Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-10-10
Written for the NORTHWEST ]
Life on a Claim.

| hhen Uncle sam devised the pre-emptiol
and homestead laws, he could scarcely haV
forseen the Wild rush, which ever since ha
been steadily increasing, that would ensu
for homes, practically free, in the wild an'
boundless west; region full of romance ant
adventure, a region from which has sprung
new, vigorous life, and infused wonderful
energy into the national existence, and whicl
il is impossible TO locate with any degre,
of certainty, as it ever recedes when.one ap
proaches it. and, like malaria, is found few
miles further on. thought l was "goinl
west" when settled in Woodson county, bu
found the people there talking of "the west,
meaning Harper or Hutchison. When
went to Harper thought that surely wal
tout west" but there they talked just al
much of going ''out west"-to Clark ol
Meade Countrywide 'east" meant the east,
ern part of the State. Last spring when
came here thought, 'Now at least, I am
vest" but behold, found the "west" here
was Colorado or Utah, while the "east'
meant Hutchison, Wichita or Harper. Like
Proctor Knott, who, with his latest breath
would have sighed, "Tell, oh, tell me, where
is Duluth" one may well say, "Where, oh,
where is the west, of which have read and
heard ever since vas a child at school,
where were done those glorious and impos-
sible leeds of the heroes of the dime novel,
and which has filled my imagination with
images of wild buffalo, wilder desperadoes
and widest Indians, ever since my boyhood
days?" Alas! like the "Ultimate Thule" it
has never been found and never will be. The
north pole is just as easily reached as is the
"west"
There is an Unsuitable longing in the heart
of an American for something new. The
pleasure of feeling new sensations, of seeing
new sights, of having new surroundings and
of meeting new types of men, is irresistible
to him. Add to this the fact that he can ac-
quire property while gaining experience, and
one need 10 ok no further for the reason of
the marvelously rapid development of the
west.
Where few years ago unnumbered thous-
ands of buffalo wandered slowly and heavily
over the prairie, feeding on the sweet, nutri-
tious but diminutive buffalo grass, and where
countless herds of antelopes rushed from
their red pursuers with the speed of the wind,
and Kansas wind at that, now are seen
orchards, gardens, fields of golden grain, and
the smokes of comfortable, happy homes.
And where the blood -curdling whoops of the
Indian on hunt after white mems scalps
and horses was heard, now sounds the no less
terrifying shrek of the locomotive. In place
of the buffalo trail is the track of steel. In
stead of wigwam villages, lighted with camp
fires, are rich and populous cities illuminated
with electricity. For the pony express we
have the mail train and the telegraph wire;
and all this has teen for the most part ac-
complis he'd within the last quarter of CEN
tury, and much of it has been done in the
last decade. Never in the history of the race
has there been so marvellous transforma-
ton, and nothing in the range of fiction or
fable can give just comparison to the ra-
pidity with which the western prairies were
settled and made the abode of the refining
influences of civilization. And it is nearly
all due to the pre-emption and homesteading
laws that this change is due.
The pre-emption law is very simple. Any
citizen of the United States, or one who has
declared his intention of becoming citizen,
who is twenty-one years of age and who has
not already 320 acres of land, can pre-empt
a quarter section, the entering or declaratory
statement fee being So. The pre-emptor
must build comfortable house and make
some improvements besides; the kind and
amount not being stated, which is an over
sight and sometimes makes trouble. The
main point is that of continuous residence
for the required six months which. having
been satisfactorily proved, will cover a great
many omissions. He is also expected to
break at least ten acres, and if it is done in
the proper season, to put in "sod" crop.
After advertising in six issues of some pa
per of his land district, which advertisement
contains the names of four witnesses, two
Of whom must be present the day of proving
up, and whose testimony is necessary to
satisfy the authorities of the Land Office that
the intent of the law has been carried out, he
'proves up" his claim and is free to 90 where
he wishes.
The advertising costs 81, the proving up
S6, total $40, which together with 5000 (6O
acres at $1.25) makes the total cash cost for
one quarter section of land $212. Of course
The improvements cost something, but that
is more than made up by the increased value
Of the land.
Homesteading is similar to pre-empting,
but the entrance fee is $14 and five years
actual residence is required; but beyond the
entrance fee and the ''proving up" expenses
.he land is free, the settler obtaining patent
for it for merely living on it. Any time after
six months, however. homestead may be
'commuted," that is, one may "prove up"
by paying the government price, in fact,
making pre-emption of it. One person can
obtain 4S0 acres of government land-16O
as pre-emption, 1G0 as homestead and 1GO
as tree claim-and become Gland poor'
easily and at slight expense.
The structures known all over the west as
''claim shanties" are very primitive. A great
part of their number are of sod, some are
tdug-outs," (not dig-outs as some unin