Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-01-31
The Land Laws.

hhuiS ~ ttbtuI u u III puUlIC lhuO
yet remaining In this district, subject to entry. Much
Of this land Ii the very best quality for agricultural
purposes, while there il . vast ARIA that experience
has shown to 10 the very best grazing land In the
west. A party intending to locate a claim should
either make personal inspection Of tho land he intends
to entcr, or havo the report Of some trusted friend who
has made personal inspection Of the land. After an
entry has once hcen made, oven II II ID found to ie
worthless, II Ia very difficult and In most instances In
l"sritl. to obtain tho privilege Of making another
entry.
Tn" public lands in this Territory are subject ia
entry under the homestead, pro .emption and timber
culture laws. One hundred and sixty acres can be en-.
tered under ouch law. A party can make = homestead
and timber culture entry, or a p%reemption and timber
culture entry, at the sams time, hut no cannot tako a
homestead and presumption claim at tho same time
A party who Is twenty ono years Of age. or who Ia at
the head Of a family can max an entry Of puplic land.
A woman who to the head of u family 81 a single
woman who IL over twenty-one Year, Of age can make
entry Of public land.
Only those prisons who are native born ~citizrns Of
the United States, or who have declared their intention
Of the land laws. No psr4on Of foreign birth can ob.
'"" nay ~ anHo ~ nStudl bettiouIcut uciOIo Lt
hAs declared his intention to be,ome u citizen; hence
th' first thing that a po'son Of foreign birth, who iu
tends to enter public lands, should do upon Ills arrival
Ii to 60 before the Clerk IF the court aud declare hi, III.
f"n,ion to become u citizen. No party who ~ the owner
Of $50 acres Of land In any State ur ! erri,or, cali take
II pre- mpti, u claim; neither can any Lernun VIM leaves
land Of lis own in this Territory to gn upon the public
land obtain amy presumption right by settlement.
'"ncrshipto land IL NJ bar to making a homestead
entry. To make II legal presumption clam, II party
should first make actual settlement upon the land, and
then within ninety days frnm such srttlemtnt. h.
should file his dcciaIatory statement, IN HE local land
"ffic-. A filing made without prior ssttl, nl-nt /. null
and void and coiIfeis no right upon the n%ettler, and even
II he has valuable" improvements and has been an actual
resident upon the land his claim IL subject t. forfeiture
in the pr, Selice VI ali alverso claim, or even when there
Is no nd, ersc claim Hence, no patty should fc 9 dc.
cl"ratory statement for land until after ho has made HI
uctual settlement upon the same. The law AIlnwa
party's right dates from the time Of settlement, aud no,
from the time Of filing.
A party can obtain u legal right u one hundred and
sixty acres under the pro-en,ptivn law prior to the sur.
Wy Of snid tract ~ making settlement upon tho saul.,
~ Iuhh'uR ettleWent upon unburftyeu lana the set.
Her should FIRST designate the tract claimed by him by
well defined land marks. II this 10 dune the RICH, Of a
Subsequent settler upon the same tract will be unbjcc,
t. The right Ut I'll. first settler. The right Of u settler
dates from tue date Of bis settlement upon the land
and he Is allowed ninet, days after the township pla.
Is filed In the local land office In which to file his pre.
emption declaratory stxtemen After an actual resi-.
dence Of six months upon land n settler Gun make pay.
ment for the same at sl.25 per acre. lie 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 made for land until after 1t Ia sur
veycd and comes into market. A party Possessing the
same legal qualification ~ a presumption claimant car
take one hundred aud sixty acres under the homestead
law. Cnder the presumption law b party acquires hi,
right by actual settlement; under the homestead lava
party can gain an actual right by making an entry al
the local land Office, and then he is allowed six month,