The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-01-30

clerk, who registers it, and puts 1t in a
wrapper, on which he marks the file number,
the class. name of claimant and such other
memoranda as will distinguish it from all
other claims. 1t is then, passed to the COM
missioner or chief clerk who certlfies to its
having been filed on a certain day. Then it
goes to the calculator, who carefully examines
the field notes Of the survey for the purpose
of determining their correctness. Ii correct,
he certifies to the fact; if erroneous, he
points out the errors, and his report is trans
mitted to the surveyor. From the calculator
the claim goes TO the draftsman's depart
ment, where the survey is delineated on
the map of the proper county. If not in
conflict with any previous survey the drafts
man marks on il, correct on the map" III
in conflict with any previous survey, the
craftsman certifies to the fact and politics the
surveyor of it. If all is correct on the map,it
next goes to the examining clerk" who
scrutinizes the nature of the claim and
determines whether or not the certificate
under which the survey is made is genuine
or not. IL he finds it TO be the true certifi-
cate, a short entry is made on the wrapper
to that effect. After any claim has been in
the Office ninety days and passed the ordeal
of all the examinations above named with
out being objected to, it may be called for
by the claimant or his agent; and after due
scrutiny by either the chief clerk or COM
missioner, and no reason appearing why it
should not be patented, one or the other OF
those officials Endorses upon it ready for
patenting." 1t then goes 10 the department
of the patenting clerks, where a patent is
made out which is laid before the commits
sioner and signed by him, and then it re-
ceives the impress of the seal of the general
land Office. It. is then transmitted to the
governor for his signature AM the impress
of the seal of the state. Upon its return to
the office the claimant or his agent, on pay
ment of the proper fee TO the receiver, be-
comes its possesSor.
SOME STATISTICS.
The last report of the commissioner to the
governor shows that on August 81, 1876 there
were still remaining of vacant public domain
81, 632, 800 acres. The same report shows that
the lands set apart for the establishment of a
university amount to 202,64 acres. 1t also
sets down 16,0S0, 600 acres as the quantity of
land up to that time set apart for common
school purposes. For the fiscal year ending
August 81, 1876, in the same report to the
governor, it is shown that the general land
office received for patents issued and other
dues SIS 800. 10, and that they had issued
1875 patents, embracing 4,29l.343 acres.
Patentees pay nothing for the land con.
veyed to them by the state, except they are
settlers upon university or common school
lands. In such cases they pay small sum
and quality, the price being set upon it by
the appraisers of Its neIghborhood appointed
by the governor and their failings in the
matter invariably leans to the side of the
poor settler, and under the laws governing
the matter he has 10 years in which, by
annual payments, to acquire his homestead
In all other cases patents cover lands donated
by the state 10 individuals or corporations in
consideration of past services or benefits TO
the state or former republic. In many intances
the benefits are very shadowy, and the gen.
Grafton is not far distant that will bitterly
denounce the legislation folly that gave
away millions of acres of the public domain.
when the consideration was only the digging
of bitches and the cleaning out of streams
which like the little boys nose tbat"wouldn't
stay bowed" never will stay dug or cleaned
out. l can not close my almost exhaustive
description of the general land Office without
again thanking Messrs Kllluogh and Hutch
ms for the substance of this narration. To
them you owe it. MABEL LAwRANcE.