St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-25
Fraudulent Entries in all the
Western States and Ter
ritOries.
Extra Land Grabbing Operations OF
the Great Cattle Raising
Companies.
pecial Ag ents of the Land Office Investi-
eating in Colorado and
Wyoming.
Numerous Complaints Accusing, Govern
ment Land Agents of CollusiOn With
the Land Grabbers.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 24.-Some time
since the commissioner of the general land office
ordered survey OF certain public lands in Colo
RADIO and Nebraska with view of bringing suits
at the next term of court against cattle COM
panies that have illegally fenced in large tracts in
those states. special agent, who has been
experimenting the survey in Colorado, in re-
port to the commissioner says that eight cases
have been found against the Prairie Cattle COM
pany, composed of Scotchmen. An examina-
tion has been made of tracts containing respect
fully 100 square miles, 25 square miles, 16 square
miles and 5 square miles. The agent is at pres
ent examining tract containing over 100 SOU are
miles All of these are under control OF the
Prairie Cattle company and the agent
says illegally fenced in. Officials in the land
Office say the practice of Illegally fencing large
tracts of land and making fraudulent entries has
been greater the past year than ever before.
They claim that between 100000 and 100000
of acres are now Illegally fenced and that several
million of acres fraudulently entered. Com
plants from settlers being received daily by
agents, and at the land Office here. Settlers say
the cattle men are driving them away and taking
from them lands which they have settled upon.
One of the land officials said that if the practice
is continued cattle men will have control of the
best public lands in the United States within
twenty years. Relative to fraudulent
entries of land, land agent in
New Mexico informs the general land
commissioner that of the entries of land in that
territory ninety per cent. are fraudulent, and
another agent in Dakota, writing upon the same
subject says that seventy-fve per cent Of the
entries are fraudulent in that territory. A table
completed, yesterday, for the forthcoming an
nual report of the land commissioner, shows the
number Of fraudulent entries that have been in
vestigated during the past pear and approxim-
ately the number Of illegally fenced acres lin the
various states and territories) 10 be as follows
Arkansas 20 fraudulent entries, Dakota 460 !;
Colorado $50, and 2,S00,000 acres illegally fenced
California 139, New Mexico S27
and 100000 acres illegally fenced
Minnesota 311; Washington Territory 109 Idaho
gel; Nebraska 40 and 100000 acres illegally
fenced; Montana "a, Wyoming 10, and 250,OOO
acres; Alabama 1853; Wisconsin TO-; Florida II !;
Oregon SO; Kansas 1s2 and 100000 acres !;
Nevada &C, 900, Besides the cases embraced in
the foregoing list there are about 5000 entries
| on which action has been suspended until an
| examination can be made by special agents
| These entries will average about $50 acres Of
| land each. Acting Commissioner Harrison says
/
lent entries bnt that the office can only invest-
| gate those which are brought to its attention
| by settlers and others. Among the
cases Of unauthorized fencing specially
! reported to the land Office by
agents are those OF the Prairie Cattle company
! (Scotch) embracing upwards of 1000, 900 acres
| the Arkansas Valley company, 100000; Ii H.
| Metcalf, 200, 900; John W. Powers, 200 900; Nc
| Daniel Il Davis, 5000; J. W. Frank 40, 900 ;
| Garnett s. Langford, 80, ,000 E. C. Lane, $4,000; ;
| Beatty Bros, 10000; Chick, Brown & Co., 30,-
000 Reynolds Cattle company, $4,000 acres, all
in Colorado; Brighton ranch, 1,250,000; j. W.
| Wilson. %, 600; Kennebeck ranch, 10000, and
j. W, Bosler, 10000 acres, in Nebraska; and
| VIM, Humphrey, %, ,00U, and Nelson tS Son, 90
| 600 acres, in Nevada. Entire counties are re-
ported as being fenced in in Kansas. In Wy
! oming more than one hundred large cattle COM
panies are reported as having fencing
| on public lands Referring to the practice of
large companies making fraudulent entries on
! lands illegally fenced, Major Mckenzie, of the
land office, said: ''These entries are made along
! streams that run through the land. Cattle men
| will employ men to herd their stock and then
will give $50 or 500 to each one to make an
entry for IG0 acres When he has secured his
| patent it is understood that he must transfer it
to the party who advances the money. Many of
| the cattle dealers will not employ men unless
| they viii agree TO make entries. \ common
| fraud in New Mexico, Arizona, California, Idaho
| Wyoming, Montana, Utah and Nevada is prac-
ticed by means OF the desert land act, which
! provides that in selecting $40 acres of
desert land twenty-five cents per acre shall be
/ paid down, and that the person entering the land
shall be allowed three years in which to pay the
remainder. Instead Of taking desert land, the
| practice is to take the very best land. The
| parties hold il and get the use of il for three
years for comparatively nothing, and for as much
! longer ss the title is in dispute. Complaints
| from settlers come from nearly all the western
| states and territories accusing government land
| agents of collision with the land grabbers.