Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-04-07
HOW LAND FRAUDS ARE PERPE-
TRATED

I'D nom Las vegas, ". NJ NnkV"s soAo
important light upon the land question in
he West.
There are several ways provided by the
government for men to acquire homes.
One of the ways is pre- empticn. Prsemp'
tons may be made by heads OF families,
widows, or single men or women over Il
years OF age. One hundred and sixty
acres can be taken in this way BY proving
residence, cultivation and paying tees and
81 rs to sa5O per acre. No one who
owns $40 acres of land elsewhere can take
advantage of this law, nor csn he abandon
his residence on his own land and pre-
empt government land.
Homesteads may be entered By any
head of family or 3 twentyone-yesr-old
citizen, actual or intended. Surveyed land
TO the extent of 100 acres is alone syaila-
Die. The applicant must attest to qualih'
cations and that the entry is made for his
exclusive use snd benefit for actual settle
ment and cultivation. Within six weeks
residence must be taken up and continued
with cultivation Of the land for FIVE years
without interruption.
Soldiers homestesds may be obtained BY
all who served ninety days in the army or
navy during the civil war who were honor
ably discharged and remained loyal TO the
government. The period Of army or navy
service is deducted from the FIVE years
residence By the Homestead law, but either
be or his widow must actually reside one
gear on the tract.
Timber culture claims are recognized
where a person has planted and kept grow
ing for eight years q specified number OF
forest trees. One hundred end sixty acre
may be taken in this way BY complying
With certain provisions.
Desert lands In Dskcts, Idaho, Montana,
Oregon and Washington may be taken BY
citizen to the extent Of $40 acres. Such
lands are defined to be sll territory which
will no. raise @ crop without artificial irri
CATION.
Though these these liberal laws were
designed to confer CREST benefits upon
persons who wished to find homes, yet the
abuses that have sprung up have a 10
great extent defeated their, good purpose.
Tdtse are the Ways the Hersld's CORE
spondens says the frauds are perpesrated;
The Presumption LAWS the most tre'
suently violated The Timber Culture law
il practically dead letter, and the Desert
Reclamation act is but vehicle for the
worst kind of kuavery. All three could De
repealed without the future honest settler
being injured 10 the slightest degree.
/ Under the Desert Lands law vast tracts
have been absorbed by cattle companies,
and lands which are not legiiimstely sterile
or incapable of cultivation without arGh'
cial irrigation have been, through the con
niysnce of surveyors in the employ OF the
Land Office, clsssed % deserts. Good
bottom tracts have been passed of as ster-
lie lands. Whole valleys and streams have
been absorbed, and the back country for
miles rendered worthless under the opera
tons of the Desert lew.
! The Timber Culture Law was never OF
real value-s mere experiment at beat
/ The soil and climate of much of the reg
I ion to be planted forbids the successful
reariug OF young trees. If as previous y
stated, an honest following of the law s
provisions were made the settlers lands
would be greatly benefited, but this sp
plies to certain localities. West of the
ninetieIh meridian the law cannot be prop
erly carried out, aud the most baretaceo
perjury alone will cradle any one 10 prove
up his claim at the final reckoning. The
ordinary way the settler suits his con
science 10 his oath is by turning up the
black prairie soil in shallow burrows, sepa
rated from each other by eight or ten feet
of virgin uniurued soil. A row Of fragile
cottonwood STICKS, often times without
roots and stuck in the burrows, and the
work of tree planting" is done. Then tie
planter" is ready to swear, and swear be
does with alacrity and comprehensive zeal
Fires sweep over the young grove, nibblng
cattle browse over it and the ehil
blast of the blizzard hswls around the
siekly sspipg. In the spring the vast ma
iority Of the young trees planted with root:
are dead. Those without roots were never
expected to live. But the planter is ready
10 swear, and his neighbors, on the prin
clple that one good turn deserves another
go before the agent of the Land Office SUD
are free to give their valuable opinions uu'
der oath that the trees are healthy and in
I good growth. So the fraud is comp 'eted
The cattle men have been prompt t.
recognize the efficiency of Timber Culture
act in harmonizing with their personal
schemes of sggrandizement. So they set
their herdsmen at work making timber
culture entries in good localIties-the
banks of streams or spots where good
shelter and water abound. The farce Of
tree planting" generally trees" Of the
rootless yariety-is gone through, and the
official papers are obtained, deciding the
/ land, often to the extent OF
whole townships, to the cattle mag
nate, through his employees, 1t is an IN
deFstood thing that rsnchmsn employ at
large wages men who are to look out for
stock and to make land entries as we'll.
The employer choices the location and fur.
nishes the fees for the services of an attor.
nsy, who prepares the final proof papers
1t is stated BY land agents that these
frauds are conducted with the utmost skill
and the papers are more carefully drawn
than is ordinarily the case. Truth and
honesty appear in every line, and the per
Jury is enacted with al ease and skill
which would AFFORD pleasuresbls emotions
to the cynical observer whose trust IN the
virtues Of human nature is but limited"
This shows that it is not railroads alone
that have been perpetrsting great land
frauds in the West. The whole business
should be handled by Congress, with gloves
Of This is OF far more importance than
IL L. L..