Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-11-28
The Land LAWS.

There ars several millions Of acres Of public land
yet remaining in this district, subject to entry. Much
Of this land IL the very best quality for agricultural
purposes, while there Is a vast area TINT experience
has shown to le the very boat grazing land in the
west A party intending to locate a claim sllonli
either make personal inspection of the land he intends
to enter, or have tho report Of some trustes friend VIII,
lns made personal inspection Of the land. After An
entry has once cen made. even If it H. found to liz
Worthless, it Ia very difficult and in most instances i'm
possible to obtain the privilege Of making another
entry.
The public lands in this Territory are subject t"
entry under the homestead, rre.enltion and timber
culture laws, One hundred and sixty acres can DO ell
tered under each law. A party can make a homestead
and timber culture entry, OF q presumption AMI ti!1bel
culture entry. at the same time but lie cannot take II
homestead and presumption claim at the same time
a party who is twenty one years Of agc. or who Is at
tue head Of n family can make an entry Of puplic land.
A woman who is the head Of a family, ., a single
woman who Is over twenty.one years of age eau make
entry of public land,
Only those ~ rsons who arc native born citizens OF
the United States, or who have declared their intention
to become citizens can avail thtans lives Of the privilege
Of the land laws. NJ person ii. foreign birth can OBJ.
tnin any right to land by actual settlement before he
has declared his intention to become u citizen; hence
tends to enter public lands, should do upon his arrival
is to go before the Clerk Of thccourt and declare His In
tention to become a citizen. Noparty who Ia the owner
Of 800 acres Of land in any State or Territory can take
a presumption claim; neither can any person who leaves
land of Ills own in this Territory to 20 upon the public
land obtain any presumption right by settlement.
Ownership to land is no bur to making a homestead
entry. To make a legal pre-emption claim, a party
should first make actual settlement upon the land, and
then within ninety days from such settlement he
should file his declaiatory statement In the local land
office. A filing made without prior settlement Is null,
and void and ccnfcrs no right upon the settler, and even
ifhc has valuable improvements and has been an actual
resident upon the land his claim Is subject to forfeiture
Is no adverse claim. Hence, no party should file a do.
~claratory statement for land until aftor he has made an
actual settlement upon the same. The law alluws
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
ixty acres under the presumption law prior to the sur.
wy of said tract ~ making settlement upon the same
In making settlement upon unsurveyel land the set.
tier should first designated the tract claimed by him by
well defined land marks. If this is done tho right Of
subsequent settler upon the saMe tract will be subject
to the right Of ths first settler. The right Of Il settler
dates from tho date Of his settlement upon the land,
and lie Is allowed ninety days utter the township plal
~ filed in the lOcul lind Office i" which to file his pre-.
elmption declaratory statement. After an actual resi-.
dence Of six months upon land u settler can make pay.
ment for the came Mt Sl25 per acre. lie can make
payment for the land at any time within a period Of
thirty three months from the date Of settlement aftc,
showing Il 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 IL is sur
vcyed and comes into market. a party possessing the
came legal qualification as q presumption claimant can
take one hundred and sixty acres under the homestead
law. Under tho presumption law q party acquires his
s"SAas y ~" U"N" Nv h.'sssS h"d
party can Gnin IN actual right by making an entry al
the local land Office. and then he Ia allowed nix month";
from that dnte in which to make his actual settlement
and establish his residence. A settler Gun make pay
ncnt for his land at ST. Is per acre after six months con
tinuous residence and Improvement ofthc land. or If III
continues his residence for five years Le can obtain It'll,
to the claim without payment. Payment ut s .25 pei
acre cum be made for land at any time during five year,
from date of entry, after six month residence next pre-
ceeding the payment. If 1t IL shown that a party ha'
abandoned his land for aperiod Of six months the entry
is subject to forfeiture.
A party can take one hundred and sixty acres undo
the timber culture act. Tho requirements Of this law
are that the purity shall break five acres during til,
first year from date Of entry; during the second year h,
must cultivate to crop or otherwise said five acres ant
break five acres. more and The third year he must plan
the first five acres to trecz, seeds or cuttings, and cult
waite til, second five acres to crop or otherwise. and tn
fourth year the second five acrcs must DO planted 4
trees, seeds or cuttings.
After fulfilling the requirsurnts Of tho timber cul
ture law as above stated, thr claimant can make fna
proof at the end Of eight years and acquire title to hh
stree claim" without payment Of $l.25 per acre. or an.
sum, to the government. IN Is the requirement unde
the homestead and presumption laws. Under the tim
ber.cnlture act only ono treo claim can 10 taken in
section