The Evening critic., 1884-08-25
THE PUBLIC LANDS,
Millions Of Acres Said TO he Eraudu-
lentlY Meld by Cattle PeOpIe.

Some timo ago the Commissioners OF the
General Land ofice ordered survey OF pub.
lie lands In Colorado and Nebraska, with a
view OF bringing suits against cattle compa-
MES that have Illegally fenced IN large tracts
OF land In those States. onlcials In the Land
Office claim that between i've and six millions
OF acres are now Illegally fenced, and that SOY.
eral millions OF acres are fraudulently entered.
Complaints from settlers are being received
daily by agents at the Land Onlce that the
cattlo men are driving them away and taking
from them lands which they had settled upon
One OF the Land Onlco officials says that II tho
practice is continued cattle men VIII have on.
tire control OF the best public lands In tho
United States within twenty years.
Referring 10 the practice OF large companies
making fraudulent entries on lands illegally
fenced Major Mckenzie, Of the Land Om,c,
says: "Theso entries are made along the
streams that run through tho land. Cattle
men Will employ men to herd their stock, aud
then VIII give $50 or 800 to each one TO make
an entry for l6O acres. When he has secured
his patent II is understood that he must trans
fer II to the party who advanced the money.
Many OF the cattle dealers Will not employ
men unleeB they Will agree to make the en-
triee. common fraud In New Mexico, ART
zonn, California, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana,
Utah and Nevada Is practiced by means OF the
desert land act. That act provides that In So
lectipg GAO acres OF desert lands % cents per
acre shall be paid down, and that persons on
teripg tho land shall bo allowed three years
in which TO pay the remainder Instead OF
taking desert land tho practice is to take the
very best land. Parties hold It aud get tho
use OF 1t for three years for comparatively
nothing, and then they continue to get the use
OF IL while 1t is In dispute"
Among the complaints made Is that OF John
Fleming, OF American Falls, Idaho. Iu q lot
ter addressed 10 Secretary Teller no saye :
"My rancho Is located near two cattle man
that claim tho eutirc range for fifteen miles
square. A few days ago, while driving along
on tho public highway, mot i've cowboys
and before the chaplain had time TO ofrer
prayer the speaker commenced pounding mo
over the head with n large six-shooter, ex-
claiming: Move from my range to-day, or Ill
see that you do It to. morrow at the same time
pointing his revolver at me-"
Among the cases OF unauthorized fsnclug
specially reported TO the Land ON "a by
agents are those OF tho Prairie Cattle Com
peny (scotch), Colorado, embracing upward of
100000 acres; the Arkansas Valley Oom.
pany, 100000 acres. and others ranging
from 10000 acres TO 100000 acres. Entire
counties are reported as being teuced In Kan
sas. In Wyoming moro than 100 large cattle
companies are reported as fencipg in the pup.
| lie lands. Some OF those companies are re.
ported TO be English and others Scotch.
The fraudulent entries Investigated are So 80
and the number OF acres found by survey TO
be illegally fenced In 5,110,OO0. There are
also about 5000 entries on which action has
been suspended until examination ts male
They average about 150 acres each. There are
also doubtless thousands OF other fraudulent
entries which the Land Oflice can only inves-
tgate when brought to It's attention. The
land agents say that 90 per cent. OF the entries
in New Mexico and 10 per cent. In Dakota are
fraudulent.