The Homestead Act of 1862, signed
by President Abraham Lincoln, provided that a legal settler could claim 160
acres of public land, and those who lived on and improved the claim for five
years could receive title.
On high noon April 22, 1889 settlers could claim land to
homestead in Oklahoma . All
settlers involved lined up and pistols were fired to signify the start. A great
rush of settlers in wagons and on horseback surged forward in a race to claim
land. However, there were some that sneaked through earlier and claimed land
sooner than all the others. Thus, these people acquired the name,
"sooners."
I imagined the law-abiding
settlers discovering sooners in schooners on the land they had staked out for
their claim. However, instead of the
participants that followed the rules getting a team named after them, the
sooners did.
It strikes me as strange that the
team would be named after cheaters. No one really gives the team name much
thought anymore, but it is interesting to me how many times mankind glorifies sin,
considers the ungodly as heroes, and laughs at wickedness.
Whenever I hear the name
"Sooners" I am reminded of the Sooners in schooners in history and
also how I tend to minimize my own sin.
"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness
for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for
bitter!" Isaiah 5:20.
© copyright Kevin T Boekhoff
No comments:
Post a Comment