The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-04-21
Land ONCE Notes.


The Commissioner of the General Land
Office, has sent out.some very important
instructions TO surveyors and assessors
concerning school lands, that will be of
interest to land men and the public gem
orally.
The act OF July 8, 1879, to provide for
the sale of alternate sections OF land in
organized counties as surveyed for rail-
roads and other works OF Internal I'M
prOvements, has been amended by the
act of April 6, 1881, to embrace said lands
in 1norganiZed counties, and Aaake 1t the
duty of the county surveyors to view and
appraise, under oath, such lands In the
organized counties, and of the district
surveyors in such unorganized counties
are attached to their districts, subject to
the revision and approval of the county
commissioners court of the county where
the surveyors Office may be.
No land can be appraised under this act
at less than one dollar per acre, aud where
u section contains water, or fronts upon
the same, the value shall not be placed at
less than two dollars per acre, and no
appraisement by a surveyor of any sec
ton of land in All unorganiZed county
shall be regarded until he shall have filed
an affidavit stating that he knows the To-
cality of said section, and that he person
ally inspected the same, stating when
said inspection was made. This affidavit
must accompany the purchasers applica-
ton to this office.
The county commissioners in their re-
vision are authorized to take other evil
dence as to the true value of the lands,
and in event of disapprovai of the survey
or's report, they shall fix such price upon
said land as they may deem just, .provid-
ed the same is not below the minimum
fixed by law.
Where the land is chiefly valuable for
the timber, the whole OF the purchase
money must be paid at the date of appli-
ton, and no timber shall be cut or re-
moved therefrom, until the whole amount
of the purchase money has been paid.
No person, firm or corporation shall re-
new file nor file on the same land more
than once in twelve months, nor shall
any file be renewed in the name OF any
other person, firm or corporation, but all
applications for purchase of said land
shall be made in the real name of the per-
son intending to be the actual purchaser
thereof. -..
Purchasers under this act will not be
permitted to elect portions of different
sections to make up the whole amount
which they are entitled to purchase. II
one hundred and sixty acres be applied
for out of section, it will exhaust the
privilege to purchase to the amount Of a
W0Oie BecJlOu.
Purchasers are required to make the
first payment of one-twentieth and pre-
sent the certificate of such payment to
the surveyor within ninety days from the
date of the record of their application.
Surveyors are, therefore. directed to IN
form each applicant of this fact, and that
as he cannot renew his file within twelve
months, he jeopardizes the money paid
and the opportunity to secure the land,
by neglect or delay in promptly RENTING
his first payment.
All money for payment of principal or
interest on these lands must be sent d.
rectly to the State Treasurer, and not TO
this office. As payments sent by draft,
on distant points, cannot be credited to
the purchaser until the draft has been
collected, all remittances should be made
by postal order, or draft on Austin, pay
able to the State Treasurer or, If the
party prefer, by registered letter.
For appraising these lands surveyors
will be allowedOne dollar per section, to
be paid out of the first money arising
from the sale of said lands; provided that
no surveyoy shall be paid more than one
hundred dollars for appraising the lands
of any county.
Actual settlers upon these lands prior
to April 6, 1881, shall have the preferred
right to purchase same. without includ-
ing the value of their improvements, for
period of six months next after the
same has been appraised and placed upon
the market