Beadle's Dime Library No. 636

# The Boomers of Big Bopp

This serialized novel by Jos. E. Badger Jr. depicts the Oklahoma Land Rush settlement period. A wagon train of Boomers—settlers claiming land during the April 1889 opening—travels toward Buffalo City. When the lead wagon crosses a makeshift bridge over a deep gully, it collapses, injuring driver Freeman and killing his horses. Investigation reveals the bridge's support stringers were deliberately sawed nearly through, sabotage attributed to rival "Sooners" (settlers who entered illegally). The attack represents escalation beyond previous conflicts. The wagon boss Hiram Powell tends Freeman's broken leg while the settlers discuss their situation. Characters include Frederick Acton, his adopted sister Lettice, and Christine Brockelmyer, a German-accented newcomer. The Boomers camp to rebuild the bridge before continuing to their destination, introducing themes of frontier competition and violence over land claims.