The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-11-09
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
Interesting Details Of a Years
Work in the Land Office.
Facts and Figures From the CON-
niSSioner'S Annual Re2or,.

Noah Mcfarland, commissioner of the gen
eral land Office of the United States, has sub
mitted to the secretary of the interior his an
nual report for the fiscal year. The disposal
of public lands under all acts of Congress
embraced 190}o,196 acres, and of Indian
lands 800, 235 acres an increase over the year
1889 of ), 120,S66 and an increase over the
year 1881 of S,536G35 acres. The receipt
from all sources in connection with the dis
posals of public lands were S10,0SS, 40, and
from sales of Indian lands S625 404, total of
s11, 49, Ss3, being an increase over the year
1NN2 of S3,319,:65, and an incrt ase over the
year 1881 of S6,305,0i9 The receipts from
cash sales were 1861 ,032, and from home
stead fees and commissions SSs1 .l6i The to-
tai number of entries and filings posted dur
ing the year was 25l ,GS5, aggregating 30
OOO,OOO acres. The number of entries APP
proved for Iatentng under the pref mption,
homestead tnnber-culture, desert and other
settlement and agrc Itural laws was j3,S41.
The number of patents issued on the various
classes of entries and locations under the gen
eral land laws 5O,4S2. The number of
private cash entries was 1 l04 embracing p
1i9,H5j acres 2,2S5, 10 acres We're sold under
the pre- 'elnptiOn law: l.236 10 acres were EN-
braced in committed homesteads
Eleven thousand nine hundred and twelve
new cases were filed for action. The number
of cases undecided June 20, 1883, was 12.542.
The number of presumption filings placed on
record during the year was AZ ,93j, which at
100 acres each would cover 1863 $50 acres.
Presumption filings are made, or procured to
be made, to q great extent for speculative
purposes, and with no intention on the part
of the person in whose name the filing
Is made to perfect the entry, or in any man
ner to comply with the law Continued ex-
perience demonstrates the ACCESSIBILITY an
ne cessity of the repeal of the pre-emption Jaw.
The number of original homestead entries
during the year was 56,5G5. embracing an
area of Sill ,9l4 acres. Final proof was
made in ls,yJs entries, embracing 25O4, IA
acres
Special efforts have been made to check
the frauds upon sol .ierS committe by attor-
neys who obtain their authorization TO make
filings which are used for speculative pur-
poses by the attorney. The present laws and
regulations permit settlers on unsurveyed
lands who have maintained a residence OF
five years to make entry and give police of
final proof simultaneously after survey
Persons who desire to obtain large quantite.
of land employ men to make entries on newly
surveyed land. alleging residenc. long ante
rior to the survey. and the land isl atSntel b.
fore an opportunity is had to develop the fact,
ard prevent the contamination Of the illegal
ent v. SIec'al agents lepolt valuable lands
i'll whole ranges of townships i'll certain dis
trctS to have been entered in this manner,
whC II the land shows no evidence of settle
melt NJ any time, Dut is ned as portions 81
large estates. Provision should be made by
statute, fixing Ieriod of not less than six
months after a settlement claim has been
placed On record before final proof shall be
ADMITTED, irrespective of all, gel time of resi-
Gence prior to entry.
The Communication feature of the homestead
law is open TO the same abuses as the pre-
emption law. The ale led communication
setter is FREQ uently person employed at SO
much month TO sign entry parersand
hold The claim long en-, ugh to enable his en-
ployer TO ecure title by Communication. 1t is
Il matter not less important than the reIeal
of the pre-emption law that the home
stead laws should be amended so as to require
proof of actual residence and imp ovcment
for period of not les than two years before
homsteal entry may b. committed by cash
pay ment
The construction of l,2O miles of land
grant railroads was reported making a total
OF l1,449 miles of road reported as con-
struC ted under all grants; 417,T40 acres were
certified OF patentei under railroad grants,
and 40, SO acres We're patented for wagon
roads. Lists of railroad selections aggre-
eating ?,0i0,4C3 acres are awaiting examina-
/ ton