The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-28
THE BABY BOOMER :.
M urRBERT d. WARD
scorxr,rht. 1895, by Bachelor. Johnson ana
Bachellef.I
i'AnIi.


as eye could reach from vest 10 cash.
nom woodland, bog and prairie. non.
descrlpt. feverish. impatient mass Oh
rushing humanity was seen, fully zo,-
600 strong. The hundreds OF United
States marehals aud troops who haa
for so many days wearily guarded the
coveted territory from trespass sighea
with relief when the first notes OF the
precmution signal aiwere heard. Long pe-
fora noon the thousands who haa
started for Arkansas City, VINO hao
camped at Ponca, at Black Bear 'reeh'
WHO had pushed on cheerfuiiy In spite
of the swollen rivers, bottomless inuu
ord all tbe woes incident to an lnvading
.r,,v were ranged along the wire renee
,h,t marked the Oklahoma line. open
wagons. prairie schooners, suikles' Dug
r;es carts pulled by donkeys, mules
oxsn and horses of all kinds and every
Mood were stationed on the line. The
great majority of the settlers hha
staked everything on Oklahoma anu
many of these were seated on horseS
preoared TO race for their future homes
On the dead line, next TO wagon
rh;ch hore the following words on lts
canvas cover: "Chintz-Bugged in I'LL
,o;s s;cloned in Nebraska, White
canned i'm Indiana, Bald-knobbed IN
M,ssourv. Prohibited in Kansas, Okla
homy or Bust was a modest anu heu,
lv covered wagon. Though hileu Win
= miscellaneous assortment OF house
Mold utensils and farm implements,
tb;s wagon presented curiously fem
,p;,e a,snearancc. Harnessed on one
aide of its POLE was hopefully feeble
nag that seemed inspired TO pun or
die, On the seat was boy OF eight
winters. He was not humpbackcd,
though he gave that unfortunate i'm
preston; but the SHOWS OF lire hao
somehow shrivelcd his little form, ana
he bent like bow. He clung to the
battered reins, while loolxNof deter
minatdon was set upon his weazened
face.
"Keep n cool head, Bub; after I've
staked my claim and dug spadeful OF
dirt and put up my shingle, Wee and L
will ride back 10 meet you. No matter
what happens, keep straight for the
river"
The voice was strong and pleasant.
1t came from q woman on horseback
Bulbs mother, who had mounted the
nigh horse to make "A surer race for land.
in front of her wee was safely tied,
l,er baby girl, just three years old.
Bub was too young and feeble to drive
and care for his sister at the same time,
Iar II xxytfh N
venturous mother.
These three people were among the
great army of immigrants who had
s}xked all on tho presidents proclama-
ton opening the new territory Of Ok
lahoma to the public.
Tom Korall, the children's father,
had died in the saddle booming some
where in the Indian territory; and
Caddy Korall, his wife, was left in
KArsas with the two children. 1t was
in her blood TO scramble for new land.
Excitement and the hope of quarter
section were too strong, and now,
mounted on Jerry, she saw land and
home waiting for her on the banks OF
the Cimarron river.
The rustling now became rushing
and shouting. Yells and shrieks
quickencd the hoofs of even the most
decorous mule. The hour had come.
Twelve o'clock was at hand. The bugle
blew. At noon precisely, on Monday.
April %, began the desperate race, that
al the world has heard OF, for okla
homa land. There was TO time for
good-bys now. Cnddy wanted to KISS
her boy again. She couldn't reach him.
She Kissed her hand instead, and gal
loped off. Bub urged his horse to the
mockery of trot. The land sharks
who but now had made Jokes at the
boys expense and tried TO chaff the sin
gle-minded mother, were off and gone
on their aeet bronchos Indian
ponies. The day was bright and clear.
The race could be seen for miles over the
rolling prairie. Bub strained his eyes
and kept the two flying figures on
horseback in sight longas he couldsee
for tears and dust. He heard men
swearing violently and saw many
brandish weapons. The untamed emo,
tional natures of the boomers found
vent in yelling: "Yahoo. Yahoo.' AZ
the top of their lungs, and in firing
shots from revolvers and Winchesters.
The mother fed. well in the van. among
honest citizens and prairie tougns,"
who meant 10 get land at any cost
said that Caddy was well at the head?
SO she was. Jerry outdid himselfon that
day. Yet she was not the first. One.
who had the bold eyes OF a cosmopol-
1tan belle, the assurance of Texan
cowboy, and who kept her saddle like
circus ,der, was full a quarter cf
mile ahead. She led the race on mag
nificsnt roam. She turned and chal.
lcnged them al with a laugh and with
gestures Of defiance. Tough she
smiled insolently at the men she looked
sympathetcaliy hepale. slightmoth-
er who. with one arm around the cnild
and with the reins in the other hand.
urged Jerry by sharp clucks Close De-
hind Caddy rode the leader of the notori-
Gus gang CT desperadoes who had done
t,.soh a., Qooco u.I