The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-20
THE COLORADO LAND RING.
SOME or THE BEI UTIES or GRiNT.
ISM IN THE WEST
Huge Frauds in Lns Animns County United
StHtrs O;2cial% Deeply Implicated A Mat
ter for Congress to IuVc-iieatr.

Huge Frauds In Lns Animns County United
Stntrs O2ciai- Deeply Implicated Mat
ter for Congress to InVc-iieatr.
TWNIDAD, Col, Feb. i2.-Colorado has
enjoyed the blessing II Grantism for nearly
eight years It, onci4ls have teen In great part
intimate friends ~ the man who alone. " MI
WHO have sat in the chair OF Washington. JcGfer-
son, and Jackson, dates to aspire to third term
in the Presidential o0icc. And now to the TO-
suits Of that ItIerna government.
Las Animas county Is one Of the southern tier
OF counties in this Territory. Its area. especially
in the vicinity Of the Ration Mountains Is undcr-
laid with thick layers Of camel coal which has
no superior In the United states These layers
are often from ten to twenty feet thick and well
nigh inexha ustible. For gas and coking pur-
poses It is the only coal which can be found 1t
10 be used in our great West. and Il of ready
sale In Denver. after being Transported over ono
hundred miles by wagon to reach the nearest
railroad terminus. OF this coal It Is estimated
there are at least one thousand square miles,
worth to the Government. AZ the minimum. $40
per acre AZ the Kansas Pacific Railroad and
the Narrow Gauge Railroad approached this
place, IL was expected that there would be some
land stealing; but what has been done in tins
line IS absolutely appalling.
with the Land ONCE met In Denver, aud de-
vlsed their plan Of operations to gobble all the
those Which would ere long be within easy
reach OF a railroad. 1t Is said that jerome Is.
Ihafce, who Is President ~ the First National
Bank aud Dave Mor1t, his cashier. were to
provide the funds, while Charles 4. Cook OF the
Pueblo Land Once and his clerk, " ilnams, were
to further the project by the prostitution Of
their official position to the purposes Of the
Ring and share In the spoils. Bona Hide settlers
wero told the lands could not be entered, be-
cause the WHILST. Nrain private land grants
Were forb,dden' '' + have seen more tnan one
letter from the Pueblo land officers giving this
answer to applications To- enter the land by
private parties. who desired TO prcempt
homestead IL. The Land ONCE Instructions for
babe any entry Ia such cases until the ilnal adj
judicatiOn Of the rights Of the win st. VrIn
claimants. No such adjudication has yet been
made. Notwithstanding this fact entries have
been received from parties In the interest Of
the Ring, who upon Investigation prove to he
myths, and ON those entries patents Issue.
A SINGULAR FACT.
In Las Animas county the work has been done
IN THIS way bv United states officials In the in-
terest Of individuals and Of the Denver and r.
G.h. W. Company, IL Is a singular fact that
ever been reported by any United states sur
yey9r or, deputy surveyor as mineral or
passer by In very many cases 1t is
another singular fact that the surveyors who
employ OF the Ring, and,after they report TO tue
Snrveyor-G ana get pay for thcir work
from the United states they become alive to tho
fact that this lane is valuable coal land
Upon the basis Of the surveys the persons
war by the Ring apply to enter the land as agri-
cultural land. and lo 50 with Agricultural Col
lcce scrip and additional homestead warrants
at SIS per acre.
No llud in this county has ever been offered az
public sale. Hence no land can nc entered here
except by way II preampti0n or Homestead. Ia
either case an actual settlement ana improve
ment Of TIE claim for at least xix months are re-
quired by law. The prcGmpton claimant must
swear that he has made his claim his bona nde
residence for al least SIX months preceding, and
produce TWO reputable Witnesses to swear to that
fict also. Here the Land Oiiicc also requires an
additional AFFIDAVIT that the land Is "non-min-
eral " In its character before IL can be entered
as non-mineral land. But all these requirements
are mere cobwehs In the way OF the King. They
have Justices OF the Peace and notaiies In their
employ. when a choice body OF land is TO be
gobOled up. some old ci'y directory ~ rcsorted
TO for names or preemptors. and list OF them
Is sent to their tools In these names applici-
tons are made to pTepmpt certain quarter sec
tons OF land, their papers being signed by the
tools of the Ring; the witnesses. also myths. or
taken from some convenient directory, have
their names signed In the same way ; "A jurat or
certificate Of the pretended affidavit having
been sworn to. Is affixed 10y notary or Justice
of the Peace In the employ of the Ring. Upon
the papers tho land, coal or mineral land II
great value, appears to be nothing but agIical-
tural land. and In due time a certificate Of entry
issues. Tnis certificate Is assigned TO 81. an. per-
son in the Ring, and when the patent ISSUES 1t IL
usually sent to \. G. Hunt, DENY" :. Coi, as the
records Of the Land Ohice -, W1-hinetnn IA
numbe'lcss cases will sh' - "