Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-10-19

its presence on this side of the Atlantic next
spring. The members of the health board
are of the same opinion, and it is probable
that they WI give official utterance to it in
the course of a few days, with view of inn
pressing upon the citizens and municipal
authorities alike the necessity OF such sani-
tary precautions as all experience has shown
are indispensable to keep it under control
if not to keep it at distance.
Synopsis of the Report on Public
Lands.
Judge Mcfarland, commissioner of the
general land office, has completed his annual
report. In addition to some statistical in
formation the following subjects are.treated
by the commissioner.
One hundred and seventy-six tn ousand four hun.
dred and six and sxtysix one-hundrcdths acres Of
land were certified fol railroad purposes during the
last fiscal year. The list Of selections awaiting ex
animation or action on June 80, 1882, embraced
1855, 39279 acres. and Cos 76 miles of road was
tern during the year, making '' total of ,ss5
miles of land grant railroad constructed in all the
States and Territories up to the close of the fiscal
enacted clearly defining the rights of citizens te
take timber from the public lands for prescribed
PURPOSES and providing penalties fol
waste. In all cases where survey and
settlement as to accurately ascertain the
extent of an alleged trespass would respectfully
authorized to be charged to the party committing
the trespass as part of the costs III the In
vestigations made during the past year have deve.
oped the existence of much fraud under the shield
OF the pre-emption, homestead and timber culture
laws. Efforts have been made to check unlawful
acts of this character in the coal and iron
regions of Alabama, the timber regions of Mime.
| sofa, the grazing country in California, and on
agricultural lands in the Territory of Dakota by the
special investigation of cases of alleged fraud trials
before the coal land officers to cancel illegal entries
| and the institution of civil and criminal suits.
These proceedings have, however, necessarily beer
confined to one or two localities in each of the said
States and Territories owing to the limited faci
ties of this Office for such service. I have recon-
| mended herein the repeal of the pre-emption law,
the same having been practically superseded by the
| homestead law, and especially by the Communication
feature of the latter act 1t is matter of serious
| question whether the time within which homestead
| parties are allowed to commute their entries by
payment OF cash should not be extended to re-
quire proof of actual residence, Improvement and
cultivation for at least one year before such pay
ment should be received. This extension of time
would be be no longer than reasonably necessary
to establish the good faith of the parties and would
be no hardship to bona fide settlers, while the op-
portunities for fraudulent entry would diminish in
| proportion to the length of residence, improve
ment and cultivation are required to be shown.
| The period has but just commenced when the ear
lier entries made under the timber culture act can
be proven UP. The
| FRAUDULENT PROCEEDINGS
at the present time under the operations of this
not therefore, that legal title has actually been
obtained by unlawful methods, but that fictitious en-
tries initiated for the purpose of holding land
out of market and selling to others relnquishm mt
of the right of occupation so acquired 1t is alleged
| by numerous correspondents and in the reports of
officers and agents of this department that opera
| tons of this character are carried on to Il
! very great extent, notably at the pres
| ept time in Dakota and Minnesota, and that
| as rule in proportion as public surveys progress
territory subject such entry the lands are
covered with fictitious claims. and actual settlers
| compelled to pay to SPECTATORS persons hold
ing the claims bonus for the privilege of entering
| the land in legal and proper manner under the
public land law The utility of the timber
walton of trees that would not otherwise
| been planted has sometime been questioned, since
settlers under the homestead laws in treeess re-
gions find it of the necessities of the situation
to set out and cultivate trees and their interest to
do this is usual guaranty that it will be DONE At
the same time I not inclined to recon-
ae % as sSs If mbs2
act: but I deem it incumbent upon
me to refer to the abuses to which it is subject.
legal enclosure of the public lands in certain States
| and Territories and the exclusive occupation of
large tracts by private parties to the deprivation
! of the rights of others and the impeachment
of settlement and intercourse, have become a mat
ter of serious complaint 1t is manifest that some
| decisive action is necessary on the part of
the federal government for the maintenance of the
supremacy of the laws and to preserve the integrity
/ of the public domain. 1t is undoubtedly true that
the vast plain and mountain ridge west of the Mis-
sissippi must be relied upon for important pro-
portion Of the sheep and cattle husbandry required
by the necessity of national consumption, but it
does not follow that this industry should
be the subject of undivided or corporate monopoly
any more than that of other agricultural pursuits
| should be so controlled. The unimpeded course of
settlement WILL in due time, bring the whole of the
| United States within the compass Of private owner
| ship. respectfully call the attention of congress
to the necessity of legislation on this subject.
Postoffice Changes, During the Week
Ending Oct. z, 1882.
| Discontinued-N icolson, Cass county,
Paxton, Redwood county, Russell, Henne.
pin county.
Postmasters Appointed Bloomington,
Hennepin county, Hector NJ. Chadwick;
Correll, Big Stone county, William Merakle;
Fort Smelling, Hennepin county, Victor
Robertson; Ioua, Murray county, Martin
MCDONNELL; Judson, Blue Earth county,
William E. Jones; North Branch Station.
Chisago county, William W. Singleton;
Silver Lake, Mcleod coun tY John Totushuk
WISCONSIN.
Discontinued-Cic Outagamie county;
Lilly Bay, Door county; Minor, Door coun-
ty; Trenton, Pierce county.
Postmasters ppointed-Clifton, Monroe
county, George A. Ri keman; Fairchild,
Eau Claire county, Robert McLaren; Genoa,
Vernon county, Matthew Monti; Hurricane
Grove, Grant county, James Andrew; Ran
geline, Manitowoc county, Charles Wagner;
Richland City, Richland county, D. P. Mich
OILS; Rudd's Mills, Monroe county, Fenner
IT, Bement.
IOWA.
stablished-Campbell,P Polk county; Ezra
NJ. Campbell, postmaster; Cottonwood, Lee
county, John W. Middaugh, postmaster;
Portsmouth, Shelby county, George Wal
ters postmaster.
Observation-Disclosures Appanoes eoun-
ty.
Name Changei-Tibbottville, Shelby
county, TO Irwin.
Postmasters Appointed-Big Spring, War
rem county, Lemansa r. Sears; Enterprise,
Black Hawk county, H. M. Ashley; Let's;
Louisa county, E. J. Hall; Rock, Cerro
GO do county, John B. Hagglesburger; Scott,
ton county, Ottor Geissler; Witter, Keokuk
county. F. M. Witter.
Last Weeks Failures.
Bradstreet's journal furnishes the follow
ing: There were 121 failures in the United
States reported to Bradstreets during the
! past week-52 less 1Gan the preceding week
and 35 more than the corresponding week
| last year:
In the principal trades they were as fol-
| lows:
| Grocers .......25 GRAIN ........ 8
General traders.....13 Hotelsan rests.