Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-05-30
THE SCRAMBLE.
The Race for the Kickapoo Lands
Came Oh.
MANY TURNED BACK DlSHCAR1ENCD.
Negroes settling on School Lands from
which the Government win Have
to Drive Them Off-A Harvest
for Attorneys Probable.

dUTHRiE, Uk., may zf.-Vltnln tWch-
ty minutes yesterday $1,000 acres of
prairie land were transferred into a
hive Of surging humanity. Yesterday
morning the Kickapoo reservation was
barren tract; at night 1t throbbed
with life and activity. At 10 noon yes
terday one Of the most exciting handi-
cap races known in history, not except
Ing the great rush to the Cherokee strip,
was pulled of. Although it was only
. third as large as the strip run,
It cqualled the latter in many respects
As early as 3 o'clock in the morning
the east side Of the Kickapoo was liter
ally lined with humanity, and every
preparation was made for the break at
l2. Every kind Of vehicle imaginable
was pressed into service. BY daylight
people were crowding for advantageous
places on the line, all attempting to jam
In at the best crossings Of the Deed
Fork The Ingram crowd on the north
numbered several thousand, while the
Chandler delegation on the east was
twice as large. Every man who had
entered fractional quarter on the
north side Of Deep Fork three years
ago stood in the middle Of the stream
astride their best horses, ready to
dash upon the balance Of the fraction,
and number Of women were In the
same position without the formality
Of divided skirts or bloomers.
Promptly on time the signal gun
spoke out and the mad rush began.
Horses, mules, bicycles, wagons, bug
gies and vehicles dashed across the
line and disappeared In whirlwind Of
dust and confusion. No accidents oc-
Cured at this starting place. Hun
dreds Of women started, and exhibited
the same amount Of enthusiasm as the
men.
Two townsite companies are conspic-
uous and have capital behind them.
One from Chandler has for an objective
point place half way between Chan
dler and Tecumseh and backed by prom
inent men from Chandler and Guthrie
The embryo town is to be called Kick
apoo City. The other is on the Choc-
taw, midway between Shawnee and
Choctaw City, and is to be called 0lney.
1t Is intended as rival to Shawnee
and is backed by Oklahoma City and
Tecumseh capital.
Frank Osawiski, long lank Swede,
was the first man TO locate fine claim
in Deep Fork bottoms and started at
once for the Guthrie land office. The
Guthrie Bicycle club entered east OF
here twenty strong They were out
stripped by the horsemen at first, but
in the long run many Of them came
out ahead. In the reservation herd
Of negroes from Douglass City were
settling on school lands by the hundred
and hard job the government will
have to get them off too. The white
settlers are greatly incensed at the ac-
tion Of the government in taking all
the best lands for school purposes and
there Is Dtrong talk Of organizing and
attempting to settle upon and hold
them by force.
South Of Douglass City the boomers
tell Of the loss of many horses, wagons
and outfits by imprudent persons who
drove into the treacherous quicksands
of the Canadian river, and there Is an
unauthenticatcd rumor that half a
dozen people perished. Every quarter
section has from two to half dozen
claimants and long before night the
settlers were turning back disgusted
and indignant at the fewness Of the
claims and the miserable quality OF
what there were. There will be plenty
of contests to make harvest for the
ATTORNEYS.