Omaha daily bee., 1883-07-02
THE PUBLlC LAND LAWS.

received from all parts OF the United States,
we have prepared the following summary
of the laws of the United States under
which settlers enter upon the public lands:
THE AGRICULTURAL LANDS
are divided into two classes, one at 1925
per acre, designated as minimum, lying
outside of railroad limits; the other at
$3.50 an acre, rs double minimum, lying
within railroad limits. Titles are acquired
by purchase at public lane sale, by ordi-
nary private entry" and in virtue of the
presumption, homestead, timber culture,
and other laws. Purchases at public sale
are made when lands are Offered ut pub
lie auction to the highest bidder by pr0cla-
nation of the President or by order of the
General Land Office. Lands so offered and
not sold, and not since reserved or with
drawn from the market can be secured by
private entry" or location.
None of the lands in Northern Dako-
ia have ever been Offered at public sale.
all having been reserved for homestead. pre-
emption and tree claims on account of
their agricultural value, and because this
system is more in accordance with the in
terests of the masses. and not for specula-
tors, IS underline public sale system. Sioux
half-breed scrip can be used to purchase
any surveyed land, buo very little Of This
scrip is now outstanding. AZ
PRE-EMPTioSs.
Heads of families, widows or single per-
sons (male or femalc), over the age of
twenty-one years, citizens of the United
States or who have declared their intention
to become such under the naturalization
laws, may enter upon any Offered" and
tA,,,,A fTnrnlD ln,,Ie ~, ar., 1n..l-
to which the Indians title is e~xtinguished,
and purchase not exceeding 100 acres under
the presumption laws. After making set
Element. if on Offered" land, the applicant
must file his declaratory statement with
the district land Office within thirty days, for
which a fee of $500 is required, and within
one year from date of settlement make fl
nal proof of his actual residence on and
cultivation of the tract, and pay therefor at
$1.25 per acre if outside of railroad limits,
or $3.50 per acre if within these limits,
and he may pay in cash or by mintary
bounty land warrants, agricultural college,
private claim or Supreme Court scrip.
When the tract has been surveyed and is
not Offered" land, the claimant must file
his or her declaratOry statement within
three months from date of settlement, and
hihhC plooi dhu pay iSh VII thiity
three months from date of settlement.
Settlement is the first thing to be lone UNI
der the presumption laws.
When settlements are made on unsurvey-
ed lands, settlers are required to file then
declaratory statements within three month";
after the date of the receipt at the district
land Office, or of the approved plat of the
township embracing their claims, and make
proof and payment within thirty months
from the expiration of said three months
payments the same as in case of Offered
land.
Pre-emptors may submit proofs of resi-
dence and improvements at any time after
six months of actual residence. He must
show by his own testimony and by two
credible witnesses such actual residence
and cultivation-a habitable dwelling and
other improvements, to the satisfaction of
the land officers that the spirit of the law
has been complied with.
At any time before the expiration of the
time allowed for proof and payment, the
settler may, by making proper application
at the land Office and payment of the re-
CURED fee, convert his claim into q home
stead, and the time he has resided upon
the land is credited on homestead residence
if he desires. No person who abandOns his
residence on his W land to reside on pub
lie land in the same State or Territory, OF
who owns 800 acres of land, is entitled tt
the benefits of the presumption laws. 1t i.
held however, that this provision does moi
apply to a house and lot in town. Claim:
cannot be transferred until title is perfect
ed. The second filing of a declaratory
statement by any pre-emptOr, when first
filing was legal in all respects, is prohibited
Before proof and payment on presumption
claims, written notice must be given by the
claimants to the Register, who must post g
notice in his Office and cause the same to
be published in a newspaper nearest the
land for at least thirty days, Us in cases OF
hOmesteads.
HOMEsTEADs.
Any person who IS the head of q famil,
or who has arrived at the age of twenty.
one years, and is a citizen of the United
States or has filed his declaration of inten'
ton to become such, is entitled to enter one.
quarter section or less quantity of unap'
propriated public land under the home
stead laws. The applicant must make an
affidavit that he is over the age of twenty
one or is the head of q family, and that he
is q citizen of the United States or las de-
clared his intention to become such, and
that the entry is made for his 'exclusive use
and benefit and for actual settlement and
cultivation, and must pay the legal fee and
that part of the commission required to be
paid when entry is made, as follows: Wher
within railroad limits, for 100 acres, $40
commission So; for so acres, fee S., com
mission "a. Outside of railroad limits, fec
$40, commission 81, and in proportion fol
80 or 40 acres. When these recruitment.
are complied with the Receiver issues hi:
receipt in duplicate, and the matter Is en-,
t, red upon the records of the Office. -..ftcl
faithful observance of the law in regard t
actual settlement and cultivation for til,
continuous term of five years, ut the eXpir,
alton of that term or within two year,
thereafter, final proof must be made, anC
if satisfactory TO the land officers, tina
part of the commissions remaining unpaid
the same in amount as paid on entry
must be paid. The Register then issue,
his certificate and makes proper returns t.
the General Land Office, as n basis of
patent.
Any settler desiring to make final proof
must first file with the Register q writer
notice of his intention, describing the lane
and giving the names of four witnesses by
whom the facts as to settlement, continu
GUS residence, cultivation, etc, are to b,
established. This notice must be accom-
panied by a deposit of money sufficient t.
pay the cost of publishing the notice which
the Register is required to publish To-
thirty days five times), in a newspapers
designated by him, and arrange with thu
publisher of the paper therefor. Notice Il
also posted in the land Office for the sam,
period.