Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-08-12
LETTER FROM MINNESOTA.

waterless plains, destitute OF wood, that
characterize the topography of Illinois,
nor the thickly timbered and billy lands
of the Eastern states, but a variety of
rolling prairies, whose undulations at
times rise into little hills, and again
slope off to some crystal stream or spark
ling lakelet, bordered with timber and
lined with stony bluffs, from whose bases
gush forth pearly fountains.
A person travelling through the state
and seeing the prairies and woodland so
appropriately proportioned and connect
ed, would naturally conclude that moth
ing was to be done but build house
and make garden, and a home would
be complete. But a person coming here
to secure home has many difficulties to
contend with, Notwithstanding the adj
vantages this state has over many other
localities as an agricultural state.
Nearly every quarter section that |
have seen in the southern part of the
state, is divided into tillage and meadow
land, in manner that seems especially
intended to make this the most inviting
place for a person to open farm and es-
tablish home Along the banks Of the
rivers and creeks, and by the shores of
lakes, we find low, moist lands, where
blue joint and redtop grow in abundance,
while back on the plains every section
has one or more sloughs, where water
stands in the spring, but in summer they
become dry and are smooth, making ex-
cellent meadows that can be, mown with
! machines to a better advantage than
many Eastern meadows.
10 take claim and improve it is the
first step of every settler. This is done
by several different methods. The home
stead law entities every citizen who has
arrived at the age of twenty-one, or ev-
cry head of a family, to a quarter section
of land outside of railroad limits; and if
soldier, within these limits, but if a
civilian they can hold only eighty acres.
A person taking a homestead is obliged
to 60 on and improve it, making it his
home which he can't leave for more than
six weeks at time. Soldiers taking a
claim are allowed to deduct the time they
served from the five years. An addi-
tional two years is allowed every person
, taking homesteads to prove their fulfill
ment of the homestead law Before a
person can get deed of their land they
have to build house of certain dimen-
sions, with certain number of doors
) and windows, and other improvements
7 on the land
Another way of securing homestead
is by presumption, A person who pre-
empts land can get possession of it in
| six months after getting his papers, pro.
vided he moves on to his land immeai-
ately, and puts on the necessary improve
ments. By using a homestead right doe:
not infringe upon the right of pre-emp
ton, nor does presumption forfeit thu
: homestead privilege, but only one o
t them can be used at time, as both re
quire residence and cultivation. No per
a son who has deed of three hundred ant
% twenty acres in the United States Cal
[. avail himself of the homestead or pre-
7, emption privileges
@ Many claims have been fled by par
); ties who have neglected to fulfill the re
:, quirements of the law, or have been de
/; serted. Along the projected and com
< pleted railroads, many such claims wer
S. found where few had settled and thu
;; started town. governments and schoo
II districts. To get these claims is tn
to main object of persons who are now CON
e. ing here with the intention of buildin
Y, them home First, they have to prov
e the unlawfulness of the papers formerl
c. filed, and then proceed the same as wit
st government land.
of The total expense of homestead pr
gs pcrs and commission is eighteen dollars
I'd unless previously filed, when there is a
in additional expense of suit to test I'll
as papers. Persons pre-empting land 6,
en- it outside railroad limits for $l.25 a
tn acre, and within these limits for 500
IN Any person can get home here who
lie. twenty-one years of age; and it is n,
r. an uncommon thing to see young I'll
en- married ladies seeking and taking hom,
lis as well as widows and men.
x Besides the government land in IL
d. state, there are about thirteen million
of acres of land belonging to the warrior
A. railroad corporations in the state. The
nc lands are sold at different prices, RAM
II ing from five dollars upwards Nv
d sections Of the thirty-six contained
every township, are donated to the schoo
III of the state by the government. The
: lands are held until they bring certa
u price when they are sold to the highe
'oV bidder and liberal terms granted at re
'o0 sonable rates of interest. Many 9th
nc farms in the state that have been he
IN by persons who are involved can
''0 bought at very low rates, with many il
~ provements upon them.
~ G. II. DEwING.
IN, .ShelbyciHe, HIM, July 10, 1872.