The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-05-31
KICKAPOO is OPENED.
Fifteen TAsssaaa PEOPLE Ca.ap
Along the Border All Might and
Then Make o Race fer The
Choicest Pieces of Lana.

Oklahoma City, Okla, May 25.-
Sharp at noon at least $1,000 men,
with large number of women, made
the grand rush from all sides Of the
kicknp00 reservation for the 45O odd
claims open to white settlement. In
less than an hour afterward there
were scores Of contestants ON each
claim, in addition to the ''sooners"
who had already taken possession Of
the lands long coveted by them.
All night long the road to Sweeney's
bridge. on the edge Of the Kickapoo
country, wae crowded with horscmen
and vehicles. The dust was stifling ~
the horses drngged through the deep
sand and stumbled over the roots of
trees in the road. The crowd had
filled up the yard at sweeney's bridge
and extended back along the road for
q mile. At Sweeney's bridge is road
house, where travellers through the
country stop to feed horses. The. yard
is large and fenced In, and forms a
sort Of cul de sac with q narrow outlet
leading down to the bridge. The yard
last night was solid jam of vehicles,
horsemen, etc. Men slept sitting In
the seats Of their wagons. There were
buggies and covered wagons, sulkies
and every kind Of vehicles, including
OK carts. Young men drank from their
fasks and sang boisterouslv; dogs
barked and horses neighed and men
called back and forth. 1t was u night
mare Of noises. Up and down tho
river the lights OF camL fires shone
through the trees, reddening the foli.
age. The wind hlew cold. and 1t was
an uncomfortable night to he out In
without OvcrcOats or blankets, and
many Of the men sat all night In their
shirt sleeves or moved among the ve-
hiclcs. There were several fights to
enliven the night. Before the hour Of
noon many crossed over the river and
entered the country, and their names
were put down by the honest home-
seekers, who Obeyed the law and
waited.
Last night 1t was made evident to
many Of the boomers TINT all could
not get claims, 10 It was resolved to
organize towns. About midnight a big
crowd left Sweeney's for Dale, and ns
the procession went along large addi-
tions were ircde to Its ranks. Two
towns had Slready been projected,
Olney and Aurora, A council was
hell between the projectors of both
towns and 1t resulted in n consOlida-
tton of both interests. the new town to
be called Mcleod. in honor of the gen.
eral solicitor Of the Cloctaw nnltl. At
noon the crowd passed over the ford
In q very quiet way and drew lots for
positions on the town plat. 4 corps
OF surveyors was ON hand and Mt once
laid out the town. Wagons with gro
ccries. liquors and cots ca he In, tents
were erected, and soon stores. restau-
rants and hotels were opened and q
new town had been horn.
The Kickapoo opening was much In
tie nature OF huge farce. A. 1910
nearly all claims had from zen 10
twenty claimants on them, AMI those
farthest from the line were reached
from the border in rs minutes. ON
one section lou claimants, who lad
run In from both borders, and those
who We're ''sooners." were conyr...
gated. The honest r,lnne = comDlnrl
to drive the "sooners' OF. Seyernl
fights occurred, rumlHr of .hots
were fired, and colored man named
BlackfOrl. from Oklnh n.ll county, fs
reported badly wounded.