Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-08-14
lnoEMxIrY LANDS.
The Result OF Ruling Relative to
RailrOad POssessiOns-Its Effect ON
the Northern Pacific

The Result OF Ruling Relative to
RailrOad POssessiOns-Its Effect ON
the Northern Pacific.
Washington, Aug. l0-The general
land Office has been notified of the move-
ment to fight claims on the Sioux City
u st. Paul lands in southwestern Min
nesota. This opportunity grows out of
the duilford- Miller decision, which
withdrew all indemnity limits Of rsil.
road land grants. 1t is said here that
the Sioux City & st. Paul has had
good deal more land certified in its in
demnity tracts than 1t could possibly
claim. All excess Of what Justly be-
longs to tho road is fairly open to pub
lie settlement, but it is dangerous to risk
anything on 1T. The settler cannot file
on this land at the land Office. His only
course Is to try to acquire squatters'
rights. No show Of title can be claimed
by him until the whole grant is ad-
justed. This will be done lust
as soon as it Is practicable to
do 1t with the force available in
the general land Office. The indem.
nifty creates great mass of new busi-
ness, most of which must be done BY
special agents, of which the number is
limited to twenty-four. Most of them
are now at work quietly ascertaining
how much land eacn road should have
to indemnify it for actual losses, how
much land the roads have sold to SET
tiers under quit claims or waivers, and
how much has already been taken in
lieu of lost lands. Lands disposed of in
the indemnity limits under quit claims
or waivers will be counted as indemnity
selections.
This ruling will work most severely,
1t is said, against the Northern Pacific,
that road having done large business
in settling relipquishments of their right
to such lands. Every effort will be
made to protect the roads which show q
disposition to prove their losses oi
lands in place promptly and make
lien selections. Settlers who go on tbs
Sioux Oity lands, if found On the
lands that the road selects, provided
the road has not already picked out
more land than it should, and have q
right to make further selections, will be
elected by the government. If, aftel
waiting for the adjustment of the grant
they happen to be in unsolicited lands
they have squatt.r's rights, and can ge
title in due time. Several complaint
have been rejected at the land office
some of them to-day, that the Omah
road has made wrongful Appropriation
of timber land in Northern Wisconsin
under the pretext of selling waivers t,
indemnity lands. Agents are to be sen
to investigate the charges. The chances
are very poor that the Guliford- Miller de
cision will be revoked. The supple.
mentary order sent out the other day te
land Office registers and receivers in.
structing them to obey the rulings il
the decision, was signed by Assistant
Secretary jerks and met with his ap
provai. Mr.. jerks has charge of the
land law decision made by this admins.
tration, and besides being good lawyer
he is hard man to get around. To-day
W. G. Mendenhall, attorney for th'
Northern Pacific, filed with the assistsn
secretary petition asking to have {
day set to argue in appeal from tn.
Guilford-M Miller decision.