The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-08-26
LAND FRAUDS.
How Pubic Lands are Being
Taken in Some Of the West
ern States and Ter
rit0rieS,

rit0ries.
Washington, 24.-Some time ago
the commissioner Of the general
land Office ordered a survey Of cers
tain public lands in Colorado and
Nebraska, with a view Of bringing
suits at the next term OF court
against cattle companies that have
Illegally fenced in large tracts OF land
In those States. The special a ent
who has been experimenting the
survey in Colorado, in a
report to the commissioner, says
eight cases have been found against
the Prairie cattle company COM
posed of Scotchmen. An examine
ton has been made Of tracts con-
tainiug respectively one hundred
square mills, twenty-five square
mics, sixteen square miles. seventy
five square miles, and sgents are at
present examining tract contains
ing over one hundred square miles.
All of these are under control OF the
Prairie ca tie company and the agent
says are Illegally fenced in. Of
iciaIs in the land Office say the
practice of illegal fencing large
tracts OF land and making fraudu-
lent entries has been greater the
past year than ever before. They
claim that between five and six
millions af acres are now illegally
fenced and that several mil
lion of acres are fraudnlently en-
tered. Complaints from settlers are
being received daily by agents OF
the land Office here. Settlers cay
cattle men are driving them away,
and taking from them the laGd
which they have sc tiled upon. Oae
of the land office officials said that
if the practice is continued Cattle
men will have entire control Of the
best public lands in the United
States within twenty years. Rsia>
tive. to fraudulent entries the land
agent in New Mexico informs the
general land commissioned that OF
the entries In that Territory 80 per
cent. are fraudulent, ID another
agent In Dakota, writing upon
the same subject, Gays that Is per
cent. OF the entries are frsudulen
in that Territory. A table COM
pleted yesterday for the coming an
nual report of the land commits
sioner, shows the number Of fraud
ulent entries that have been inves-
tigated during the past year, and
approximates the number Of IL
legally fenced acres in vari Us
States and Territories 10 be as toll
lows:
Arkansas, 70 fraudulent entries
Dakota, 400; Colorado, $50, and S0,00(
Illegally fenced; California, 1873;
New Mexico, s27, and !, 100000 acrei
illegally fenced; Minnesota, 81
Washington Territory, 100; Idaho
So; Nebraska, lie, and 800. eco acre.
illegally fenced; Montana "a; Wy
oming, "a, and 100000 acres Illegally
fenced; Oregon. So; Kansas, 81. sn'
100000 acres Illegally fenced; Ne
vada, 5000 acres. Besides the case
embraced in the foregoing tabl'
there are about 5000 entries oil
which action has been suspended
until an examination can De mad
by special agents. These entire
will average about $50 acres Of LAM
each. Acting Commissioner HarrI
| son says that no doubt there ar
thousands of other fraudulent en-
tries, but that the Office can only ir
yestigale those which are brOugh
| to its attention by settlers an
others. In Wyoming more tina
1000 large cattle compauie
are reported as having fence
In public lands. Some {
these com psn.es are reported
be English and others Scotch. Re
ferring to the practice Of 'Rree con
panies making fraudulent entries O
lands illegally fenced, Major Mt
KeL Zie, of the Land Office, SAIL
"Tn ese entries are made along
I stream that runs through the lane
Cattle men will employ men to her
their stock and then will give $50
500 to each one. to make an entl
for 100 acres. When he has secure
| ulh pabSAtj III ID uAuoAStUOU ebuo
mus transfer 1t to the party WI
advanced the money. Many of Il
cattle dealers will not employ ms
unless they will agree 10 make 81
tries. In New Mexico, Arizon
California, Idaho, Wyoming, Mo
sana, Utah and Nevada, is practice
by means of the Desert Land AZ
That act provides thst in selectil
$40 acres OF Z esert land, twsnt,
: Eve cents per acre shall be pa
! down, and that persons enteril
n the land shall be allowed three yea
In which to pay the remainder. |
stead of taking desert land, +
practice is to lake the very best Ian
B The parties hold 1t and have tbs u
\ OF 1t I r three yesrs for comparatiy
D Iy nothing, and for as much long
as the title is in dispute. Col
, plants from settlers from nearly
. western states and territories, q
some of the complaints accuse &c
eminent land agents OF collusi