The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-28
AN EXCITING
RUN FOR THE
LAND OFFICE
To File on a Claim Worth Two
Thousand Dollars.
REGULAR GILPIN STUNT
Man on Horseback Gets to
Goal First.
REGULAR GILPIN STUNT

El Reno. O. T. March e7.--.1 exciting
ruce took place here Yesterday between
two men wsc want-1 &c Tile or a valuable
tract Of land The story is told graph
ically in the American as follows:
Perhaps the widest run that has
been made in old Oklahoma since the day
of the famous ride for homes took place
on Choctow avenue yesterday on the ar
rival of the $50 north bound Rock Island
Limited. Arrangements had been made
during the day for the run, and it was a
record breaker. A crowd had gathered
around the land Office 70 see the finish and
the officials were out on the walk 10 see
the rIn When a ca5 a0d a m0ui te'
horse loua5ol the c-r..er of Choctaw and
Hayes, tCth on a dead run. whi1 and lasa
going at every jump. one would think the
James gang were rlaying tag with a
band Of Comanches. But the single horse
won.
A. n. Hunter. of the firm Of Lee. Hun
ter & Mccain Of Lone Wolf. was the man
who had ridden the horse The man in
the cab made himself scarce afte- the
race ard his name was not learned
Hunter was coming 20 the land o;ilce TO
file. \ b. Loumiller on the southeast
quarter Of 1850 and the unknown man
was coming to file a contest against the
owner Of the quarter. When Mr.. Hunter
got on the train at Lone Wolf. his busi-
ness partner. J. NJ. Lee. went to him and
told him that man was on the train and
was going 10 El Reno to file contest
against the claim which Mr.. Hunter was
preparing TO make a homestead entry
upon for Mr.. Loumi-ler. Then the tele-
graph and telephone wires were put to
working. At Chickasha, Mr.. Hunter tel
ephoned to Mr.. Geo. 5. Pearl and stated
the case to him and told him TO procure
a horse for him and have it in readiness
for a run when he landed in Fl Reno.
Mr.. Pearl did as directed and wired Mr.
Hunter, in care Of the train, that all was
in readiness, and that the horse would be
at the north end Of the depot platform.
But in the meantime the other party was
beginning 70 get wise He telegraphed
to FL Reno for them 10 have a special car
riage and a fast team in readiness for
him And It was done. the team and car
riage place at the south end Of the depot.
Neither one knew that the other had tele-
graphed to Fl Reno for special transpor-
tation. When the train pulled up in FL
Reno. the man who had secured the cab.
was the first out. He made A ruin for the
vehicle. jumped inside. and they we're
off. The man on the horse had TO run the
entire length of the platform before he
4 l. -..T-s
a smile" mounted it, glanced back and
started for the land Office. Just as he was
leaving a cab with the horses running at
full speed came around the other end CT
the depot and Mr. Hunter on the horse
saw who was in IT, and the race was on
North on Choctaw avenue. the man on
horseback on a good steed, and hitched
TO the cab wrere the tall slender racers
belonging 70 l. Rardin. the bus man
II was race for a claim worth al least
5000. Past Watts. past London. past
Wade, past Russell. past Woodson 20
HAYES. almost neck and neck. they came
AT Russell street. the cab was IN the lead
by A quarter OF a block. but the weight
OF the heavy rig told on the team and
from that time on the man on horseback
began 70 gain ana hlidAit NeoSto ti4--i
near the junction Of Hayes and Choctaw.
He rode nearly 20 the land Office door at
the same speed pulled the horse back on
its launches. gave the papers 20 George
Pearl who went in and filed on the land
The land Office officials had seen the finish
of the race and acting fairly they gave
the flrss man IN the right-of-way. The
popular Jim" drove the cab for the
stranger and received five dollars FOR the
race, and II a man ever got any running
out Of a team hitched 10 cab. Jim made
the record. II was a pretty race. the
good runner and the racers 10 the cab.