The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-11-27

AN IMMENSE NUMBER.

There have accumulated in the office OF
the recorder for the general land office forty
thousand patents to entliSs in what is
known rs the infected DISTRICTS embraced
in Commissioner Sparks famous order Of
April 3. The work ofissuing patents has how
ever,except for n few weeks been going on as
usual. Maj. Clark, the recorder says the
office has sent out between 4, 200 and 6, 900
81 month right along and this month, at
the present rate will issue G,OOO. Patents
have been issued regularly to claimants in
the infected districts who do not make ell
tries under the pre-cmption, homestead
or timber claim laws where an oath is re-
quirctl. Commissioner Sparks said in re-
gard to the order:
am in hopes that We may soon be able
to rcscind it. The necessity for it was such
that nothing else would meet the purpose:
! took the advice OF all tn, old officials in
this Office. and they considered the matter
in all it's lights and phases. Their only
and unanimous conclusion was that the or
der should be issued. The problem was how
to sift the fraudulent from the genuine
claims!s We hesitated mt the idea OF
inhicting any harm or inconvenience upon
the bona fide settlers, but there was IL large
number offraudulent claims. fyou should
look over the reports OF our special agents
in the field, you would find, MS have stat
ed in my annual report, that from II, to
95 per cent. Of all the claims Of this class
where an oath can swear them through are
fraudulent. ] have letters from Dakota
and elsewhere daily that confirm this.
To-day had one from a prominent Dako-
tn gentleman fully s;;bstantiating the fact:
Now, am not going TO certify to the pres
idcnt that patents should be issued when
am not sure th"y should be. | shall not
certify, in other words, to IL lie. No hopo
to be able to have means OF telling whether
entries are bona fitle or not.
Several plans have been considered for
the proper inspection of claims, but it il un-
derstood that the one that commcnsls itself
best is to have an official designated to each
localland office. who with istleputcs will be
able to visit clnims and report on the
amount Of improvements and the evidence
pf bona fide settlement. This official
would Eeryc ~ \ check on the local land
officers and enable the general land office,
to whom he would be directly Responsible
to know whether patents should be ccrti-
fed or not. The cost OF such n set OF Off
cials would be slight compared with the
saying to settlers Of land that would 9TH
erwise fall into thas hands OF spectators
and cattlemen: The reGordera iorce of
Of the 40, 900 suspended entrios now wait
ing for patents, and the abstracts
are being sent out to special agents. A
large number OF cases have been
looked up and patents will doubtless
be issued to honest settlors in
considerable portion OF the infected districts
before long. Commissioner Sparks action
is not entirely personal. 1t has the endorse
ment Of Secretary Lamar and the president
and they both claim their share Of respon.
sibiity for it. The reports from the special
agents and local land officers do not indi-
cate any great amount OF suffering
among settlers. Maj. Clark says that ho
has 300, 900 patents that have never been
called for. Settlers have usually been able
to borrow money on their claims without
their patents, but cannot secure as large
loans on SECOND m9rtgage without them.
ter There will be u lively time in congress
next wintor in regard to the policy Of with.
holding patents: