Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-01-07
OFFICIAL COUNTY PAPER.
Taking Claims.

IN the niuoI Oi Tic Si't"!'l oiiA
,,attcr raised within the past two
wears regarding fraudulent entries OF
public lands, there is a vast amount
Of assertion, based on windy reports
from ire ,ponsible and ignorant agents,
sent out by the department to do work
for which they We're incompetent in a
way which had all the appearance Of
tlackmail and bottomlcss dishonesty.
There are frauds in the taking of pub
,ic lands, but.they are the exception
and not the rule. It is claimed at the
General Land Oifise that the mass OF
tire entries in the northwest are fraud
uIent. Speaking for Kawlins county,
We know that this statement Is ia Use.
The mass of the entries made in this
county are by bona fde settlers, with
the intent to comply with the forms
and provisions of law in making each
for himself a home.
There are conflicting Of opinions an !
interest at stalk. But a few years
since it was held that the western part
Of Kansas was only adopted to range
purposes, and that agriculture In any
shape was certain to result in failure,
and on every side the struggling
granger was met by Encouragement
and often by positive and direct hind
rance thrown in his way by those who
conceived their interests to be opposcd
10 his The increased and increasing
rainfall and humidity Ct the a.lno-
sphere Is in great measure changed
this. Five Years ago, when we first
came to Ravlins county, it was no un
corlmt thing to keep fresh eef or
other meats iii the dry air without any
effort to cure it. 1t was n easy t.ing
to jerk meat in those DAYS Now the
SHINE carelessness would result in to-
tal loss.
II has been for several years appar-
erlt that the cattle ranches would in 8
shcrt time be compelled to close oper
atoms or own the range. Many of
them have become owners of large
tracts, and it is charged that this own
ership has been accomplished through
fraudulent entries. Whatever means
have been used elsewhere, the rule has
been otherwise here Whatever land
has been mortgaged. rs rule, has been
SO incumbered by the original entry
nan for the purpose of raising means
10 60 into the stock business on his
own account, and not merely to spec
uiate in land The range itself is i'll
~ transition state, and the dry wealth
or that II few Years since made and
Kept il nutritious and fat producing,
having been succeeded by wet fall,
end winters which bleached the sub
atarce ont of it to a degree that makes
it cumpol5ory matter to those who
have stock to provide the feed to will
ter them. This has resulted in in
creased cultivation even with those
Who don want to believe that this is
u any sense AZ agricultural country.
IL country whose population has
9uadiiiped within 8 year 1t is mani
fest ti..,i there have been within that
tlGns inany honest entries OF land, and
comparatively few fraudulent entries.
LaY,: il booming too valuable here
f.. fraudulent entries ID be made.
Thi5 condition tends 20 greater secu-
ri,v AGAINST fraud than al army OF
special gents, and dozen reform ad-
iniui stations. 1t is no secret that
compliance with the law is enforced,
not 50 1uu@n by officials and strict
methods. ao much Us b., the fact that
in the .GiuLs each mau ..as become
- i great decree his brothers keeper.
4a& every homesteader aud pre-emp-
j. compelled to f,ltiil he law or
lose his iali because somebody else
wants i. Whatever O. fraud there
may have been in the past, and for
FMS there is no evidence y.cept in q
ysty few isolated cases, IL he future
x 81: toe tfo'a clinati,3 causes, 10y
reason OF Increased immigration and
IL consequent scarcity q public lssd,
there en- be noce except ia rare, well
covered cases.
IN this !ani district every possible
e.u.ber .-5,er Las been made Most of
chr citizens have. made II least one
eiI;ly - grs-v!ap,ors Or ho,nes.eaders.
and many have used both rights. Be
Cause !, iuap desires to prove up on his
dectaratocy settlement is Nc proof of
.raud. Nan. II our citizen have done
So wi-h 10 other object III vie" than
70 oeta;r sufficient land on Ns..ch to |,
';n.id up herd OF cattle. These are
scores az such cases. perhaps hun
l,glds O. hem. and no suspicion or
charge OF fraud can be alleged against !
them. The rich can oh5ain large |
nodics OF land or anything else they !
may desire s!nply because DIZZY nave /
tie money u pay for then. The