The Jasper weekly courier., 1876-02-11
FROM THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
rsi,.ls.I ..a Personal New. and Gossip.

l'he tf"uAn tAtFuut1Aut
TnE PUBLIC LAND RING.
The Committee ON Public Lands have
taken up the resolution introduced last
week by MIR. Bland Of Missouri In relation
to the alleged ring OF land spectators who
are said 10 be rapidly appropriaiing the
public lands Of the country. Ii Is charged
that these land-pirates have been aud are
still procuring by fraud and otherwise the
transfer to themselves OF the lands allowed
as additional quantities To Union soldiers 10
make up the amount Of 100 scrcs In railroad
limits and other privileges secured by acts Of
Congress, approved June \. 1872, and
March q, 1913. The resolution provides
that the Commissioner OF Lands be re-
quesied TO INFORM this House whether
such transfers have come Ia his
knowledge, and what rulings have been
made thereon; and whether any other or
farther legislation j. necessary 10 prevent
such transfers and protect said soldiers from
frauds. The impression prevails that the
committee viii recommend the passage Of
the resolution, and those who are Informed
about the frauds predict that this resolution
will bring about the disclosure OF one OF the
most Astounding rings I'm the country. To
make plain the operations pursued by the
ring brief explanation of the law is needed:
Under an act of Congress passed in 1862,
parties were permitted 10 enter, under the
land. upon condition they would remain
i've years on The land entered, in
evidence Of which the form IN which the
entry j. made contains an aflliayit that il il
made for the applicant own use and bcnc-
fit. These entries, however. cannot be
made within six miles OF any railroad line.
excepting IN the csSe of cntricS made bv
soldiers, who were expressly permitted 70
enter oneh half Of the allowed amount, ~
acres. within the railroad limits named. In
1872 the law was amended 20 ~ 10 permit
soldiers 20 enter their entire lJ acres with
in railroad limits. and hN m amendment
PASSED in 1873. those soldiers who had al
ready entered 20 acres. were freed from the
condition that required them To- enter the
remaining ~ in lanI contiguous 10
that first entered. rs some strange
construction Of the law, " llioh was not mad.
generally public, these entries made by sol
dicrs who had previously entered ~ acres of
land were permitted by thc applicant simply
making affidavit That h. j. q dlscha, ged sol
der. and has not h"geiUi r. act tuirediiilc 10
100 acres. The affidavit cU uilining no state
mcnt thar the entry j. for actual settlement
hy the applicant. the agents 0i the public
land ring have hunted out ~ the soldiers
who still have rights 20 make entry, and.
after getting the form VI entry made hy them
have bought them FOR mere song. in some
cases they have paid a. little a. four or five
dollars. but In most eases thf price paid has
been from $40 to 80. These agents have
sold their claims thus procured 10 a certain
firm in this city for an advance Of about ten
dollars. To give some idea of the magni-
tude of The business done b,' this firm. il II
said that the lands bought by them during
the last year are worth from -, 900. 900
10 5000 900. The ring has confined
its work 20 no particular State.
but has extended ITS operations
wherever public lands are 70 b. found.
Southwest Missouri has becna fertile field.
and thop aids Of acres have been seized 10y
means II these fraudulent entries. SOUTH
west Missouri. particularly. has been over
run by the agents Of the ring. and Il + said
that certain party in Marshield made al
least 80, 900 in this business last summer.