry Is
the largest and most wonderful. At
morn an unbroken and uninh bited
prairie; at eventide sea of tents and
a struggling, jostling mass of $4,000
people; in week conglomerate mix
ture of tents and sheds as far as the
eye could reach; in a month busy,
bustling, active, well built, well con-
Quoted city of 10000 population.
Such is the history OF Perry, muni-
cipal career beyond all belief, seven
days wonder to those who have seen,
an incredibilitv to those who have but
heard. There are residences that
would do credit to any city; business
buildings, substantial and commodious,
filed with stocks of goods, doctors and
lawyers galore, half dozen churches. an
81
theater, the Salvation army, and every
other feature of big town, all brought
here In less than half a year, yet all
having an appearance of solidity and
stability that is really startling.
And what is true of Perry is true, in
a greater or less degree, of every one
of the strip towns. There are Newkirk,
Round Pond, Alva, Woodward, Pawnee
and Enid, whose people have already
undertaken to fight to the finish a
might railroad corporation, all county
seats.
With churches from the first Sunday
of their existence, with graded schools
In every town, be fore sixty days o. their
, existence had passed into history; with
municipal governments, good society,
preparation for the putting In of water.
works and electric light, and even agi.
tation for streetcars, these towns are
certainly all that could be desired In sc
4, short period of existence.
4 Hundreds who went in with the rush
left in disgust within a few days; othel
. unlucky ones, who spent their all II
: securing nothing, tramped their weary
way back to friends In the states as the
chilly winds of winter began blowing
through their frowsy whiskers, but the
thousands who remained have farei
h comparatively well.
AS one drives about over the land thai
=, has for century been only the hunting
ground of the red man or the pasture
land of the cattle baron, he sees every
where the mark of improvement, tn,
= signs of agriculture. The farmer ha
70 come into possession of the land.
(, Every travelled road is lined witt
wagons, lOdutu uOWu with lfclRuL 10
; inland towns, with farming implements
!, with lumber or perchance with famil
- and household goods, passing outwar
from railroad and town; while a stead
ia ingoing empty wagons turn in and oil
. among the loaded ones like the sinuor
I, curvlng of serpent.
s. On every side men are busy preparln
Is for the coming of spring, and what bI
r a few months ago was a magnificel
~ undulating, unbroken prairie will soc
liz begin to take on the appearance of :
e. agricultural community.
a. Taken as a whole the settlers on Il
strip are faring reasonably well-mu'
better, in fact, than are the great ma
of the people all over the land. The
re- has been less suffering, less dlsappoir
nd ment, less trouble and fewer murde
lat tnau was expected by even the me
ac. optimistic observer.