The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-01-20
Moze Inquiries s.gUl
A gentleman writes us f,or, RI q

"a gentenaa writes us from BoxIey,.
hamlissaeenasF, <Ia1iaaa, wishing to be
alylsei in relation TO claims; how they
are taken, and il settlers can be secure in
taeEs p0ssessiea Wheeler the timber,
springs, AMI bells of coal, are already
taken up : what woall be the best plan
Tor man living in the center of Iniiaaa
IN relation to getting here in the spring ?
.si''Tne roads, he says, '"woun not al
mi: Of starting with teams before the st
OF May. could no. reach there before
June. Tnen it would be too lac to put
in spring crops. If come by water,
without team. eoali | hire my sbreak-
iaS done 2 Ill could. think tha. would
be the best. Then could plant my. crops
and come back for my sfs1nily when the
roads getgood. Would it be best 20 take
stock, such as mich cows and Young
horses /? lam blacksmith. Would it
be bessto bring my tools 2" ...t.
As tothe method of securing claims, We
cannot add anything to the numerous
sta.ements alrea iy made upon the sub
ject, We give nearly the entire law, on
the first page of the Herald of Freedom
this week, pertaining to the subject, with
a compila lion of the instructions of the
Land Office to Registers and Receivers.
Those who will take the trouble TO real
those articles carefully. and, if not fully
understood at first, read again, will find
themselves web posted upon the subject
The lands open to settlement belong to
tie government, but the government has
nol set the metes and bounds, though
are making preparations to do so as
rapidly as possible. They aHoae persons
to locate on the public domain, aal if
they apply to the proper officer within
three months aftera survey has been made,
and register their claim, when the land
comes in market they have the preference
in buying. As possession is their only
show of title, it is necessary thai it be
continued by constant exercise of acts
of ownership over the premises. Diff
culties may, and probably viii, ensue
relative to boundaries, as no enc can sup
posesthe governmen. will run the lines
where individuals desire them. The
"squatters' here have agreed to deed
and redeed to each other, by which the
bounds of claimants, as made by them
selves, shall be projected ; bu: we think
h.tle confidence can be reposei in thoSe
promises. Tnere win be refractory indi-
yiiuals in all communities. A sin ssle In
diyidual sanding upon his legal rights
could frustrate the arran cement of an
en- ire neigLborhood, perhaps township +;
AMI we have no doubt, in many instances,
Individuals should join with friends
an1form ileishborhoo1sas lar as practical
bic, each agreeing to finally fail back upon
government lines and by mutual con-
eessiens let all matters of variance as to
what is right for Improvements put upon
the4others claims be paid for. Its hoped
thai the surveys viii be male a. an
early day in the spring. Hsoon enough,
it will save much contention and clashing
of interests. go - ~ -
We should rather prefer to run our
risk as to difficulties growing out OF
those questions, and secure GOOD claims,
than 10 wait till all the best claims are
surveyed by others, and then come in foi
poorer quality of lands.
By the late treaties with Indian tribes
inha5ising the Territory, and by acts oi
Congress, there were between twelve and
fourteen millions of acres of lands thrown
open for settlement. But little of this
can be called waste lands: indeed. We
know of none which is such. in fact. yet
we presume it does exist in some places.
Allowing each head of family one
hundred and sixty acres Of public do
main and thereis sufficient really for the
hardy pioneersto accommodate seventy
five thousand families. IF each finily
viii average six persons, then Kansas is
ready to receive, at the present moment,
population of half million. To sup
pose that the few, comparatively, who
have already located here have secured
the best claims, IS preposterous. Those
already here have settled along the kaa-
sas river, and in the Immediate vicinity
of points which indicate the erection OF
large towns. Within ten miles of Law
renee We are assured as good agricultural
claims can be secured at this time as
any, probably, in the Territory.
At Topeka-described in another place
by our correspondent this week--shere
are any, numberof valuable claims in the
immediate vicinity of the town siae.--
Seveuty-fve miles west of here another
point has been made BY eastern people !;
and We. are assured that there IS .eS-
celient water privileges, as well as ib-
eraI supply Of timber. OF course there
viii be a general avalanche of pioneers
in the spriag.and those who first get
posessioa will stand No. l.; at the same
time We think there are lands. enough for
all.a Settlers invariably first select wood
claims and springs; but these are not,
and eannot all be taken for some time,
though twill be necessary to 60 further
into the interior to End them.-
R.s at1xs tl...s,-.s s,s.,,,, ;.ars ,S,g nsFsssnS