Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-12-29

LAND S UEClDED.

secretary lamar DiSp0ses Of a Batch
OF disputed Claims.
Washington, Dec. 27th--Ths secretary
Of the interior has authorized q com.
promise IN the timber trespass case
against Ecoles, Spencer & o., of Idaho.
He has reversed the decision OF the
commissioner of the general land office
In the case of @. A. Contours applics-
ton to make homestead entry of the
east half of the southeast quarter OF
section 20. range 2, Olympia (Waish)
land district. The land lies within the
original reserve limits OF the original
Northsra Pacific grant, and previous to
the withdrawal, Nov. 2Sth. 1885. the land
had been entered by John Ssxton,
whose land entry had been cancelled.
The Northern Pacific claimed that the
land, which was q part Of an odd section.
had on cancellation returned to its
original u%noccupied condition and be-
came q part Of the original grant. Sparks
tour to make his entry. This decision the
occupied land cannot be withheld from
u RIhub lOE OhbAy W auJ bCGblck %uo
comes along. The secretary affirmed the
decision of the commissioners in the case
of James Sheen We. Knudt A. Tvendto,
involving the northeast half OF section 81,
township 135, range 43, Fargo land dis
trlct. He has reversed the commits
sioner's decision in the case OF Gilbert
e. Reads timber culture entry of the
southwest quarter OF section 8, town
ship 105. range So, Mitchell land district.
He has also reafifmed his old decision
in the case OF Patrick Hackett vs. Even
Kailson, over the iatter's timber culture
entry OF the northeast quarter OF section
81, township 100, range 80. Grand Forks
land district, thus again Diminishing
Hackett's contest. The secretary has
also affirmed the commissioners ruling
in the case of Henry A. Strand
vs.. John Fl. McCorville. The lat
ter made homestead entry of the south
east quarter, section 10, township 102,
range 90, Mitchell land distriot. In Sep
tember 1882. and after Irving o few
months on the land, he returned to his
home in Wisconsin and did not return
until contest was instituted. His claim
is Cancelled. The secretary has also
affirmed the dismissal of the contest of
s.. TrowbridRe against Asel Flint's
timber culture entry of the southwest
quarter, section l5. township 116, range
60, Huron land district. He slso affirmed
the Commissioner decision in the oon-
test OF q. A. StGtler vs CLARK Banning,
over the north half of the northeast
quarter, section IL, township lis, range
IS, Huron iani district. This gives the
land to Statler and rejects Banning's
claim. The secretary has rejected the
appeal OF 9. N. Nelson, president Of
the q. N. Nelson lumber company,
from the decision Of the commissioner OF
the general land Office deciding that he
must give up aportion of the entry made
by Anthony White nf land in section Z,
township IS, range 81, Duluth land dis
trict, aggregating 1865 acres, to bring
the land nearer to the 100 acres allowed
by law. Among the papers of the case
was . blank REIMBURSEMENT by Nelson
OF a portion Of the land under protest.
After proof and payment and before
patent White had transferred the land
to Nelson. In affirming the decision the
secretary says:
I would direct attention to the fact
that there are several things in connec-
ton with this case strongly suggestive
Of fraud upon the government. The
REIMBURSEMENT itself is filed out in man
useript upon a blank form. If the COM
pany is the transferee of so many pre-
emptions entrymen who have filed for
more than 100 acres that it has prepared
blank forms upon which to make out
ACCOMPLISHMENTS of excess, it is presum-
able that 1t ia the transferee for O far
CRATER number Of entrymen who have
filed for more than the law allows-and
this OF itself wears a Suspicious look.
Again the records of the department
show that this company has become
possessed, mainly by transfers from pre-
emptors after proof and before patent,
or from homesteader who have commut-
ed at the earliest possible period, entries
of large tracts of land, frequently 10
in Solid sections and sometimes in al
most unbroken townships. This fact
renders it probable that this case Of
Anthony White among others. may be
one of fraudulent entry, and I direct
your attention thereto.