New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-11-25
Withhold Land Patents.
AN IMMENSE NUMBER.

There have accumulated in the office Of
the recorder for the general land Office forty
Thousand patents to entries in what is
known as the infected districts" embraced
in Commissioners Sparks famous order Of
April 3. The work ofissuing patents has how
ever,except for a few weeks been going on as
usual. Maj. Clark, the recorder says the
office has sent out between 1000 and 5, 900
month right along, and this month"; at
the present rate, will issue 5000. Patents
have been issued regularly to claimants in
the infected districts who do not make en-
tries under the presumption, homestead
or timber claim laws where an oath is re-
quised. Commissioner Sparks said in re-
gard to the order:
| am in .opes that.we may soon be able
to rescind it. The necessity for twas such
that nothing else would meet the purpose
took the advice OF all the old officials in
this Office, and they considered the matter
i'll all it's lights and phases Their only
der should be issued. The problem was how
I to sift the fraudulent from the genuine
claims. We hesitated at the idea OF
inflicting any harm or Inconvenience upon
the bona fde settlers, but there was large
number offraudulent claims. Ifyou should
look over the reports OF our special agents
in the field, you would fnd as I have stat
ed in my annual report, that from IS to
95 per cent. OF all the claims OF this class
where an oath can swear them through are
fraudulent. I have letters from Dakota
and elsewhere daily that confirm this.
To-day had one som {, prominent Dako-
ia gentleman fully substantiating the fact.
Now, / am not going to certify to the pres
ident that patents should be issued when
am not sure they should be. shall not
certify, in other words, to a lie. We hope
to be able to have means OF telling whether
entries are bona fide or not.
Sovnro1 MA ms ha va 1onn Gov
the proper inspection Of claims, but tbs I'M
derstood that the one that commends itself
bestis to have an official designated to each
loeal a.s.,l office, who with his deputies will be
ms a4a .n sp sSs s on the
AZ (, tide settlement. This official
M We as ! check on the local land
This breweryisT enable the general land office,
u the kiad III ihe would be directly responsible
y With alshe m.iether patents should be certi:
so,s Sssr Inrnsn The cost OF such set OF Off
81 f.miiv M. slight compared with the
Country brewers It tiers Of land that would 9TH
lndit g their intersto the hands OF spectators
ne: All BY nnen. The recorders force OF
ys N'V' ,iefed up an abstract OF most
Z.. ". o suspended entries now wait
q J, "a Stents, and the abstracts
i afe being .s,ent out to special agents. A
large number OF cases have beer.
looked up lind patents will doubtless
be issued to honest settlers in a
considerable portion OF the infected districts
before long. Commissioners Sparks action
& is not entirely personal. 1t has the endorse
rnent Of Secretary Lamar and the president
and they both claim their share Of respo,l-
sbility for it, The reports from the special
agents and local land officers do not indi.
cate any great amount OF suffering
among settlers. Mai. Clark says that he
hats 800, 900 atents that have never been
called for. Settlers have usually been able
to borrow money on their claims without
their patents, but cannot secure as large
loans on second mortgage without them.