Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-25
WOMEN IN THE RACE.
HOW THEY TOOK PART IN THE KICK
APoo OPENING.

and Twice as Tricky Their Brothers.
Newspaper Women to the Fore.
Tho telegraph did not tell fraction of
the exciting and interesting scenes that
were connected with the opening of the
Kickapoo reservation on the day it occur
red. Its mnsscd figures and general outline
Of the rush of 10, 600 people for $50 claims
of 100 acres each forgot some of tho most
startling incidents of tho occasion, and
particularly was little attention paid TO
the part taken by women in the great
race. The presence of the fair sex in such
large numbers rs were seen on this occa-
sion could but impress the onlooker, and
the result showed that he women were in
no respect behind their sturdier COMPETE
tors in tho harvest of homes. They were
as swift as tho swiftest, brave Us the most
venturosome, and tho "sooner'' with his
fraudulent claim had no show beside them
when it came to selling a olaim for keeps.
One of those who made the most SUCCESS
full entries WIS yiyacious, black eyed Jes-
sic Small of Valley View, Tex. She Is
voritable cattle queen in her experience
with herds and hcftlers She has been in
the saddle since she was n child. She can
take part in roundup or q larict throw
and is an accomplished horsewoman.
Early in tho week preceding the fatcful
Esd Miss Small came up from Valley View
with a lot q: Texans, of whom she was
clearly the queen. They locked up to her
to lead them, and her experience and
beauty made her equally willing to as
sumo the role. Her father and brothers
were with her, and their plans were care
fully laid
Along with the McLoud town site peo-
pie, who had arranged to open new
town On tho very day of the opening, they
went to Dale and moved up to Dongall's
mill. There they waited for time to pass
until tho opening. At noon on Thursday
Miss Small, mounted on a large black
thoroughbred horse, one of the bost ami
mails TO be secured in northern Texas,
dashed into the stream, and through tho
ford splashed her way at full gallop. Her
father followed next, and behind came tho
whole Lone Star State company 1t was
watery ride through the wide but shallow
stream, but soon they were out on the
other bank. Together father and daugh-
ter dashed across the virgin soil, their
horses neck and neck. But as they left tho
bottoms, selected and reserved as allot-
lnents, on tho opposite side doomed up
tarbod wire fence. Mr.. Small halted and
took cut his nippers to cut it in true Tex
as style, but his daughter could not wait.
She touched her spirited horse with the
spur and he took it at a leap. Before her
father could get there she had dismount-
cd, and with n laugh had planted her flag
one and "a quarter miles from the rail
road. The race was made in less than
three minutes, understanding all her COM
petitors.
OF course the inevitable sooner was on
the land. Riding to the opposite side of the
claim with those of her friends passing by,
Miss Small found bewhiskered Kansan
already in possession and busy unloading
house materials from q wagon. She was
indignant.
"How did you get here?" she demanded,
riding up to him.
Game in with the rest" was the sur
ly answer.
''No, you didn't. You didn't come this
side of the reservation
"Came the other way was the reply
as he threw off some more boards.
mo, you didn't. 1t would take you
three hours to drive across, and the signal
was given only half an hour ago. Now"
she continued, pulling from the folds of
her dress revolver, which she aimed at
his head, "now git
The man sized up the determined girl
and looked the weapon in the face min
ute, then commenced reloading the boards.
Half an hour later the sooner was disap-
pearing around knoll, and the plucky
Texas girl was sole owner of claim which
will be one of the most valuable in the
newly opened territory.
The formality of filing on the claims Sc
cured at the land office after tho rush was
over made lively scene at Oklahoma
City when the boomers came rushing back
to got their claims on record, and here tho
women were by no means last in the con-
test.
Mrs +. NJ. Beall, daughter-in-law of
Judge Frederick Beall of Washington and
widow of the man who killed Frank Nc
Kcnnon at Guthrie, o. T., some time ago,
was foremost in the throng. The Railways
of the registers office were crowded, and
the boomers were let in six at time to
file their claims. Mrs. Beall filed on one
of the quarter sections picked out for the
tourists of Olncy. An Oklahoma City
man filed ON the other Just before noon
q number of the men who went up to
found the town of McLoud seeded and
rushed back to Dale. At noon they flock
ed over to the Olncy site, ON which Mrs.
Beall and the Oklahoma man were already
located, and made their town. If the
town continues to exist the two original
settlers will have nice thing.
Mrs. Haynes, widow of Dave Haynes,
the famous Oklahoma boomer, was one
who filed early. She made a lonely fight
for claim and got it, although she will
have q contest She took up a location
whore there was none to go with her and
raced her horse through underbrush and
forest toward chosen spot. She found
man just entering on the other side
when she drove her stake and attempted
to force him off, but he was too quick
with his gun, and she contented herself
with beating him to the filing office.
One of the most laughable, yet in
way serious, events of the filing stam-
pede was tho daring action of Mrs Clara
Ebey of Oklahoma City. She was far
down the line, but was determined to have
a claim If she had to risk good deal for
it. The line moved slowly, and she real
lied that it would be a long wait If she
depended on taking her turn regularly
with the rest. She was on the third floor
of the building, and giving up her place
started on a hunt for more eligible one.
She saw Phcris Cox, q territory resident,
on the same purpose intent and followed