Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-01-17
The Land Laws.

'AsoA W . Va PooAt% "AA
yet remaining in this district, subject to entry. Much
Of this land ia the very best quality for agricultural
purposes. while thore Is a vast area that experience
has shown 10 Ia the worry best grazing land in the
west. A party intending to locate = claim should
either make personal inspection of the land he intends
10 enter, or have the report OF some trusted friend who
has made personal inspection of the land. After an
entry has once been made, oven II It Is found to DO
worthless, 1t Is very diticult and In most instances i'm
possible to obtain the privilege Of making another
entry.
The public lands In this Territory arc subject to
entry under the homestead, presumption and timber
culture laws. One hundred and sixty acres can DO en-,
tered under each law. A party can make a homestead
and timber culture entry, or u prescription and timber
culture entry, at the same time, but he cannot takc II
homestead and presumption claim at the same time
A party who il twenty one years Of age, or who is ut
the head Of IL family can make All entry of puplic land.
\ woman who Is the head Of IL family, OF a single
woman who is over twenty-one years Of ago eau make
entry Of public land.
Only those PERSONS who are native born citizens Of
the United States, or who have declared their intention
to become citizens can avail thcills lives of the privilege
OF the land laws. No person Of foreign birth can oh
tain any right to land BY actual settlement bcforc he
his declared his intention TO become a citizen; hence
the first thing that a person Of foreign birth, who In
tends to enter public lands, should do upon his arrival
Is to go before the Clerk Of the court and declare his In
tention to hccome a citIzen. No party who Is tho owner
Of 800 acres Of land in any Stats or Trrritory can take
Il presumption claim; neither can any person who leaves
land Of his own in this Territory to go upon the public
land obtain any presumption right by settlement.
IDwnnrship IN land L. mn mi IN r,.Li,,. I,u.,t.oJ
entry. To make u legal presumption claim, a party
should first make actual settlement upon the land, and
then within ninety days from such settlement, h.
should file his declaratory statement In The local land
office. A filing made without prior srttl, ment |, null,
and void and confers no right upon the settler, and even
II he has valuable improvements and hus been an actual
resident upon the land his claim Is subject to forfeiture
in the presence ofan adverse claim, or even when there
Is no adverse claim. Hence, no party should file & de.
clsratory statement for land until after he has made an
actual settlement upon the same The law allows
ninety days from settlement In which to file, and the
party's right dates from the time Of settlement and not
from the time of filing.
a party can obtain a legal right to one hundred and
sixty acres under the presumption law prior to the sur
wy OF said tract ~ making settlement upon the same.
In making settlement upon unsurveyed land the set
tier should first designate the tract claimed by him by
well defined land marks. II this is done the right of a
subsequent settler upon the same tract will be subject
to the right of thu hrst settler. The right Of Y settler
dates from the date Of bis settlement upon the land,
and he ID allowed ninety days after the township plat
Is filed in the local land Office ia which to ale his pre-.
emption declaratory statement After an actual resi-.
dence Of six months upon land = settler can make pay
ment for the same 1t sl.25 per acre. He can make
payment for the land at any time within a period Of
thirty three months from the date of settlement after
showing a continuous residence upon the land for six
months prior to the date Of making proof. OF course
payment cannot be male for land until after 1t Is sur.
veyed and comes into market. A party Possessing the
same legal qualification as a presumption claimant can
take one hundred and sixty acres under the homestead
law. Under the presumption law b party acquires bis
right by actual settlement; under the homestead lava
party can gain an actual right by making an entry at
the local land Office, and then he Is allowed six months
from thar date in which to make his actual settlement
and establish his residence. A settler can make pay
ment for his land at 81. Is per acre after six months IN.
tinuous residence aud improvement Of the land.or II he
continues his residence for five years he can obtain title
to the claim without payment. Payment At 81. rs per
acre can lie made for land at any time during five years
from date of entry, after SIX months residence next pre-.
ceeding the payment. II 1t is shown that q party has
abandoned his land for a period Of six months the entry
Is subject to forfeiture.
A party can take one hundred and sixty acres under
the timber culture act. The requirements Of this law
ae that the party shall break five acres during the
first year from date Of entry; during the second year he
must cultivate TO crop or otherwi.e said five acres and
break five acres, more and the third year he must plant
the first five acres to trees, seeds or cuttings, and cult.
vats thu second 1--WE acres to crop or other wise. and the
fourth year the second i've acres must b planted to
trees, seeds or cuttings.
After fulfilling the requirements Of the timber. cul.
ture law as above stated, the claimant can make final
proof at the end Of eight years and acquire title to bis
tree claim" without payment Of Sl.26 per acre, or any
sum, to the government, As is tho requirement under
the homestead and p~reemption laws. Under the tim.
bercnlnrs act only one tree claim can b taken in .
section.