The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-23
Thousands of Kickapoo Boom.
ers TO Kick Up the Dust.
A GREAT ARMY OF HoRSsMEN.
Many of the l4andSeekerS Violating
the Rule and Turning Sooaers.
Big Jim's kickapoo Red Men May Cause
Iroublc~feu Thousand Men to Cross
the North Canadian River They
WIN Collide With the Runners From
the south.

night
the roads leading to the kickapoo lands
were crowded with men on horseback yo-
lnS 20 the border. The throng is much
larger than was anticipated here. There
viii hardly be an able-hodied man in the
town hy tomorrow morning The banks
have given notice that they will close for
the day, aud the report was started that a
raid by outlaws was feared. III Will he n
great holiday event aud the town today
has au air Of gaiety. No one seems 10 bs
working. People stand about the streets
talking the matter over. Plent OF queer
outfits are going out. This morning bus
drawn by four horses took out a townsita
party On the bus was loaded a big tent
and wet and dry supplies. and inside wers
the town projectors and the men who
viii open the first hotel and restaurant.
A large body Of horsemen. over Ion strong.
started out this morning. IL was fna
sight as they went through the streets
four abreast with Winchesters and can
teens strapped To their saddles
The reduced fares on the railroads wenr
into effect last night. and the trains ara
crowded Many Of the passengers arriv-
ing were compelled to walk the streets all
night. as every he'd In town had been en-
gagged the night before. There is not a
horse In town for hire and very few for
sale. even at an enormous figure. Tho
weather is very cooi and the sky has heen
overcast for two days. Everybody is
praying for rain. There will he no crops
in this country unless there is rain very
soon. In the Kickapoo country every
thing looks much better.
Marshal Nix has deputies and large
number OF horsemen in the country. Al
the land office nothing Is known OF any
trouble. The purpose of the marshal In
the country is understood TO he more in
the nature OF detective work than arrest-
ing sooners or driving them out.
line AT the land office. sold his place last
night for 500 10 lady who wants a
claim. He has been engaged hy her to
hold the place for her file. and will make
the race out TO the land for her.
Marshal Nix sent dozen deputies into
the kickapoo country to arrest sooners
and take them before United States Com-
missioner Wilkinson, who is stationed at
Kickapoo Falls. The sooners are liable
10 a fine of I.0nn each. II Is said that
some OF the sooners are dedSpeFate men
from all parts of the country, and thac
the deputies are likely TO have trouble
IN taking them. a man who came from
Shawnee says that the country is filing
mp with sooners, so there will soon he
moro OF that class Of men than honesa
home seekers.
II was reported here yesterday after
noon that Big Jim's band of kickapoos
had been IN council on the Deep Fork
coming Of the settlers. The man who
brought the report In said that they were
All armed with Winchesters, had plenty
OF ammunition, and numbered about $50
braves and squaws. The story is laughed
at, but Marshal Nix said they mighs
make trouble. and he has wired for In
siructong.
Settlers are forming along tho
west bank OF the North Canadian river.
from Sweeney's bridge south for two
miles. and the woods are full OF camps.
II is estimated that al least 10000 men will
make the run from that line. run two
miles across the Kickapoo aliotments and
meet the runners from the south. When
the two bodies get together trouble is
predicted.
Tn streets OF Oklahoma City resembls
those OF Arkansas City just prior 10 tho
opening or the Cherokee strip. Men on
horseback and covered wagons are ON
their way 10 the border OF the Kickapoo
country. Street auction sales of ponies
are going on In half dozen places.
Horses that two Jays ago were not WORTH
$40 are selling readily for so From the
country around Oklahoma at least 5000
men will run for claims.
The people Of Chandler and Tecnmseh.
who several times during the past two
months have been fooled by courfers rid
ing into town with the announcements
that the Kickapoo country was open TO
satttauenf and who rushed peil-meli into
the reservation and staked off claims.
have discovered that under a strict con-
atrnctlon Of the sooner" act OF issa.
e,,erv man who went on these falss
alarms ts a sooner and debarred from
takinr land They have found that an
organization OF the old Kickapoo boomersv
vino have been camped on the line for
wears have all the names. date Of runs
aud the location OF the claims each one
sfaked. 10 ne used IN proving them soon
ers" and the false alarms We're schems
Of the old-timers TO shut on sucn compe-
,ition in the real opening There - much
nad feeling and there may be trouble be-
tween tbe two factions on Thursday. As
vet however, nothing real has happened
10 mar the universal feeling OF happiness
that prevails along the border lines ot tho
new FIforado. and great expectations arc
harbored by many 0f the old-tHnera VINO
know the lay OF the land perfectly. and
each OF whom has long ago pictured OUT
some particular fine claim that he hopes
20 secure.
Washington City. May 22.-By order -
the president. the paymen; OF claims OF
the Neg Perce Indians. amounting 70
geo go has been held up. The claims
were IN process OF examination by ths
auditor OF the interior department when
! hrtef order was received for a suspen.
stou ~ The work At the treasury dee
oartment n Is supposed tho order II dus
"a sorne recommendation from the secre-
tary Of the interior.
The FrD-t@ fonffnuc.