Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-09-23
TRE P0sT-InTELlIcEMcER PUB. CO
wIDEsP.EAs LAND FxArss.
The following Is from a Washington
letter of Sept. 18th in the Portland

The following Is from WashinRtor
letter of Sept. 18th in the Portland
Standard:
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Sept. 18th, 1895.
The greatest frauds under the Gov.
srpment are yet 10 be exposed, and will
asste profoand sensation when
suught to light. The irregularities are
ID he public land districts throughout
he vest and have been perpetrsted by
th0usands of people IN a small way, the
aggregate reaching away up TO tens of
thousands Of acres OF the public domain
obtained frandulently from the Govern
ment. In some instances the Govern
msut officers at the land Office will be
implicated in the frauds, and several rS
novals have been made 10 be followed
BY Investigations.
Certain Registers Of land Offices have
been found who have "wibksd" at the
fraudulent entries, each yink" In such
Gases being valued at no small sum in
hard cash. ALI these entries which have
been fraudulentiy made will be held for
cancellation, and the crooked entry men
will be arrested whenever foand.
Is is strange that many hitherto repu-
table business men throughout the far
West will oonspire delibers tely to de-
fraud the United States out of 160 acre
farms, while crooked people Of all de-
scriptions are constantly heverinR over
the public lands like vultures. Land
ofiiosrs are supposed to keep o constant
struggle to prevent fraud, but, notwith-
standing this alleged sorveillance, the
Government has lost upwards Of half q
million acres literally stolen from the
public domain by land sharpe.
Commissioner sparks and Chief Clerk
Walker, OF tie General Land Office.
commenced few weeks ago new sys
TEN Of Checking off" the business of
each local land office. Instead Of send
ing the inspectors hither and thither to
look after isolated cases of fraud
brought to the attention Of the office
and having the time of the inspectors
fFittered away in expensive travel, these
oficials adopted plan which 10 nov be-
Ing carried ont. The results ara astound-
ing. The Inspectors take one tosnship
Of time, examine every entry without
exception, and ascertain IL each indi
viduAl entryman has complied strictly
with the provisions Of the laws relating
70 homestead, pre-emption, timber cul-
ture. mineral claims, etc. This new
system is virtual .clean sweep" and
the result 10 that many hundreds OF
false claims are swept away and she
land res.ored TO the public domain. The
opportunities for perpetrattng these
land frauds are open to every body, and
the temptation catches scores upon
scores Of people, good. bad and indiffer-
ent, Who want land.
In New Mexico the revelations are
frishtful, the lasd operations In that
Territory being apparently stepped in
fraud for years past. When Il 10 stated
tkss 80 psf cent. Of all entries Ia New
Mexico will be held for cancellation, 1t
may be surmissd 10 what extent frauds
have been perpetrated. Reports from
California are very bad, while the Dew
Ts Lake Dakota Land District Is
resking with fraud and perjury. In
Kansas and Nebraska fully 10 per cent.
Of all land entries are crooked and will
bs eancellcd. All sorts Of people are
Implicated: the frauds even reaching
up the marble steps of the Capitol to
taint the skirts Of the Representatives
Who frame the laws. which are easily
broken. Colorado is about as bad, and
altogether throughout the entire West
not 30 per cent. of all the perfected
land entries are free from fraud. This
u terrible esmmentary upon tbs wick
I'd avarics OF our day. The explosion
will occur within few weeks, and will
arouse the whole coantry.