The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-04-21

"a me new capital on thu santa 10
railroal from Purcell and Arkansas
City. A newspaper plant was duslne
the day brought into the cIty and by
evening the press was set up and the
editor Ia his sanctum. A tent served
both as q pressroom and 4 sancium.
Twenty-Five thousand people slept
on the townslie that night and when
the city awoke the next morning Il
was as n the powers OF magic had
transformed the valley into q living
breathing city. Guthrie was o o or
ganizea irto government BY selecting
o representative from the number of
people IRON each state that had any
considerable representation on the
grounds. Al the end Of the week D,
p. Dyer Of Kansas City was elected
mayor. Famous bandits whose names
were terror 10 the Southwest. mingled
With the crowds. Gambling halls were
wide open on an sides. The dance
nails ran day and night and. strange
ic relate, amid all the picturesque
events thar marked The opening sum
mer ID Guthrie, crimes were reiia *
ihiy few In Guthrie. few men died
with their boots on"
Capt. David l.. Payne. the original
oklahoma boomer, was born at Fair.
mont, Ind. IN 1886. He wen west TO
Kansas when d young man and was
twice elected to the Legislature OF
that state from Donlphan county. Re.
moving later TO the southern part OF
The state he was a familiar figure on
the streets OF Wichita. which city he
made The base OF his operations IN
his efforts to secure the opening OF
the new country, At that time OR
lahoma was controlled BY cattle barr
0ns who held leases from the Fed
leral Government.
Il WAS while In the city OF wash.
lngton. where Ne had been appointed
doorkeeper 81 the House OF Reprcsen
tailvcs, that payne began the exam.
nation 81 the records IN the public
lands department. which disclosed 10
him that Oklahoma was public do
main. and therefore subject 20 entry
under tne nomeatend law Of the Unit
ed States. Congress and the author
ltiaa took q dlfferent view. and then
began thS struggle Of the one man
againal unlimited powers Of the Unit.
ed states which finally resulted III toe
man Whining his point before the
court.
Seven times did Payne lead bands
Of boomers into Oklahoma and as
many times were they rounded up by
soldiers and sent out Of the country,
sometimes In chains, and thrown into
jail, from which they would be llb-
Grated on writ OF hnbeas corpus. No
law corld be found By the court for
their detention, for there was nothing
In the statutes making II 4 crime 10 90
upon public lands. The pathetic side
Of the struggle wal the death Of Capt
Payne at wellington. Kan, just as
he had reached the point where ne
could Wow the land OF promiae. HIS
earnest contentious had been vlndlcal.
ed BY The United states courts and
It remained only for Congressional &C.
lion 10 open the country, and this nc
ton was assured. While nc break
fast az a hotel at wellington on Nov.
3, 1884, Payne was seized by an AT
tack Of heart failure and expired be.
fore medical aid could reach him.
The campaign for the opening Of Ok
iahoma 70 white settlement was con,
tinued by Capt W. IL Couch and Judge
Sears and others Of Paynea uldtime
followers, and resulted In favorable
action bY Congress. The pr0clnma.
ton opening the land to settlers was
issued ~ President Harrison. who
named April ~ rs the day on which
the race for homes should be made.
Throughout Oklahoma these Is /
general sentiment toward the erection
Of q suitable monument to common
crate III, work Of Capt. avid L. PAYNE,
Tie Was buried In Wellington and al
attempts By Oklahomans to have the
body removed TO this state have prev.
en- futile, because Of the opposition
Of Payne'a relatives. who believe the
body should not be disturbed.