Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-01-03
SETTLING on PUBLIC LANDS.
General Answer to Many Special In
quires.

quires.
!. The larger proportion of the un-
improved, uncGltiyated soil Of the Uni
ted States, including nearly all of that
of the states o Nebraska, Nevada, and
Oregon, as also of all the territories, is
still the properly Of The Federal Union,
and is khown as the Public Domain.
2. While much Of the domain is
sterile, rocky, mountainous, and thus
unfit for cultivation, large proportion
is fertile and excellent, including thou
sands of square miles which, being
trceless and very thinly erased have
been accounted desert, but which
prove quite productive when reclaimed
by irri CATION
8, Asa general rule, any part of
this domain pot already granted to or
occupied by private owners is open to
settlement by any one. He vino
'squats" on tract to which he has no
title, is regarded as holding it by pre-
emptlon. He IS Of course liable to be.
but seldom is, dispossessed by a bona
/ tide purchaser.
4. The Government proffers a quar-
ter section 100 acres) to any one who
settles upon a tract to which no adverse
title or claim exists erects habitation
and lives on it for five years. He has
topay for the papers and legal formai-
ties; requiring about $50 in all. This
is called making a honaestead
5. Congress has from time to time
made extensive grants of land to states
and companies in aid of the construct
ton of railroads through the public
domain These grauts are usually Of
alternate sections Cor square miles) for
a certain distance on either side of the
projected railroad.
8. The alternate sections reserved
by the government are doubled in price
and he who settles on these and pro
ceeds to acquire a home under the
Homestead act is allowed but eighty
instead Of the usual one hundred and
sixty acres.
/ I The general price of the public
lands is 81 20 per acre, or $500 for
100 acres" The alternate sections re
served by the Government along the
lines of railroads are held at double
price, at 81 so per acre.
8. The railroad companies generally
charge more for their alternate sections;
but as the Governments land is held
at 500 per acre, and eighty acres Of
1t may be acquired y settlement for
less than $40, the Governments Sec
tons are likely to have preference.
.. 1t is decidedly advisable that
those who have means should buy their
lands, either Of the Government or of
the railroads. 1t precludes all contro-
versy as to the due performance of the
Homestead requirements, gives an in
slant and perfect title, and enables the
owner to sell and convey, go aud come,
lease or rent, without peril of creating
an adverse title or invalidatirg his own
lO. No one can legally locate,
whether with cash or script, a quarter
section actually 1.-THE possession. by
legal occupancy and residence, of ID
settler, through he has not paid and
does not mean to pay for it. Bat this
principle does not apply to the alter
nate sections granted to raiIreads,
which do not recognize presumption.
IL, A quarter-sectioa of public lands
is not necessarily + gular quarter of
some designated section, but may be
made up of two eighties or four forties
forming one compact body, though
these were parts of different quarter
sections technically considered.
Such is the substance of the laws
and regulations governing the acquisi-
ton of public lands by individuals, as
we understand them. We trust this
compilation answers most of the cues
tons addressed to US whereto we are
unable to give special replies. = Cincin-
natti Times