Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-03-12
g.: The U. s. Land Laws.
From the Pioneer Press ist5L::: g. ~ stssst


provisions Of the different United States
land laws. We therefore subjoin cleal
and succlnct statement Of the require.
lnents of the homestead act, the pre>elnp>
stion act and the timber culture act::s l., =,
80 ~ THE HOMESTEAD ACT II t;t
The applicant must be a citizen of the
United States, or must take out his first
papers, declaring his intention to become
a citizen. =, He must be, twenty-on
years old, or the head of q family. He
may enter 100 acres, cr>any subdivision
thereof. The land Office fee is $18 if the
land is within the railroad limit, or $14
if without the limit. The applicant is
required within six months from the day
of filing to have house built and his
family moved onto the claim, His resi-.
dence must be- a continual one for. five
years. he is not however required to
live on it day. and night continuously
but he must not be absent more than six
months at any one time.6Sf A longer alb
senca will forfeit his claim At the ex>
piration of FIVE years residence he sub
mits his proof that he has lived on the
land and cultivated it. He then gets his
patent (deed) from the president of the
United States. ANY contract to convey
"a portion or the whole Of his claun before
making final proof destroys his rights.
An abandonment of claim or change of
residence works u forfeiture. An unmar
ried woman may take claim, and, if she
marrles, a continued residence on the
land will give her title In her own
name Any time alter SIX months of
actual residence the occupant may make
final proof and pay for his land at the
rate of $3.50 per acre, if within railroad
limits, $l.25 if without. This does not
affect in any way his right as pre-
emptor. A homestead cannot be taken
for past debts. A soldier who served in
the war; of the rebellion on the Union
side has right to take lien on 16O
acres for six months upon the payment of
So. This may be done through an at
torney in fact. Evidence Of the military
service Of the applicant must be submit
ted at the same time. The soldier is Civ
en year from the date of fling his lien
TO build his house in and move on to his
claim. Every year of service in the
army, not exceeding four, is deducted
from the five. He must live at least one
year on the homestead, whatever the
length yf his military service.
THE PRE-EMPT1oN ACT.
The applicant for pre.emptlon must
possess the same qualifications as the
homestead settler. The pre-emptor can
take l60 acres or any surveyed subdlvi-
sion thereof, Within ninety days after
making his settlement, he must file at the
local land office a notice, giving the
boundaries of his claisn according to the
government survey and the date OF his
settlement or first Improvements. For
this fling he must pay So. It may be a
plain statement of the facts written by
himself and sent in by mail. Within
thirty three months from the date of his
settlement the claimant must submit his
final proof He must show both a resi-
dence and cultivation of the land for ag~
ricultural purEoses-a habitable dwelling,
and an amount of other Improvements,
like pIowing, stable, we'll, etc-that will
be satisfactory TO the land officers and ey.
idence Of compliance with the spirit Of
the law. There is no definite valuation,
as mlaimum, prescribed by the law.
The financial circumstances of the pre-
emptor, the area claimed and the quality
and general character of the land are
considered in determining the suficiency
OF the improvements, The time of set
tlement and actual residence are strictly
inquired into. After six months of act
ual residence the pre-eaptor may submit
his final proof of the requisite improve
ments. He must appear in person at the
land office and give his testimony, and
produce two creditable witnesses who
will swear to same facts. If the witt
nesses live at distance and their pres
ence would be both expensive and incon-
venient, their afidavits may be taken be-
fore any officer qualified to administer an
oath under the Territorial laws. Upon
making his final proof the pre-emptor
may pay in cash, military land warrants,
supreme court or Louisiana scrip. With
in the land grant limit of any railroad
the pre~emptor pays $3.50 per acre or
$400 for his l60 acres. If outside of that
limit he pays $l.25 per acre or 5000.
Any time before the thirty-tArec months
expire the claimant may convert his
claim into homestead by making appli-
cation at the land Office and paying the
homestead fee. No person who quits or
abandons his residence on his own lard
to reside on public land in the same State
or Territory, or who owns 800 acres of
land anywhere, is entitled to the benefits
of the pre-emption law. These disabili-
ties, however, do not apply to the home
stead or timber culture act. The priv1l,
ages of all of these acts cannot be dupli-
Gated or repeated. Claims before the
perfection Of title are not transferable.
THE TIMBER CULTURE ACT. ( .,,..
The land office fee under this act upon
making an entry, is $l4. The applicant
is, entitled to l6o acres. ON any section
naturally devoid Of timber. It must be
the whole section that is barren of timber
and not the 160 alone. Only one tree
claim can be taken. on section. It takes
eight years under this act to acquire tl>
tie, but actual residence Is not one Of the
requisites in, getting it. !. The, first year
the eli aimant breaks i've acres. The
second year he cultivates that five to crop
and breaks five more. The third year he
plants the first five acres in trees and cub
tlyates the second five to crop. The
fourth year he plants the second five in
trees, and then has ten acres Of trees,
He keeps the trees growing 50 that he
can show on the day Of final proof, ,75oC
rlivestrees. 10 There is q small fee on max.