The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-23

Oklahoma City. o. T.. May 22.-AIi
night long the roads leading to the
kickapoo country were crowded with
men on horseback going to the Kick
apoo border. The crowd is much
larger than was anticipated here.
There will hardly be an abIe-bodied
man in town by tomorrow morning.
the banks have given notice that
they would close for the day. and
the report was started that Va report by
outlaws was feared. 1t will be a great
holiday event, and the town has today
an air of gaiety. No one seems to be
working. The people stand about the
streets talking the matter over.
Plenty of queer outfits are going out.
This morning a bus drawn by four
horses took a townsite party. On the
bus was loaded a tent and wet and
dry supplies. and inside was the town
projectors and the men who viii open
the first hotel and restaurant. A
large body of horsemen, over 100
strong, started out this morning. It
was a fine sight as they went through
the streets. four abreast with Win
chesters and canteenS strapped to
their saddles.
No Beds to Be Had.
The railroad put cheap fares into eff
feet yesterday, and the trains at mid
night came in with people standing
in the aiSleS of cars anu on the plat
forms. Many of them were compelled
to walk the streets all night, as every
bed in town had Ieen engaged the
night before. There is not a horse in
town for hire, and very few for sale,
even at an enormous figure. The
weather is very cool and the sky has
been overcast for two days. Every
body is praying for rain. There viii
be no crops in this country unless
there is rain very soon. In the Kick
apoo country everything looks much
better.
Marshal Mix has deputies and a
large number of hCrsemen in the
country. At the land Office, nothing is
known of any trouble. The purpose Of
the marshal in the country is under
stood to be more in the nature Of de-
tective work than arresting soOners
and driving them out.
4 Wise Youth.
Hiatt. the Kansas boy. who was first
in line at the land office. sold his
place last night for $500 to a lady who
wants a claim. He has been engaged
to hold the place for her, and Will
make the race out to the land for her.
U. S. Marshal Mix sent a dozen
deputies into the Kickapoo country
to arrest SoonerS and take them be-
fore u. S. Commissioner Wilkinson,
who is stationed at Kickapoo Falls.
The sOOnerS are liable TO d fine OF
81, 900 each. 1t is said that sonr of the
sooners are desperate men from all
parts of the country and the deputies
are likely to have trouble in getting
them. A man who came in from Shaw
nee says that the country is filing up
with SoOnerS, so there will soon be
more of that class of men than honest
hOmeSeekerS.
1t was reported here yesterday af-
ternoon that Big Jim'S band of Kick
apoos had been in council on the Deep
fork since Sunday night, talking about
the coming of the settlers, which
they had learned from a man who
brought the news from Chandler.
The man who brought the report in,
said that they We're all armed with
Martins. and had plenty of ammuni-
ton, and numbered about $50 braves
and squaws. The story is laughed at
but Marshal Dix said they might be
troublesome and he has wired Gss
instructions.
Ten Thousand Will Run.
Settlers are forming along the west
bank of the north Canadian river
from Sweeneys bridge south for two
miles, and the woods are full OF
camps It is estimated that at least
10000 men will make the run from
that line, run two miles across the
Kickapoo allotments, and meet run
ners from the south. When the two
bodies get together trouble is pre-
dicted.
The streets of Oklahoma City resem-
BILE those of Arkansas City just prior
to the opening of the Cherokee strip.
Men on horseback and covered wag-
ons are on their way to the border
of the Kickapoo country Street auc-
lions of ponies are going on in half a
dozen places. Horses that two days
ago were not worth ten dollars are
selling readily for $50. From the
country around Oklahoma at least
81. rr~Nc