The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-07-06
Prom The New York Tribune.
Settling ON Public Lands

In general answer to many specia,
inquiries we state the following facts
/ l. The larger portion Of the unfm-
proved, uncultivated soil ofthc Unite
States, including nearly all that OF the
States Of Nebraska, Nevada and Ore
gon, as also of all the Territories, is
still the property OF the Federal Union
and is known n the Publie Domain.
, While much of this Domain is
sterile, rocky, mountainous, and thus
unfit for cultivation, a large proDoF-
ton Is f;gcile and excellent. iUcIudiUV
thousands Of square miles which, be-
ing treeleSs and very th;nly grassed.
have been accounted desert, but which
prove quite productive when reclaim
cd by irrigation. ....--
). As = general ruIe, 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 a. holding it by
Presumption. He is of course liable
TO be- but seldom is, dispOssessed by a
bOHa Jidc purchaser.
!. The Government prOlIeTs q quar-
ter section (lGO acres 10 any one who
settles upon tract To which no adj
Verse title or claim exists, ereets a
habitatiOn, and lives ON il for five
years. He has to pay for the papers
and legal fOrmalities required. about
so in all. This is called making
HOmCStCdd. .-.-H7.
(t,r,rr,.a..., ~, c.,.., A.. A. t-..
made extensive grants of land to
States and companies in aid of the /
of railroads through the 1
public domain. These grants are
usually Of alternate (Or square miles, !
for a certain distance on either side of I
the projected railroad.
q. The alternate sections reserved /
by the Government are doubled in J
price; and he who settles on these /
proceeds to acquire a homie Under the /
Homestead act is allowed eighty in
stead Of the usual one hundred and 4
iiXty acres. -a-
:. The general price OF the Public
Lands Is 81 > per acre, or 500 for 100 I
lcres. The alternate sections reserved
~ the Government along the lines of
Railroads are held at double price, or
% per acre. r.
S. The Railroad Companies general
Y charge more for their alternate
ectiOns but, as the GOvernnient's
and is held at S24 per acre, and eighty
-cres Of it may be acquired by settle
nent for less than so, the Govern
nents sections are likely to have the
reference. r.'.'.t
3. 1t is decidedly advisable that
hose who have means should buy
heir lands, either Of the Government
r the Railroads. Itprecludes all con- 8
rDversy as to the due performance of
Le Homestead requirements, gives
n instant and perfect title, and enab-
p the owner to sell and convey, 90 :
nd come, lease or rent, without peril !.
f creating an adverse title or invali- +,
ating his own. -.
10. College Scrip is extensively nsed y,
4 purchasing by those who wish TO
Congress, ten years or !
of fPublicIands proportional :
D its representation i'm that body, in !
id of Education in Agriculture and j
ne Useful Arts. College Scrip repre- /.
ents these grants, and is generally !
roeurable by settlers at 81 per acre. :
n large quantities, it is sold some !
that lower. A warrant Of scrip cal !
ng for n quartersection will buy 100 :
cres; but twill not buy 50 acres of
ne. reserved alternate sections along a / !
ne of railroad. OF these reserved :
100 acres can be bought in I;
ne tract with $500 i'm cash and one 100 !
eres warrant or scrip. With this )
preemptOrs can always use i
ollege Scrip in paying for Govern !
lent mot Railroad COmpany's) lands; ,,
ut spectators who buy or hold scrip
4 large quantities are not allowed to
,cate more than three sections Tor
luare miles, of that scrip in any one (
l,s-l.zhip- 19aia ia 40 tsHsNGGIG--t -ttIts-f I
Of large tracts by means y
Z scrip. With cash, any quantity Z
lay be purchased OF the Government y
the foregoing rates. Ia
IL. No one can legally locate, :
neither with cash or scrip, u quarter [
ectiOn actually i'm the possession, by
gal occupancy and residence, Of a
,ttler, though he has not paid and :
Des not mean to pay for it. This
rinciple does not apply to the alter
ate sections granted 10 railroads,
hich do not recognize pre-emptiOns.
II. A quaTter-seCtiOl Ofpublic lands
not necessarily 4 regular quarter Of
,me designated section, but may be
lade up Of twO-eighties or four fOTties
'rming one compact body, though
lose were parts of different quarter
,ctions technically considered. Il
Such is the substance of the laws
nd regulations governing the acquisi-
ON Ofpublic lands, by individuals, as,
c understand them. We trust this
answers most of the
ucstiOns addressed to Us wheretO we I
re- unable TO give special replies.