Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1895-06-01
THE RACE FOR ACCLAIM
Fifteen Thousand Rushed for
the Kickapoo Lands.
NOT ENOUGH TO 60 AROUND
All Told, There Were Only Four Hun
dred and Fifty Odd Claims to
white Settlement.

dred and Fifty Odd Claims to
White Settlement.
Oklahoma City, May 25.-Sharp at
noon at least 900 men, with a large
number of women, made grand rush
from all sides of the Kickapoo reserva-
tion for the $50 odd claims open to
white settlement. In less than an hour
there were scores of contestants on each
Of these claims in addition to the SOON
ers, who had already taken possession
of the lands.
Sweeney's bridge, on the North fork
of the Canadian river, in township ~.
was one of the principal points of en-
trance to the new land. There were
300 men gathered there. The sup
pressed excitement, as the minutes
licked nearer and nearer the hour of
noon was intense. Watches were held
in one hand and lines tightly grasped
in the other. The scene that followed
the shout go" was intensely exciting.
The first one to dash across the
bridge was i'll little buggy drawn by
pair of bays. The driver brought his
whip down, shouting at them and the
horses bounded across the bridge and
up the road with good start, running
away. Following, eight hOrsemen JOS
tied one another on the narrow bridge,
trying to pass one another. They
whipped their horses and struck at
them and at each other, and at last
crossed over and scattered, racing like
mad. The recklessness of the drivers
whipping their horses down the bank
and across has seldom been equalled.
Horses would go down to be dragged to
their feet again. Men We're hatless,
their facs and foreheads wrinkled their
veins standing out like cords
The yard of the bridge hotel became
clear, the wagons and horsemen in the
road came on behind, rushing pell-
NELL, and in fifteen minutes the last
wagon had passed over the bridge.
The air was full of dust, and the sound
of shouting men and the rumbling of
wheels grew fainter and fainter up the
road.
About half a mile northeast from
Sweeny's the road passed through mar
row lines of trees. Here an awful jam
occurred, delaying the racers for ten
minutes. The jam was finally straight
ened out, however, and the men were
off again.
Last night it was evident to many
of the boomers that all could not get
claims, so it was resolved to organize
two towns. About midnight a crowd
left Sweeney's for Dale, and as this
procession went along large additions
were made to the ranks. Two towns
have already been projected, Olney and
Aurora. A council was held, but the
projectors of both towns were interest
ed in a consolidation of interests. The
new town is to be called McLord, in
honor of the general solicitor of the
Choctaw road. The procession, 5000
strong, then took up the march to
Douglass Mills, at the section on which
McLord was to be. At the head of the
enterprise is DIR. j. w. Gillett of Per-
ry, who was chosen mayor. Green B.
Raum, jr., of Washington, son of the
ex-pensiOn agent, is a leading member
of the town organization. The site of
the town is sandy bank covered with
cactus and underbrush. At noon the
crowd passed over the ford in a very
quiet way and drew lots for positions
on the town plat. Corps of surveyors
were on hand, and at once laid out the
town. Wagons with liquors, grocer
les and cots came in, tents were erect
ed, and soon stores, restaurants and
hotels were opened, and a new town
had been born.
The Kickapoo opening was much III
the nature of a huge farce At 1910
nearly all claims had from ten to
twenty claimants on them, and those
fartherst from the line were reached
from the border in twenty-five min
utes. In one section 100 claimants,
who had run in from both borders, are
fighting for their claims At Shawnee
the crowd became restless before the
noon hour arrived. At three minutes
to twelve, by some watches, and pre-
cisely noon by others, there was break
here and there in the line, a wavering,~
and then all broke into run. The
race across the level plateau was very
pretty sight
Chance for Disappointed Boomers.
Guthrie, O. T., May Ex-Governor
Renfrow this morning issued prOcla-
nation offering 10000 acres of school
land in the Kickapoo reservation for
lease for five years from October /,
1895, bids to be received until June 10.
This will give the disappointed boom
ers chance to get some fine land.