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Show 1 1'The The 'The ' Most viost MostIn Eventful Horse-Race Horse Race HorseRaceIn HorseHistory ? -Raceahoma Raceahoma - - RaceahomaJust In Inviost History ' Run in Okieust Oklahoma OklahomaJust OklahomaJust Just 50 Years Aqo Ago Tl TlRaceahoma This Month Monthy MonthH Montha . " , * " - " " - ' v " " < ' ' - " - y " wTOvw wTOvw"t"wr ' < ' "t"wr twr " " " ww wwyw"1 -yw"1- yw"1 yw1 yw"1J y H F a " " , ' & J , h : . tff : ; f 1/j 1 j / . t J . . t t/ t tTho 1 ' e , / ' " { x . " a - ' prf + < % aY Y 3 a Tho . , " y J > " . s " . . ' 4 > ( 4z 4ri < 'f f ' . t ,7 7 , . . fA , . , f _ .on on .ona a " . , _ , . x . M r f yy yyeo eo . . Y ' * ' f fqf ' qf qft r ; " ' . - f : ftr ) . " ' . : _ . - : ; f1.f f1f ! . ft " " . , . r b f " . , H . > , wif"f wiff Ir"t Irt " 1 < " < " ' : < > . , t _ " , - " ' A z . " " v i ' gv . g ' { . " ' tj-'t tj 't t } - ' . 11 ' ; . ft : . I ri ric , r : , . Ir r \ c . 8 " , d . , I 1 < N < ( ' " . 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' 't t ' " ; - dm * , . . . / f\ f f1 ffS * ' " \ ) 1 t \ < " " , } ' . " 4 4Y \ \Y Y \ " : ? ' t , : . s . : < > r P < , > Jt Jtt t [ sr . " . " t [ t K18 < ( , { ' ; ' " . Lds \ - " . , " .1 1 . " ' " .1Jf > * " , " St . . " , ajw ajwx / ' - ? " } " ' x . -J/f J f - " & , / vf vg 41 ' y J " , ' " ; } S < > : " , - ' \ ' " tIfIfiJ If//IfiJ If IfiJ , / tfc t " \ M rf rfs /-s-- s / - sJt - . & Jt JtfA L/ L L"w : : . / . ! > ' \ , . . . . "w w " . . , \ 'Jf Jf ' / 4 : : " "H H " , lJ- lJ lJY lJ"fi ; - . t\ t Y \ J\ J JA \ fc ' ; -"fi "fi fi > - A " ' * J &fLw fLw & vLv _ , , /fS fS / - _ L _ : " > ' - A part nart of tl the > e crowd o ' 50 000 that massed A on 'The The ' The Line Lme ' awaiting the signal to make the 'Run Run ' Run " . By ELMO SCOTT WATSONp WATSON p @ Western Newspaper New.paper Newpaper . Union UnionFIFTY UnionF UnionIFTY IFTY years ago this month occurred 'the the ' the most eventful eventful event FIFTY F ful horse race in m hIstoryIt history It " ItOn On April 22 1889 , an army of more than 50000 50000AmerIcans 50 50000Americans 000 000Americans AmerIcans from nearly every state in m the Union Umon had gath gathered gathered gathered ered along the borders of a long forbidden territory At noon nooncame nooncame nooncame came the signal which sent them on their mad rush into mto thePromised the thePromIsed thePromised PromIsed Land and when a new day dawned they were werealready werealready werealready already busy transforming transformmg a wilderness into mto a land of citIeSand citiesand cities and farms < ) Never before had AmerIca AmerIcawitnessed Americawitnessed Americawitnessed witnessed such a scene and andIt andit andit It is not likely that it WIll WIllever willever willever ever see it agam again But out of ofthe ofthe ofthe the dust and confusion and andturmoIl andturmoil andturmoil turmoIl of that day arose a anew anew anew new commonwealth and Ok Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma lahoma 'the the ' the land of the red redpeople redpeople redpeople people " added a new star tothe to tothe tothe the American flag flagBack flagBack Back of this trus historic horseraceor horse-race horse race - - --or or -or - - or the run as they refer to toIt toit toit It m in the Oklahoma of todaY-Is todaY Is todaYIsthe todayisthe today - isthe the age old story of a land hungry hungrypeople hungrypeople hungrypeople people Soon after the Creek andSemmole and andSemInole andSeminole SemInole Indians assembled in m a agreat aSreat , :5reat 5reat great : Indian council at Fort SmIth SmIthIn SmithArk SmithArk ' Ark m In 1866 ceded their lands landswest landswest west " , est of the nmetyelghth ninety eighth mend meridi meridian mendian I Ian an to the United Umted States govern government government government ment the agitation for opemng opening opemngthIs openingthis openingthis thIs country to white settlementstarted settlementstartedIn settlement settlementstarted , started startedIn In a few y vears ears came the raIl raIlroads railroads railroads roads and in m their wake theboomers theboomers the theboomers boomers Between the two twothere twothere twothere there was a close connection at atleast atleast , ' least in m the initial ImtIal stages of the themovement themovement themovementIn movement movementI I movementIn In 1870 the M K & T the thei thefirst thefirst thefirst i first railway to enter the IndIan IndIanTerrItory IndianTerritory IndianTerritory TerrItory began laying laymg tracks trackssouthward trackssouthward trackssouthward southward from the Kansas Kanas " , bor border border border der Its construction was rushed rushedacross rushedacross rushedacross across the Cherokce Cherokee Creek and andChocta andChoctas andChoctaw Chocta\ Chocta Choctas ChoctanatIons \ ! , nations and thence thenceacross thenceacross thenceacross across Red River into mto Texas TheA The TheA TheA A & P ( ( Frisco ) ) built its Ime line Imeacross lineacross lineacross across the Shawnee and Wyan Wyandotte Wyandotte Wyandotte dotte resen resert reser\ations reser ations \ atIons entered the theCherokee theCherokee theCherokee Cherokee nation and affected a aJunctIOn ajunction ajunction JunctIOn with the M K h . & T at atVmlta atVinita atVmita Vmlta Vinita in m 1872The 1872The 1872 1872The The Boom BeginsIn Begins BeginsIn egms egmsIn In 1884 the Santa Fe line Ime began beganbuilding beganbuilding I IbUlldmg . bUlldmg building straight through the cen center center ter of the territory from north to tosouth tosouth tosouth south This line Ime completed m in in1887 1887 passed directly through the thecoveted thecoveted thecoveted coveted unassigned lands and andItS andits andits ItS coming commg was the last clarIon clarIoncall clarioncall clarioncall call to homeseekers The bIg bIgboomthe bigboomthe bigboom boom--the boom the boom-the - the irresistible cry for the thenew thenew thenew new lands forlhlte for white \lhlte lhlte \ colonists colOnIsts- colOnIstsswelled colonistsswelled colonistsswelled - swelled into mto a national demandThe demandThe demand demandThe The outstanding figure among amongthe amongthe amongthe the boomers was Capt DavId DavIdL DavidL DavidL L Payne who had been a scoutduring scout scoutdurmg scoutduring durmg during the Indian wars on the theSouthern theSouthern theSouthern Southern plains plams in m the sixties and andseventIes andseventies andseventies seventIes As early as 1880 Payne Payneled Payneled Payneled led a colony to the North Cana Canadlan Canadean Canadian dlan dean river and attempted a settle settlement settlement settlement ment near the present site of ofOklahoma ofOklahoma ofOklahoma Oklahoma City He was arrested arrest arrested arrested ed and his colonists conducted conductedback conductedback conductedback back across the border Withina Wlthma Wlthm Within a month Payne was back wIth wIthanother withanother withanother another colony which met the thesame thesame thesame same fateBut fateBut fate fateBut But he never relaxed his ef of efforts offorts efforts forts Colony after colony was wasorganIZed wasorganized wasorganized organIZed under his leadershIp leadershIpand leadershipand leadershipand and pushed across the forbIdden forbIddenborders forbiddenborders forbiddenborders borders only to be met by the thebayonets thebayonets thebayonets bayonets of Uncle Sam s soldIersPayne soldiersPayne soldiers soldiersPayne Payne was finally md rnd cted by bya bya bya a federal grand jury but hIS hISdeath hisdeath hisdeath death at Wellington Wellmgton Kan m in the themIdst themidst themidst mIdst of another forward mo\ mo moe mote moment motemerit movement \ e ment merit removed this mdustnous industrious mdustnousI industriouscaptain industriouscaptam I captam captain of the boomers from fromI fromthe fromthe I the scene His work was taken takenup takenup takenup up and earned calned carried on by William L LCouch LCouch LCouch Couch The last invasion was wasm wasin wasin m in the fall of 1885 when Couch Couchwas Couchwas Couchwas was placed under arrest and hispeople hIS hISpeople hispeople people removed from the terrI terra terrItory terratory terntory terntoryBy tory toryBy By this time the federal fcderal au authorItIes authorities authonties thorItIes at Washington Wa"hmgton Wahmgton Wa"hington Wahington " weie wele be- be begmnmg beginning be beginning - - ginning gmnmg afterbill alterbill to get busy Bill after alter bIll authorizing authorIzmg the opening openmg was debated wasdebated and defeated At lastafter last lastaHer lastafter aHer after a bitter fight participatedin particIpatedm particIpated m in by Indnns Indl'1ns Indl1ns Indi-ins Indi ins ' - and Indian agents agentscattle agentscattle agentscattle cattle barons and special mter inter mterest intereat interest est eat lobbyists the Oklahoma bIll bIllpassed billpassed billpassed passed February1889 the house in m February 1839 1889 finallyvas failed in m to the senate finally vas tacked on as a rider to thp the theiu thpla " -la la -iu iu - - (1 1 ( an appropriation bill and became be became became came President Presldent a law March 3 1889 1839 Pres Presl ] dent Harn-on Harn on HarrI"OIl HarrIOIl Harmon " ' - issued a proclama tion setting settmg the date of the open openmg opening opening mg ing on April 22 1889LIke 1889Like 1889 1889Like Like wildfire the slogan On toOklahoma to toOklahoma toOklahoma Oklahoma again agam swept swcpt through throughthe throughthe throughthe the country and the prospectIve prospectIvehomeseekers prospectivehomeseekers prospectivehomeseekers homeseekers now clothed wIth wIthlegal withlegal withlegal legal powers began everywhere everywhereto to assemble for the grand rush rushTwo rushTwo rushTwo Two million acres m in the unas unassIgned unassigned unassigned sIgned lands were surveyed andstaked and andstaked andstaked staked into mto quarter sections and andtown andtownsites andtownsites andtownsitesDetachments town townsites sItes sItesDetachments townsitesDetachments Detachments of cavalry were weredeployed \ weredeployed ere eredeployed deployed to patrol the borders of ofthe ofthe ofthe the new lands Registration of offices offlees offices fices flees were opened at Guthne GuthrIe and andKmgfisher andKingfisher andKingfisher Kmgfisher Kingfisher Arrangements weremade were weremade weremade made with the railroads to run runas runas runas as many trains trams as possible mto into mtothe intothe intothe the new territory on the day set setfor setfor setfor for the openmgThe openingThe opening openmg openingThe The Great Day DawnsA Dawns DawnsA A graphic account of what whattook whattook whattook April22 took place on that historic rustonc April 22 is given by Carl Coke Risterin RIsterm RIster m in his book Southern Plains Plams- Plams Plains- Plamsmen Plainsmen Plainsmen - - men published recently by the theUnIversIty theUniversity theUniversity UnIversIty of Oklahoma Press PressHe PressHe PressHe He writes wntes writesThe wntesThe The morning mornmg of the eventful eventfulday eventfulday eventfulday day dawned bright and clear For Formany Formany Formany many miles along the northern northernboundary northernboundary northernboundary boundary of the land to be opened openedthousands openedthousands openedthousands thousands of homesteaders were werecamped werecamped werecamped camped and hundreds of others otherswere otherswere otherswere were coming commg in m hourly SoldIers SoldIerspattolled Soldierspatrolled Soldierspatrolled pattolled patrolled the southern side of the thelIne theline theline lIne to keep back any overly am ambltIOus ambitious ambilious bltIOus bitious contestant yet a maJonty majority majorityof maJontyof of those who were present accept accepted accepted accepted ed such restrictions without com corn complamt cornplaint cornplaint plamt plaint anda and a spirit of good cheer cheerand cheerand cheerand and friendly banter seemed to toprevaIl toprevail toprevail prevaIl Still StIlI as the mornmg morning mornmgwore morningwore morningwore wore away the waiting waltmg people over their laboring mounts were werestrung werestrung werestrung strung out across the prairies or orthey orthey orthey they raced side by side and theirloud theIr theIrloud theirloud loud oaths laughter andshouts and shouts shoutsaccentuated shoutsaccentuated shoutsaccentuated accentuated the t thundering undermg hub hubbub hubbub hubhub hubhubAlong bub bubAJong bubAlong Along AJong the southern boundary boundaryof of the land to be opened the con confusIOn confusion confusion fusIOn was almost as great Thou Thousands Thousands Thousands sands of contestants had congre congregated congregated congregated gated at Purcell and at other otherpomts otherpoints otherpouits pomts points on the southern bank of ofthe ofthe ofthe the Canadian river This SIlt SIltfilled siltfilled siltfilled filled river was an effective bar barrIer barrier barner rIer which made the work of pa patrollmg patrolling patrolling trollmg trolling soldiers easy Several Severaldays Severaldays Severaldays days before the opening openmg desirable desIr desIrable desirable able crossings crossmgs were located and andbefore andbefore andbefore before the start was made long longImes longlines longlines Imes lines of horseback riders nders followed followedby followedby followedby by vehicles were opposite Pur Purcell Purcell Purcell cell on the north bank of the therIver theriver theriver theriverA rIver rIverA riverA A Tense Moment ' , ' A short time before the starting startingsIgnal startingsignal startingsignal sIgnal was to be given LIeu LIeutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant tenant Adair of the Fifth caval cavalry cavalry cavalry ry mounted on a white horse horsetook horsetook horsetook took his station on a hillwhere hill rull where whereall whereall whereall all could see him The atmos atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere phere seemed to be charged wIth wIthexcItement withexcitement withexcitement excItement and tenseness as the thewatchers thewatchers thewatchers watchers watchers : sa saw , ? him lift a bu bugle le _ to and is mateven even before the notes of the m in mstrument instrument mstrument strument were heard along the thesouth thesouth thesouth south bank reckless horsemen horsemenwere horsemenwere horsemenwere were plunging plungmg into the turgid wa waters waters waters ters of the stream making makmg for forthe forthe forthe the opposite bank and that ve ye veI vehlcles yehides vehides I hlcles hides m In some cases loaded wIth wIthfamIlies withfamilies withfamilies famIlies and household effects effectswere effectswere effectswere were following followmg closely behind behindthem behindthem behindthem them Some of the vehicles rmred mired miredin rmredIn In the quicksands but the dnvers drIV drIVers drivera ers era unhitched their teams mount mounted mounted mounted ed their favorite horses and con contmued continued contmued tmued tinued the race Within WIthm an hour hourthe hourthe hourthe the prairies on the northern sIde sIdeof sideof sideof of the river were covered co\ered co ered \ wIth wIthexcIted withexcited |