The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1871-07-13
Settling on Public Lands.

Clal INQUIRIES we state the GOIl0W-
ing facts:
1. The larger portion of the unim-
proved, uncultivated soil of the
United States, including nearly all
the States of Nebraska, Nevada, and
Oregon, as also of all the Territor-
tories, is still the property Of the
Federal Union, and is known as the
Public Domain.
2. While much of this Domain ia
sterile, rocky, mountainous and
thus unfit for cultivation, large
proportion is fertile and excellent,
including thousands of square miles
which, being treeless and very thin
ly grassed, have been accounted
desert, but which prove quite pro-
lductive when reclaimed by irriga-
tion.
3. As a general rule, any part of
this Domain not already granted to
or occupied by private owners is
open to settlement by any one. He
who "squats" on a tract to which he
has no title is regarded as holding
it by Presumption. He is of course
liable 10 be, but seldom is, dispos-
sessed by a bona tide purchaAer.
4. The Government profRers
quarter section .C16O acres,) to any
one who settles upon a tract to
which no adverse title or claim ex
lists, erects a habitatiOn, and lives
on it for five years. He has to pay
for the papers and legal formalities
about $40 in all. This is called
making a Homestead.
5. Congress has from time to time
made extensive grants of land to
States and Companies in aid of the
construction of Railroads through
public domain. These grants are
usually of alternate sectiOns(or square
miles) for a certain distance on Ell
ther side of the projected Railroad.
6. The alternate sections reserved
by the Government are doubled in
price;and he who settles on these and
proceeds to acquire a home under
the Homestead act, is allowed but
eighty instead of the usual one hun
dred and sixty acres.
z. The general price of Public
Lands is $125 per acre, or 5000 for
16O acres. The alternate sections
reserved by the Government along
the lines Of Railroads are held at
double price, or $21 per acre.
8. The Railroad Companies gen.
orally charge more for their alternate
sections; but, as the Governments
land is held at s21 per acre, and
eighty acres of it may be acquired |
by settlement for less than $40, the
Governments sections are likely to
have the preference.
9. 1t is decidedly advisable that
those who have means should buy
their lands, either of the Govern
ment or the Railroads. 1t precludes
all controversy as to the due per-
fOrmances of the Homestead require
ments, gives an instant and perfect
title, and enables the owner to sell
and convey, go and come, lease or
rent, without peril of creating an
adverse title or inyalidating his
own.
10. College Scrip is extensively
used in purchasing by those who
wish to economic. Congress, ten
years or more ago, granted to each
State a quantum of Public Lands
proportioned to its representation
in that body, in aid of Education in
Agriculture and the Useful Arts
College Scrip represents these grants,
and is generally proeurable by set
tiers at 81 per acre. In large guam
titles, it is somewhat lower. A
warrant or scrip calling for a quar-
ter-section will buy 100 acres; but
it will not buy 80 acres Of the re-
served alternate sections along
line of railroad. Of these reserved
100 acres can be bought in
one tract with 5000 in cash and one
160-acre warrant or scrip. With
this exception, pre-emptorS can al
ways use College Scrip in paying
for Government (not Railroad Com
Pany's) lands but spectators who
buy or bold scrip in large quanti-
ties are not allowed to locate more
than three sections (or square miIes)
of that scrip in any one township.
This is TO prevent the monopolizing
of large tracts by means of scrip
With cash, any quantity may be
purchased of Government at the
foregoing rates.
IL. No one can legally locate,
whether with cash or scrip, a quar-
ter-section actually in the posses
sion, by legal occupancy and resi-
dence, of a settler, though he has
not paid and does not mean to pay
for it. But this principle does not
apply to the alternate sections
granted to Railroads, which do not
recognize Prescriptions.
II. A quarter-section of Public
Lands is not necessarily a regular
quarter of some designated section,
but may be made up of two eighties
OF four forties forming one compact
body, though these were parts of
different quarter-sectiOns; technic-
ally considered.
Such is the substance Of the laws
and regulations governing the ao-
quisition ofPublic kands by individ-
uals, as we understand them. We