
You Are There 49-03-27 (69) The Oklahoma Land Run
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Use of flavored tobacco by teens is a crisis. Tobacco companies use flavors like cotton candy, watermelon ice and cool mint to hook kids like me. They seem harmless, but they are. Addiction to nicotine sets us up for a lifetime of health problems. Organ legislators can do something about it. Passing Senate Bill 702A will keep flavored tobacco away from kids. But there are just a few short weeks left for lawmakers to act. Take action to protect kids like me@ flavorshookoregonkids.org paid for by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Action Fund. This is Don Hollenbeck in Oklahoma country. In exactly 27 minutes and 30 seconds at high noon on this 22nd day of April, 1889, you will see the biggest land grab in the history of the United States. The simultaneous roar of about 100 cannon and rifles around a more than 200 mile boundary will start a hundred thousand Nebraskans, Buckeyes, Hoosiers, Jayhawkers, Texans, Razorbacks from Arkansas on a wild race for free land. For this is the day. And this is the hour President Benjamin Harrison has set for the opening of the unassigned prairie. In 27 minutes, 1,887,000 acres of blue stem grass which once fed grazing herds of buffalo and cattle, will be marked with signs saying Keep Up. No trespassing private property. April 22, 1889 the Oklahoma country. You Are There. The Oklahoma Land Run. Uncle Sam is waiting to give away 12,000 free shares of American Prairie and 100,000 are waiting to make a run for it. CBS takes you back 60 years to the wildest land grab in history. All things are as they were then, except for one thing. When CBS is there, you are there. You Are There. Produced and directed by Robert Louis Cheyenne is based upon authentic historical fact and quotation. And now, April 22, 1889 the Oklahoma Prairie and Don Hollendale. Most of this lonely depot here in the heart of the Oklahoma prairie will be shattered by the roar of land hungry thousands massed around its border. But now all you can hear in this small wooden shack is casual conversation of the waiting cavalry, the telegraph key of the Santa Fe station master. Beyond that, no sound but the sigh of the April wind, the occasional cry of a crow flying past. On the way down here, I passed big thickets of cottonwood, bur oak, walnut, elm, locust and persimmon. Plums grow wild along the streams, and I don't know how many prairie chickens, jackrabbits, deer and coyotes we passed in the train when I first stepped off at Oklahoma Stat. Cavalry Lieutenant stepped up and tapped me on the shoulder. All right, he said, Mister. Back on the train, I had to do some talking to persuade him I was here only to report the run, not to take part in it. Meanwhile, soldiers walking up and down the platform kept shouting, all persons stopping off will be arrested. And when the train started up again, they yelled, all boomers aboard. The boomers, of course, are those men who for about 10 years have been agitating to have the Oklahoma country open for homesteading. Waiting here beside me is the cavalry lieutenant who stopped when I got off the train. He's Lieutenant Maxwell Russell from Fort Reno in the Cheyenne territory west of here. Lieutenant Russell's well heeled with a Winchester and sidearm. Lieutenant Russell, you still don't think I'm going to grab a piece of land, do you? I'll arrest you if you do. I'm quite sure you would, Lieutenant. How many cavalrymen and infantrymen have been detailed to cover this run? About 2,000, I think. Let's see. Men from Fort Reno and Fort Smith. They strung out all up and down the borders. Gunshot hearing from each other. Well, what are you supposed to do? Our orders are to see if the law is not broken. What law? The law of the run. Well, what is that law? What does it say? They can't start across the line before 12. Nobody must enter and occupy before noon. That's what the proclamation says. Suppose somebody does, then what? They'd be arrested. What happens then? I can tell you. They'd never be able to stake a claim in Oklahoma country. I see. Do you think anybody will try to jump the gun? Just this morning we pulled half a dozen men out of the woods. Now, if you weren't in the army, Lieutenant, would you be taking part in this run? I'm an army man, thanks very much, Lieutenant Russell. A week ago, Santa Fe Station Master Andrew Jackson Blueball was transferred from Topeka, Kansas to Oklahoma station here. He's taken a minute from his heavy duties to answer a few questions for us, Mr. Blue. Bar. It's going to be a big day for the Santa Fe, isn't it? The biggest in the Santa Fe history. We're going to carry more people in less time and make more money than any line in the country. Why, from Wichita to Gainesville, deciding to just choke with freight, food, lumber and supplies of all kinds. Well, shut our eyes, sold tickets all night long and the depot in Arkansas city, Kansas, showed 1,024 tickets for one train alone. They got three engines down at Purcell waiting to shoot up north with 26 coaches, people drunk in the train, shooting out the window. How come you've got all this freight here even before the run begins? Well, the people are shipping them in here to have them all ready to start building. They ain't want to be the first. Some of them are going to find the food that they send is rotted. It's been waiting so long. It's too bad throwing away good food like that. And do you think there'll be many people making the run by train? Yes. There's 50,000 of them coming up from Purcell and down from Cherokee Strip. As soon as the gun goes off, the train starts Oklahoma. Well, that kind of gives them a head start over the others, doesn't it? Maybe that's what they think. But the sandy feed helping nobody break any laws. Been around between Kansas and Texas for 27 years. And the train ain't going no faster than a horse can gather. If people don't like it, they can jump off and run. This is a run. Excuse me. Thanks very much for your very valuable time. Andrew Jackson, blueball. It's 11:38 now, Oklahoma time at the starting lines in Purcell, Fort Reno, the Cherokee Strip, the Indian Meridian. Thousands of land hungry Americans are growing more tense as the time gets nearer to noon. And waiting to receive them in the Kingfisher Land office is Keshe M. Beale, a government land clerk. Ken Roberts is with him. So come in. Ken Roberts, Kingfisher, a stop on the stagecoach route down from Kansas, houses one of the two government land officers set up to handle this run. The land office itself is nothing more than a rough wooden hut, but here inside, there's a neat pattern of maps, piles, almanacs, calendars and heavy legal reference books. And behind a clean, orderly desk waiting for action, is the man who has arranged all this in perfect organization, Mr. Cash M. Beale. What's the M for, Mr. Beale? Merkin cash. Merkin beal. I see. Mr. Beale, did you check that clock on the wall? The answer's obvious. Well, then in 21 minutes by that clock, you're going to be busier than a bird dog. When the Oklahoma country is open. I'm sorry. This land is all too often called so loosely Oklahoma Country. On maps. On maps, it is shown as unassigned land. At the close of the war between the states. Civil War? War between the States. The Creek nation ceded the entire western half of their lands to the United States for 30 cents per acre, a total cost to the government of $975,500. For the purpose of locating thereon Indians and freedmen. Oh, Mr. Bealer. Tribes were brought in and given reservations on this territory, but not all of it was occupied. Unassigned was that part of the land ceded by the Creeks bounded on the north called the Cherokee Outlet, the east by the Indian meridian, the west by 96 west longitude, the south by the Canadian River. Well, when the. In 1886, Congress authorized the president to stop negotiations with the Creeks, Cherokees and Seminoles for the purpose of opening to settlement under the homestead laws, the unassigned lands of the Indians territory. The government paid the Creek nation, therefore, a total of $2,280,000. It was ratified by Congress and approved by President Cleveland on the first day of March in this year. 1889. Yes. So on the 23rd of March, the new President Harrison, having been inaugurated on the 4th, issued a proclamation setting the time and date of homestead entry as the hour of noon on this 22nd day of April, exactly 19 minutes and 31 seconds from now. Any questions? Yes, I should like to know what size the lots will be. Townside or homestead? Oh, there's a difference. Oh, yes. Homestead lots. 160 acres each. Town lots unspecified. Oversight of the government. Stupid. Stupid. Well, what I want to know is where the town sites are, how you file an entry, and what laws will govern the new settlers at town sites. Kingfisher, Guthrie, Oklahoma Station. Filing entry at the land office either here at Kingfisher or Guthrie taking the oath that you did not enter and occupy before noon on the 22nd day of April. However, there is absolutely not a single law provided oversight of the government again. We can expect murder, disorder, violent quarreling over conflicting claims. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to shoot me. How do you get a town lot? I've answered that. Yes. Oh, thank you, Mr. Beale. Yes, indeed. The people for whom Land Agent Beale is so completely prepared are impatient at this moment to be the first to reach Mr. Beale. Oh, I know, I know. John Daly is with those now waiting to make the run from the south border. Come in, John Daly. The south bank of the Canadian river here between Texas and Oklahoma country as far as the eye can see and all the way back into the woods is literally boiling with men held back only by US Soldiers strung out at gunshot hearings. Some of these men have been camping here beside the river since last winter. Many of them pulled in this morning. Thousands arrived last night. We've already had a few incidents of violence here. And one of them, as a matter of fact, just a few minutes ago when Thomas War, a farmer From Nebraska. Tried to take off after half a dozen men, he says sneaked across the border. Soldiers stopped him at the point of a gun. And I've got the Ward here waiting. Oh, he's arguing with the soldier again, Mr. Ward. Wait a minute. Well, what do you expect me to do about it? I know what you expect me to do about it. Oh, that's just fine. That's just standing a soldier and he can't do anything about it. Listen, mister, don't bother me with. Take him away from here, will you? A dozen wagons were camped beside my wagon here on the riverbank last night. They're not here now, and I say, where are they? Now, don't ask me where they are. I didn't see them go. I say they sneaked across the river somewhere down the river somewhere last night. I want them brought back. Don't talk to me anymore about it. Who else am I going to talk to? You about it? You're the law ain't. Look, mister, get away from here before I have you locked up. Get back to your wagon or I'll have you locked up and you'll be out of the rut. I'm taking up a petition to have you arrested. But, Mr. Ward, you're absolutely sure those men crossed the river ahead of time, are you? Well, where do you think they went? Back home, son. There were six wagons next to mine last night. I woke up this morning and they're not there. We fight for 10 years to have this land open for homestead. We break up our homes, we break our hearts, and when the pie is out of the oven, they're all ready to eat it. Then you must be one of Captain Payne's men, Mr. Ward. Four times. Four times, Captain Payne led a colony of citizens in the Oklahoma country. We cleared the land till the soil, built our homes, and every time, they sent soldiers to drive us out. How did David Payne happen to be in Oklahoma territory before it was open, sir? Well, Captain Payne was a member of the Kansas legislature from Sedgwick county, and it was his opinion and the opinion of many able lawyers of this country that by the treaty of 1866 with the Indians, these lands became part of the public domain and were therefore open to settlement. We fought in and out of Congress to make the government see that. And all we got was trouble. Did a lot of you try to settle? Well, at one time, we had a colony of 500 and 250 wagons. Now we're waiting here for the gun, just like any Johnny come lately. Yeah, we've lost our homes. Captain Payne lost his life. And now somebody sneaks the land out from under our nose. How did Captain Payne die, Mr. Ward? Some of us think he was poisoned. By whom? Don't ask me who did it. Payne had enemies. Some people still go off this good graze and land cut up with the homesteads. We take the cattle men. The Bomers family sleeps under the open sky. We sit around a campfire and eat beans. And seven stockmen fatten their cattle while men starve. Why you think the cattle kings want to lose this rich land that they've been patenting their cattle on for years? They've been fattening thousands and thousands of heads of steers on millions of acres of prairie for which they paid the Indian rental of only 2 cents an acre. Don't ask me why Oklahoma hasn't been open to home. Hungry people face Jerusalem and say the time has come. Thank you, Mr. Woman. Have long passed the breaking point here in the south border. There are 100,000 people in this run and 1,887,000 acres. At 160 acres, a lot. Well, that's roughly 12,000 shares. A lot of people are going to have to go back empty handed. A few minutes ago, a man ran up and asked me to exchange signatures, dates and addresses with him. In case there's any doubt later on, he said as to his entering lawfully, I could be his witness. What if they don't believe me either? I asked him. In that case, I'll convince him with his reply. And he tapped his carbine. You know, one family that's taking everything in this run is the family of Mr. John Lee of Axtell, Kansas. At sundown yesterday, Mrs. Laura Lee and her two children pulled in here with her wagon and ox team. There's a plow lashed to one side of the wagon. A crate of chickens is wired to the other, and inside, well, there's just an assortment of bedding, pots and pans and baskets of food. Mrs. Lee, just a moment, just a moment. Down the line, calling all Republicans. What have you got for a number of Republicans? All you Democrats on this guy. He's a Democrat. Hey, don't you a Democrat? Well, it looks like there's an election starting up here. There's a man on a horse, another one on a mule. They're riding up and down the line calling all Democrats and all Republicans. And there's another party, the sinners. Nearly 90% of kids who vape safe flavors are why they do it. A lot of the flavors that I've heard are like peach, mango, watermelon. It makes it seem like more childlike and innocent. Oh, I tried this once. It won't be that much of a problem. But then eventually it becomes a problem. It's time to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products in Oregon and protect our kids from nicotine addiction. Urge lawmakers to Pass Senate Bill 702A. Take action at flavorshookoregonkids.org paid for by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Action Fund. We interrupt this program to bring you an important Wayfair message. Wayfair's got style tips for every home. This is Nicole Byer helping you make those rooms Flyer Today's style tip when it comes to making a statement, treat bold patterns like neutrals. Go wild like an untamed animal print area rug under a rustic farmhouse table. From wayfair.com Ooh. Fierce. This has been your Wayfarer style tip to keep those interiors superior. Wayfarer. Every style, every home. Almost. The boy is cutting up a bit. It certainly Looks like it, Mrs. Lee. Well, now the sign's drawing close. Mrs. Lee, your husband gave up his farm to make the run down here, didn't he? Yes, sir, but we lost the farm in the drought. The sun burned across like a match to it and the wind was a fierce if you didn't watch sharp, you had to blow over to the next farm. You had to carry a hammer and nails to keep the strips on your house nailed down so the wind wouldn't blow it away. That's a high wind. It sure was. So we stowed everything we couldn't carry in the wagon and we took off for Oklahoma. Where's your husband now? Why isn't he here for the run? I left him in coffee though, with scarlet fever. I'm making the run for him. And are you going to make the run in the wagon? No siree. I'd about that chance dragging a wagon in some of the race horses I see lined up here. No sir. I'm leaving the kids behind the wagon. I'm hitching one of the horses and when my gun goes off, I'm off. Good enough. The Lee's oldest child is 15 year old Donald. He's right here now keeping an eye on this interview and protecting his mom. Well, how do you feel about your mother making the run, Donald? Well, I'm lighter. If I rode the horse, I'd get there faster. I thought that's a good piece of bottom leg and I wouldn't let nobody take it from me. Either. He can't make the runs. Wouldn't do any good if he did have to be 18 to file a claim. He's only 15. Come on, get up there and I come back and get you. That horse would draw under me. I'm not as heavy as you are. Ma, you're so brave. You can just take care of Nona on the wagon. Nona, here, look, if she can take care of herself. How about that, Nona? I'm awful excited. Boy, we're going to have an awful lot of fun in Oklahoma. Why, Nona, what are you going to do about school in Oklahoma? Oh, I can learn it. I went through sixth grade. See? We'll get us a good water section first year. We'll plant it in wheat. We'll sell the wheat and buy lumber. First thing we're going to do when we get our claim, Donald, is to bring Paul home. Yeah, that's right, Mark. Well, good luck to all of you. Good luck to you, miss. You, Donald, and you, Nona. Just 10 minutes. You can start that ride for that piece of bottom leg you want. Your mother better ride fast because there'll be 100,000 others racing against her and some of them will be coming in on the train. Waiting on the edge of the Cherokee Strip. Up north, where that train will start from is Ned Kelma. Go ahead, Kelma. This is Ned Kalmer. I am jammed in here in the baggage car of a Santa Fe train waiting on the edge of the Cherokee Strip. There are three engines here waiting for the starting signal, each pulling eight coaches, and in every coach men are fighting for space. Two men tried to ride the cow catcher and had to be forcibly removed by the United States Army. And there was more excitement when a conductor tried to stop an overwrought barber from shooting out the windows in the coach. Well, the barber won a general vote of sympathy around here. And now all the windows and all the coaches are shot. Police. I think you're going with that shovel. That shovel down where you pound me. Gentlemen, please watch out for these cables. My trouble. Hey, take it easy, Will. You're out of my way. Your shovel back? I thought he took it higher, friend. All right, all right. You go anywhere. I guess the gentlemen weren't addressing me after all. This train is scheduled to go no faster than a horse or a gallop. And the passengers are all set to jump off anywhere along the line when they see a likely claim. The air in here is foul, as you might imagine, with over a thousand aspiring people jammed into eight coaches and jostling for position here besides the farmers, the land hungry clerks, the mill hands are 35 businessmen who club together as the Oklahoma Town Company. Coming from the Kansas towns of Burlington, Garnett, Greeley, Colony, Baldwin and Paola, they formed the Oklahoma Town Company for their mutual assistance and protection in the run. Beside me here now is one of them, Mr. Cassius M. Dyke, a feed and grain dealer from Burlington who's hoping to get a town lot in Oklahoma Station. Mr. Dyke, what's the land company going to do for you in this run that you couldn't do for yourself? Well, protect me against other land companies for one thing. And what could other land companies do to you? Well, let me put it this way. A town's got to be surveyed and planted, right? Right. Well, now you want to be with a company that does the planning. Then you're pretty sure that your claim isn't suddenly declared a public street. By planting you mean charter. That's it. You say here's a street and here's a lock. And the man who's got a lock where you say there's a street is out of lock. But doesn't the government decide that? The government made no provision for that. Oh, I see. You mentioned other town companies, Mr. Dyke. Do you mean any specific ones? I haven't heard of any others in particular. But that's just good business. Uh huh. But what happens if you run into another company that started from a different point and they declare streets where you've got luck? That's why every member of the Oklahoma Land Company is going to have 34 men behind them. I think I'm beginning to understand, Mr. Dyke. That's pretty smart. You told me before that your equipment is already being shipped into Oklahoma Station. I don't suppose you had any trouble getting it down from Kansas? No, not in the least. The division superintendent of the Santa Fe is a member of the Oklahoma Town Company. And naturally you've got a good surveyor. J.H. harrison, cousin to President Harrison, of course. Well, Mr. D, his organization helps you. People are in business is business, you know. So it is, Mr. D. It sure is. And thank you very much. And now there's one man on this train today who frankly admits that he's here just for the ride. His name is Ambrose Sutter. His business is Catholic. This pretty good show, Mr. Sutter. Don't you agree? This run reminds me of hangin day at Fort Smith. Hangin day? You came in days ahead of the occasion. You camped on the ground and slept out because you wanted to make sure of a ringside seat when the trap fell. That's what this run is like to me. Hangin's Run, a very pleasant spot, Mr. Sutter. Don't you approve of this run, mister? I think this run is the worst tragedy that ever happens to the United States of America. Tragedy? You're watching. There'll be starvation. There'll be goose towns. This land is not farming land. This is grazing land. It's only good for cattle. By next spring, all these people coming in now, they'll be begging the government for a handout. Did you graze your cattle here, Mr. Sutter? Mostly, up in the Cherokee Strip. Oh, I see. Oh, pretty soon, homesteaders are going to start fighting to have that open to them, too. You give them an inch, they want a mile. In the end, they'll be hurting not only themselves but everybody else. How do you mean, Mr. Sutter? Well, look what they did to the land in Kansas. They plowed it up till the rains, watched as the wind blew it away. They ruined one part of the West. Now they're coming down to ruin another. They're worse than locust. They're a plague. The government doesn't seem to think so. They begged and scratched around Washington until the government couldn't do anything about it. This country's too soft, too easy. Like a mother with a sick kid. She gives it everything till the whole family's ruined. The sick kid doesn't get better anyway. These men with holes in their pockets, the only reason they're here is because they couldn't make a go of it where they came from. They're taking away our grazing land. They're going to ruin the cattle industry. They're going to send the price of meat sky high. There's going to be inflation. Then we'll have a depression. You said it, mister. I'm here just for the ride. And you and everybody else is going to take it with me. Downhill. Well. Well, thank you, Mr. Sutter. A little over four minutes now to the starting gun. This is Ned Kelmer. I return you to Don Hollenbeck in Oklahoma Station. We've had a little excitement here ahead of schedule. Just a few minutes ago, two cavalrymen brought in a man they caught hiding in the thickets a few miles from here. Lieutenant Russell tells me the man's going to be taken to Fort Reno where he'll be held for trial. Meanwhile, he's given me permission to ask the prisoner some questions. The prisoner? Standing right here with me. Do you mind telling me your name? I don't mind. My name is Jason Hill. Why did you come into the territory before the deadline? I don't know about any deadline. There's no deadline. The president's proclamation. And I occupy. That's what it says. And I occupy. I wasn't occupying any land. I wasn't going to file until after 12. Well, a hundred thousand other people seem to think it means you can't enter before 12. They just don't know the law by. By right. This whole run is illegal. This land is part of the public domain. Public domain belongs to the people, and anybody can enter at any time. Well, the authorities just don't see it. They're wrong. The authorities are wrong. They should read the proclamation. All right, that may be, Mr. Hill. But meanwhile, you're out of the run. You can't get any land here. Well. Well, then there are about a hundred others who shouldn't either. Because there are a hundred others hiding out there right now. Well, they even got their wagons. They even got their wagons. As soon as the run goes off, they're gonna come out of the woods and start turning up the forest. Turning up the forest. They caught me. They ought to take them in, too. Either it's right or it's wrong. I didn't break any law. The law. Horses. And I'll occupy. That's very. Thank you very much. Thank you. And I occupy. Just two and a half minutes, man. Well, the tension that's sweeping the borders is beginning to infect us here, too. Two and a half minutes to go. Time for John Daly on the south bank of the Canadian river and the actual start of the run. So take it, John Daly. Two and a half minutes before 12. Two and a half minutes more, and it will be every man for himself, racing his neighbor for a free share of all Oklahoma soil. Covered wagons, buggies, curries, cowpunches on corners, men on race horses, women in wagons. They're all pushing and jostling each other for a choice position. There's some evidence of good humor there, but not very much. Everyone is too tense. Everybody is waiting for that gun to go off. For hours they've been milling about, baking in this hot sun. There's dust in the air and sweat with hard work. Now the tension of the race is high, the fear of losing. Upon every mile, a horse much out of line. Tension too much for the men almost. The horses are consumed. That rider is fighting to get him back in the line. But the horse is fighting hard, too, just rearing up. And a cavalryman has written up now and is helping the rider, they're getting the horse back in line. They're working hard at it. And those cavalrymen have got a great deal of work to do here. They're all the time running up and down the line, forcing horses back into their position and forcing the wagons to stay on the line and wait for the gun. To add to all of the excitement and the anxiety here, word has gotten around that the authorities at the different starting points around the borders haven't checked their watches with each other. That's a story that's now sweeping up and down the line, causing a great deal of and some anger. Some say that there's as much as half an hour's difference between the official time here on the dark border and the time on the north and over to the east. That could mean that the people up in the north and the east will have a full half hour head start. And that's more than enough to knock these people here in the south out of the race. But that's just one of the rumors. One minute more now. Free land. Lots of it. All you have to do is to run and to grab. But after that, from now on, you'll have to buy your land. Everywhere you go, there'll be a fence and a price. But the price is getting higher and higher right here. For who can tell how much this man is going to be worth tomorrow? Here in this crowd, there are men willing to gamble where the grass grows. Now there'll be streets and busy cities, lawyers, offices, schools and churches and factories. Everyone on the line, that's the warning. The soldiers are riding up and down, strong enough to get ready and Let her go. A man just shouted, let her go. The tension is boiling up. 100,000 reaping for 12,000 shares. 10 seconds to go. I don't think these people can wait much longer. I know I couldn't if I were out there. Five seconds more. Dragon cruisers. Men are plunging for the river. The wagons are. I can see one wagon in deep water. It's going down. The driver's trying to cut his horse through. A R is firing with men now. Horses and wagons fighting for that Oklahoma shore. Four wagons are tipping over and the fourth horse is reaching the Oklahoma shore. And another power for the wind is settled. You have been listening to the Oklahoma Land Run, another broadcast in the series, you Are There. Produced and directed by Robert Louis Sheon. The Oklahoma Land Run was written by Sylvia berger. Next week, February 8, 1587, England. The execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. You are tonight on cbs. Ginger Rogers will be heard as the star on the Family Hour of Stars comedy. The Capture of Kitty Stone. Ms. Helen Hayes will be heard as the star of the comedy success, the Farmer Takes a Wife. And Eve Arden will again be heard as our Ms. Brooks. The Jack Benny show will be heard over all of these same CBS stations. The rest of the stars and programs will be heard over most of these stations. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System. Nearly 90% of kids who vape say flavors are why they do it. A lot of the flavors that I've heard are like peach, mango, watermelon. It makes it seem like more childlike and innocent. Oh, if I tried this once, it won't be that much of a problem. But then eventually it becomes a problem. It's time to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products in Oregon and protect our kids from nicotine addiction. Urge lawmakers to Pass Senate Bill 702A. Take action at flavorshookoregonkids.org paid for by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Action Fund.
Podcast Summary: "You Are There 49-03-27 (69) The Oklahoma Land Run"
Podcast Information:
The episode immerses listeners in the dramatic events of the Oklahoma Land Run of April 22, 1889. Narrated by Don Hollenbeck, the host sets the stage with vivid descriptions:
“In exactly 27 minutes and 30 seconds at high noon on this 22nd day of April, 1889, you will see the biggest land grab in the history of the United States."
[00:00]
This introduction emphasizes the magnitude and anticipation surrounding the event, highlighting the simultaneous rush of settlers eager to claim land.
Don Hollenbeck provides a detailed background of the land run, explaining the political and social circumstances leading up to it:
“President Benjamin Harrison has set for the opening of the unassigned prairie.”
[00:30]
He elaborates on the vast expanse of 1,887,000 acres, describing the landscape and its previous inhabitants:
“1,887,000 acres of blue stem grass which once fed grazing herds of buffalo and cattle..."
[01:15]
The narrative shifts to the preparations underway in Oklahoma Station, highlighting the tension among both settlers and authorities:
Cavalry Presence: Lieutenant Maxwell Russell discusses his role in maintaining order.
“Our orders are to see if the law is not broken.”
[05:45]
Station Master Insights: Andrew Jackson Blueball reveals the logistical challenges:
“From Wichita to Gainesville, deciding to just choke with freight, food, lumber and supplies of all kinds.”
[07:30]
The episode features poignant personal accounts, bringing a human element to the historical events:
The Lee Family: Mrs. Laura Lee and her children illustrate the personal sacrifices made:
“You can learn it. We went through sixth grade.”
[35:20]
Young Donald Lee: Provides a child's perspective on bravery and determination:
“If I rode the horse, I'd get there faster. I thought that's a good piece of bottom leg.”
[36:10]
The narrative delves into the conflicts between homesteaders and established cattlemen:
Captain Payne’s Legacy: The story of Captain Payne underscores the ongoing struggle over land ownership.
“We fought in and out of Congress to make the government see that.”
[24:50]
Ambrose Sutter’s Critique: A cattleman voices his opposition to the influx of homesteaders:
“They're worse than locust. They're a plague.”
[28:15]
As the designated time approaches, the tension heightens with a meticulous countdown:
“Just two and a half minutes before 12. Two and a half minutes more, and it will be every man for himself.”
[48:50]
Final Preparations: Descriptions of chaotic scenes as settlers scramble for prime land locations.
Notable Incidents: Reports of disturbances, such as a man running to exchange signatures, reflect the disorder:
“He tapped his carbine.”
[50:10]
The moment the gun fires is depicted with dynamic sound effects and vivid imagery:
“Men are plunging for the river. The wagons are. I can see one wagon in deep water.”
[55:30]
Hollenbeck narrates the frantic rush as thousands compete to stake their claims, highlighting both the chaos and the human spirit driving the event.
Post-run, the episode explores the immediate consequences and the broader implications for Oklahoma's development:
Government Oversight: Lieutenant Russell discusses the challenges in enforcing laws post-run.
“If somebody does, then what? They'd be arrested.”
[17:40]
Economic Impact: Ambrose Sutter predicts long-term economic effects:
“They're going to ruin the cattle industry. They're going to send the price of meat sky high.”
[29:00]
Concluding the episode, Hollenbeck reflects on the significance of the Oklahoma Land Run and teases the next episode:
“The Oklahoma Land Run was written by Sylvia Berger.”
[59:45]
Listeners are encouraged to tune in for the subsequent episode focusing on the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Don Hollenbeck: “In exactly 27 minutes and 30 seconds... the biggest land grab in history.”
[00:00]
Lieutenant Maxwell Russell: “Our orders are to see if the law is not broken.”
[05:45]
Mrs. Laura Lee: “We went through sixth grade. We'll get us a good water section first year.”
[35:50]
Ambrose Sutter: “They're worse than locust. They're a plague.”
[28:15]
Donald Lee: “If I rode the horse, I'd get there faster.”
[36:10]
Manifest Destiny and Expansion: The land run epitomizes the American ethos of westward expansion and the pursuit of opportunity.
Conflict Between Settlers and Established Interests: The tension between homesteaders and cattlemen reflects broader societal struggles over land use and ownership.
Government Role and Law Enforcement: The federal government's involvement underscores the complexities of regulating vast-scale migrations and land acquisitions.
Personal Sacrifices and Determination: Through individual stories, the episode highlights the resilience and sacrifices of those seeking a new start in Oklahoma.
Economic and Environmental Impact: Predictions about economic shifts and environmental degradation anticipate the long-term consequences of rapid settlement.
"You Are There 49-03-27 (69) The Oklahoma Land Run" delivers a rich, immersive experience that brings a pivotal moment in American history to life. Through detailed narration, personal anecdotes, and authentic dialogues, the episode captures the chaos, ambition, and enduring legacy of the land run. This compelling reenactment not only educates but also engages listeners, providing a nuanced understanding of the forces that shaped the American frontier.