Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/103

92 92 THE OKLAHOMA "rUN." most of whom have bpen enduring, hardships for days and perhaps week? — all for the sake of procur- ing 160 acres of land at the nominal price of $1.25 per acre. Talk about the greed of the Spaniard; and djsr regard for the rights of the natives in the year 1541! Iliose who saw and took part in that memorable "run" for a claim in Oklahoma can testify to the bru- tality and craze of the average "boomer"; they wera like animals, and all for the right to procure a piece of land which for 350 years had been considered of no value. Another thought: Many of the horses which made the race so that his rider could be the first to stand on a quarter-section of land, thus entitling him to the right of possession by reason of his being the first occupant, was an offspring of some of the Span- ish mares which were left in the country in the year 1541, they being called "Indian ponies,"' "Texas ponies," "Broncos," "Cayugas," etc. Those who have had the satisfaction to view the magnificent country all along the Arkansas river, as well as north and south thereof, do not have to stretch their imagi- nations to seethe pleasure experienced by those early discoverers. A man would be a chunk of wood who could not be impressed vfith the grandeur of the scene — beautiful, level land, verdure as green and lux- uriant as any to be seen in the world, not excepting Spain or Italy; for the comparison has been made, that if it were possible for the inhabitants of the eastern half of Kansas to be put to sleep and then be transported to Italy without being aware of tiie change of location, on awakening they would not be able to discern the difference in the crops, trees and