Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-01-24
The Land Laws.

A1UAu AJu
There are several millions of acres Of public land
yet remaining in this district. subject to entry. Much
Of this land in the very best quality for agricultural
purposes, Will" there is a vast area that experience
has shown t" be the very best grazing land In the
west. A party intending u locate n claim should
either make l"rsolnl inspection of the land he intends
to enter, "r have tn" remrt Of some trusted friend who
has mulr personal inspection of the land. After an
entry haS once been made, even IL II IL found to he
w"rtl'l".-. il Is very dihicul, and In most instances i'm.
possible tn obtain the privilege of making another
entry.
Th" public lands in this Territory arc subject 10
entry under tn" homestead, pre- cmItiun and timber
culture laws. One hundred and sixty acres can bo en-.
tered under each law. a purity can make IL homestead
and timber culture entry, or a presumption and timber
culture entry, 1T tho Same time, but he cannot take IL
homestead and presumption claim at the same time
4 party who Is twenty onu years Of age. or who IL ut
the head IF n family can make an entry of puplic land.
a WOMAN who IN tho head Of Il family, OF n Kingls
woman who is over twenty-onc yearn of nge can make
entry Of public land.
Only those ~ rsuns who arr native born citizens Of
the United States, or who have declared their intention
10 become citizens can avail tIIrnis lives Of the privilege
of the land laws. No pers0n Of foreign birth cnn OBJ
tain any right to land by actual settlement before he
has declared his intention to become n 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 60 before the Clerk of the court aud declare hi, in
tention to become a citizen. No party whu is the owner
Of 80 acre. Of land In any State or Territory cali ,ako
Il presumption claim; neither can any person who leaves
land Of his own in this Territory to go upon tho public
land tkfuio .-y .,t. =.
Ownerahipt to land Is NO bar TO making n homestead
entry. To make u loyal presumption claim, a party
should first make actual settlement upon tho land, and
then within ninety days from such settlement, he
should file hs decla,atory statement in he local land
Office. A filing made without prior settlement l., null.
and void and confers no right upon the settler, and even
ifhe has valuable improvements and has heen an actual
resident upon the land his claim Is subject t. forfeiture
In the presence ofan adverse claim, or oven when there
IL No adverse claim Hence, no party should flo . de-
clsratory statement for land until after he has made an
actual settlement upon tho same. The law allows
ninety days from settlement In which to 6le, and the
p&rty's right dates FROM the time Of .etllrment and not
from the time Of fling.
a party can obtain u legal right To one hundred and
sixty acres under the p%re-emptiun 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 ~designata 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 u tina 6rat settler. The right of II settler
dates from the date Of bis settlement upon the land,
and he is allowed ninety days after the township plat
Is filed In the local land Office In which to Hle his pro-
empti0n declaratory statement. After an uctunl resi-.
dence Of six months upon land : settler can make pay
ment for the same at ST.. 2 per acre. He can make
payment for the land at any time within q period of
thirty three months from the date Of settlement after
showing II continuous residence upon the land for six
months prior to tn. date Of making proof. VI course
payment cannot be male for land until after 1t Is sur.
veyed and comes into market. A party possessing the
same legal qualification "a a ~preenption 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 eutrv at
the local land Office, aud then he is allowed six months
from that date In which to make his actual settlement
and establish his residence. A settler can make pay
ment for bis land at 81. Is per acre after six mouths c.h.
tinuous residence aud Improvement ofthe land.or II he
continues his reaidence for Eve years he can obtain title
TO the claim without payment. Payment At 81. Is per
acre can lie made for land at any time during five years
from date Of entry, after six month residence next pro-
ceeding the payment. II it Is shown that a 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
are that the party shall break five acres during the
first year from date Of entry; during the second year he
must cultivate u crop or otherwise said five acres and
break five acres, more and the third year he must plant
the first five acres tn trees, seeds or cuttings, and cult.
rate tn second FIVE acres 70 crop or otherwise. and the
fourth year the second five acres must be planted 70
trees, seeds or cuttings.
After fulfilling the requirements of the timber cul-
tur, Law as above stated, the claimant can mako 6nal
proof at the end Of eight years and acquire title to bis
tree claim" without symep Of 81 Is per are, or any
sum, to the government, A. is the requirement under
the homestead and ~preemption laws. Upder the TIM
ber-cnlturs act only ono tree claim can b taken In q
AAef}hn