Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1891 — IN THE RUSH FOR HOMES. [ARTICLE]

IN THE RUSH FOR HOMES.

A Woman Who Waa In Too Much of a Harry Is Shot—Old Soldiers File Their Claims- -Interesting Times. Many are the stories received of the invasion of the newly opened lands by the “boomers.” At a point five miles below Tohee quite a number of boomers wero gathered to make the race. Among them was one woman, whose name has not been learned, whoso impatience got the better ot her discretion. She crossed the line before the appointed time and one of the deputy marshals guarding the party arrested her and forced her back oyer the line. Soon afterward she again crossed the line prematurely, and when the deputy again ordered her back she drew a revolver from her dress pocket and opened fire upon him. The marshal returned the fire and shot her in the left leg just below the knee, shattering the limb anddisabling her so that she was unable to make the race. When noon arrived the boomers left her outside the line, stretched under a tree, unable, to move. A humane hackman took the unfortunate woman to Guthrie, where shots being cared for. Reports have b?en received from several other places along the border, all of which agree that there has as yet been no serious disturbance Several individual altercations between rival claimants and several personal encounters are reported, but the conseqnenees were notiserious. The boomers are enraged because Governor Steele decided to allow notentry on the town sites until the surveys are completed and he has approved them. The Governor wa§ at the lower county at noon. It is believed the survey there has been finished and approved and that no trouble occurred over the entry. The lower county seat is thirty-eight miles from the upper, and the Governor will not arrive at the latter place until this evening. In the meantime- a company of United States troops under Captain Hayes is stationed there to defend the site against claimants The Governor’s course in regard to the town sites is approved by Secretary Noble, as shown by the following telegram fiom the Secretary to the Governor: “No orders revoked. My only advice 1! to use civil officers until absolutely necessary to resort to troops. The reserves art United States property, and troops can protect the same until town sites art opened. This you can control. By nc means abandon the same, but preserve the land and protect the Government in the use of its own land for its own purposes.’Major Weigel, a Government land inspector, is acting Governor in the latter’! absence.

The scene at the land office here yesterday was a lively one. About 250 old soldiers armed with declaratory statement! had been in line before the office door lot four days past. Some slept in chairs,some on the ground, and some hardly at all. Their meals have been brought to them by their wives, children or friends. The weather has been pleasant, but the veterans were accustomed to hardships and did not mind the inconveniences. When the hour of noon approached there was very little excitement, the men in the line being nearly the only people left in town, most everv cne having gone to the border tc either join in the rush or witness it. The first man to the line was John Diamond./ When noon arrived he handed his papers to Receiver Barnes to make th 4 necessary examination of them. Th« papers wero then passed up to Mr. Wallace. chief of this land office. Mr. Diamond passed to the next window and handed in his sl4 and was handed a receipi ior the same. On passing Out of the land office he was met by his family and congratulated. The second man to file war J. L. Kalkloich; the third was John B. Knapp. There, was no disturbance about the. office, and the business of filing th< statements proceeded quietly and swiftly. At 7 o'clock'all the old soldleYs had got their papers. Tile line did not decrease in length, however, for after 3o’clocksettlen who had located their claims in the new lands began to arrive to file their entry notices. For every old soldier that stepped out of the head of the lino a fiesh claimant stepped into a place at its end. Th< land office kept open until 7 o’clock. Al that time 40117 two hundred men wer< still in line, and others were arriving every minute.