Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-06-12
Iama FIrtrias.

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COMMISSIONS Sparks refe1Tine ( ohis
order s~ljspcr1ing final action upor 81
entries Of public land other thanpriyate
cash entries and such scrip locations as
are not dependent upon settlement and
cultivation. says:
That order was intended to cover
what ! term infested districts. I have
written a number Of letters to people
who are complaining about it, and l
want it thoroughly understood that
there is no disposition On my part to do
aoDest settlers any injury. 1t is only
he knayes and thieves that / am after.
| have dozens OF letters from persons
living in these districts who approyeof
he order They say that in many re-
IONS not an entry / n fifty is bona fide:
st.at it isa business practiced to do false
wearing to get a title to land. Timber
entries are almost uniformly fraudu-
lent. z \ x /.
When I am satisfied that there is
GOOD faith or tfle part of the settler.
here viii be no difficulty in his getting
2 patent. / shah satisfy myself by
"a cans Of special agents and detectives
HON ] can thoroughly trust. and upon
ohem l shall put such checks and coun-
ser detection as Will make it absolutely
g1Jain that no false swearing or fraud
a0D securea patent. Isee that the fight
> begun moon me from the land Office
lawyers here and ell over the west, and
.hat the newspapers largely interested
n the Whole subject Of land Office bust
ness have opened fire upon me: but l
nave determined to stand by the order.
Meanwhile, bona ide settlers all over
the west pick out their land. file their
entries upon if, and go on with their
Improvements. The land is theirs Just
as much during the FIVE years which
the law requires them to stay upon it
IS it ever can be, and if they are worthy
people there WilLheno difficulty in their
borrowing money, if theyneed to do so.
/ cannot see that, in order to relieve
these people OF some anxiety, i should
allow thieves and rascals to take mil
lions Of the public domain by false
swearing.
Rev. ~. 3. AGleck was in the city
asst Week and reports that the settlers
are is much outraged by the m~isrepre-
sa7lf 9!iCDc or T,I;o, tro,+ r,.,,, 90
Aey are b. the order OF Cleveland. Mr..
Ait.ocE says that the recently and wide
published report OF Gassnan IL
witch it is stated that there are not
over 40Q settlers on the entire reserya-
tton, and that the improvements will
rot average $40 or S15, is q lie and an
insult and be is prepared to yindicate
The insultGd people against Gassman at
ne point Of his life. IN vindication of
iis position Mr.. Atiieck quotes e. s.
Commissioner Stearns Of Chamberlain
Who says: q have taken affidaYits OF
3lt settlers on Crow Creek reservation
III the iGmadiate Vicinity OF Chamber
lain, each affidavit is corroborated bv
,Wo creditable witnesses. Said a4tida-
its show that within the aboyenamed
district they represent a population OF
b persons, 32o buildings, 60 wells and
gives q total yaluationo CT improvements
lggregating $52,36S.00. These aaidayits
also show several hundred acres OF
breaking and a large amount Of stock,
farm machinery, etc. The lowest val
patton for any settler is 500 and the
highest SlAO0. The anidayits also show
the former homes of the parties to have
been principally in the eastern and cen
tral states" The area named by Com.
Stearns only covers about one eighth
Of the land which was opened by Pres
ident Arthrr's order and to which Gass-
man refers in his. published letter.
Mitchell Republican.
The Caucus Laws.