The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-05-24
MAD RUSH FOR LAND
KICkAPOO RESERVATION "SET-
TIED" IN A FEW MINUTES.
Every Quarter Section Claimed by
Ten to Twenty BOOmers-TOwn of
McCIoud Established.

noon to-day at least fifteen thousand men,
with a large number of women, rlade the
grand rush from all sides of .he kickapoo
reservation for the 45o odd claims open to
white settlement. In less than an hour
afterwards there were scores of contestants
on each of these claims, i'm addition TO the
"sooners' who had already taken posses
sion of the lands coveted by them. The
scenes at the opening were similar to those
at previous openings
Sweeney's Ridge, on the north fork &C the
Canadian river, i'm Township II, was one of
the points of entrance to new land. There
were three hundred men gathered, and just
before noon there was suppressed excitement
as the minutes ticked off nearer and nearer
the hour. Watches were held in one hand
and the lines tightly grasped IN the other.
The scene that followed the shout Co
was intensely exciting. The first man TO
dash across the bridge was in a little
buggy, drawn by pair of bays. The
horses were tense with excitement The
driver brought his whip down. shouting at
them, and the horses bounded across the
bridge and off up the road with a good
start, running away. Following eight horse
men JoStled one another on the narrow
bridge, trying to pass each other. They
whipped their horses and struck at them
and at each other, and at last got across
and scattered, racing like mad. The reck-
iessness of the drivers In whipping their
horses down the bank and across has sell
dom been equaled. Horses would go down.
to be dragged to their feet again Men
were hatless. and their faces ana foreheads
were wrinkled with strain. AS the yard
became clear the wagons and horsemen in
the road came on behind. rushing pell-mell.
and in fifteen minutes the last wagon had
passed over. The air was full of dust and
the sound OF the shouting men and the
rumbling rolling grew fainter and fainter
up the road. About half a mile northeast
from Sweeneys the road passes through
narrow lane OF trees. Here an awful
jam occurred, delaying the racers for ten
minutes. Men behind saw their chances
Tor claim pass away right there and
cursed like mad. The jam was finally
Strengthened out, however, and the men
were off again.
Last night it was made evident to many
OF the boomers that all could not get claims
SO it Was decided to organize towns. About
midnight big crowd left Sweeuey's fof
Dale AS the procession went along large
towns had already been projected-Olney
and Aurora. A council was held between
the projectors of both towns. and il result
ed in consolidation of interests, the new
town TO be called McCioud, in honor of the
general solicitor of the Cnoctaw road. The
processionISo strongIthen took up the
ton on which McCloud was TO be- AT the
head of the enterprise is Dr. j. ". Gillet
of Perry, who was chosen Mayor. Green
Il. Raum, jr.. of Washington, is leading
member of the town organization. The site
of the town is a 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 or surveyors was on hand, and At
once laid out the town. Wagons with
liquors. groceries and cots came in, tents
were erected and 'soon stores, restaurants
and hotels were opened and new town
had been born.
The Kickapoo opening was much in the
nature OF huge farce. At 1910 nearly all
claims had from ten to twenty claimants
them, and those fartheSt from the lire
were reached from the border in thrty-five
minutes. One section had one hundred
claimants, who had run in from both bor-
ders, and those who were ''sooners'' were
congregated. The honest runners combined
to drive the 'sooners'' off. Several fights
occurred, and number of shots were fired
and colored man. named Blackford. is
reported badly wounded. At Shawnee. when
the noon hour approached, the crowd got
restless At three minutes To Y o'clock by
some watches. and precisely at noon by
others, there was a break I'm the line. and
then all broke into a run. The race across
the level plateau was a very pretty sight.