The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-24
THE GRAND RUSH.
Scores of Claimants to Each Bit OF
Land.


Oklahoma City, May 2S.-Sharp at
noon today at least $1,000 men, with a
large number of women, made a grand
rush from all sides to the Kickapoo
reservation for the $50 and odd claims
open to white settlement. In less than
an hour there We're scores of contest
ants on each of these claims. in addi-
ton to ''sooners," who had already
taken possession of the lands.
Sweeney's bridge, on the north fork
of the Canadian river, in township u,
was one Of the principal points of en-
trance to the new land. There were
three hundred men gathered, and just
before noon there was suppressed ex-
element as the minutes licked off
nearer the hour. Watches were held
in one hand and the lines tightly
grasped in the other. The scene that
followed the shout Coz was intensely
exciting. The first man to dash across
the bridge was in little buggy drawn
by pair of bays. 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 one another.
at them and at each other, and at last
got across and scattered, racing like
mad.
Sights Seldom Seen.
The recklessness of the drivers whip
ping their horses down the bank and
across has seldom been equalled.
Horses would go down, to be dragged
to their feet again. Men were hatless,
their faces set and their foreheads
wrinkled with the strain.
AS the yard became clear, the wagons
and horsemen in the road came on be-
hind, rushing peu NELL and in fifteen
minutes the last wagon had passed
over. The air was full of dust and the
sound of shouting men and the rum
bling of wheels got fainter and fainter
up the road.
About half mile northeast from
Sweeney's, the road passes through
jam occurred, delaying the racers for
ten minutes.
The jam was finally Strengthened out.
however, and the men were of again.
Two Towns Projected.
Last night it was made evident to
many of the boomers that all could not
get claims, so it was resolved to organ
ize two towns. About midnight "a big
crowd left Sweeney's for Dale and as
this procession went along large addi-
tons 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
in a consolidation of inter
ests. The new town is to be called
AIcLord, in honor of the general solicit
tor of the Choctaw road. 'she process
sion, 5000 strong, then too up the
march to Douglass Mills, at the lection
on which McLord was to be. At the
head of the enterprise is DR.. j. W.
GilIett, of Perry, who was chosen
mayor; Green B. Raum, jr., Of Wash
ington, son of the ex-general pension
agent, is a leading member of the
town organization. The site Of the
town is A sandy bank covered with
cactus and under brush.
Birth of u Town.
AT noon the crowd passed over the
ford in very quiet way afld drew lots
for positions on the town plat. A corps
Of surveyors were on hand and at once
laid out the town. Wagons with
liquors, groceries and cots came in,
tents were erected and soon stores,
and hotels were opened
and a new town had been born.
The Kickapoo opening was much in
the nature of a huge farce. At 1910
nearly all claims had from ten to
twenty claimants on them and those
farthest from the line were reached
from the border in thirty-fve minutes
In one section 100 claimants who had
run in from both borders nre fighting
with sooners for their claims.
At Shawnee the crowd got restless
before the noon hour arrived. At three
minutes to II by some watches, and
noon by others. there was a
break here and there in the line, a !