Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-06-25
LAND IN THE WEST.
UNCLE SANS BIG FARM, WHERE THE
PLOW HAS NOT YET BEEN.

How to Get q Home Out of It-nfethods
Of Obtaining q Title Under the Various
Land Acts-It Is Comparatively Easy to
Get $50 Acres.
There are thousands Of acres OF vacant
land which can be had at almost nomi-
nal price. In most instances it requires
only settlement, residence and cultiva-
ton for few years to obtain full and
complete title to the land. The situation
Is much different from what it is in the
east, where young farmer must run in
debt to buy few acres of land and be
kept in debt for years. One crop of ten
acres will pay the cost for building and
tools.
There are several ways of obtaining
title to agricultural lands. First is
under tho presumption laws. The first
requisite is to make settlement upon the
land. Settlement consists Of any acts
which show the intention of the settler
TO claim the land as n presumption. 1t
may be, for instance, the building Of a
cellar, or starting the foundation of
house, or building of fence.
Having this settlement upon the land,
within three months the settler must file
a declaratory statement in the United
States Office and pay fec of So. With
in two years and nine months he must
get upon the land and reside thereon for
six months BY decision OF the land
office, it Is not necessary for l-lrty TO
live upon the land until six months be-
fore he makes final proof, but he must
live there at least six monthsand make
final proof before thirty-three months
from the date Of settlement. He must
have cultivated a portion of the land.
In six months after establishing residence
upon the land he can prove up. He must
make application to make final proof at
the land office, and advertise in some pa
per published near the land, also name
four witnesses who are neighbors and
who are not related TO him. lie and two
witnesses must appear before the proper
officers on the day of making final proof
and make proof OF his residence, culti-
walton of the land and pay SIPS per acre
in addition to the fees for advertising,
attorneys fees. etc.
HOMESTEAD.
Another method of obtaining title to
land Is under the homestead act. By
this method the first requisite is the same
rs under the presumption laws A soldier
can flo soldiers homestead claim upon
the land which he intends for home
stead six months previous to making a
settlement upon furnishing his discharge,
or other proof Of his service; but any
party can have six months time to make
settlement by going before the register
and receiver of the land office; 80 this
right of the soldier amounts to but very
little. Within three months after settle
ment, homestead entry must be made and
n fee of $40 DO paid the land office. The
party, should he not go before the regis
ter and receiver, must be residing upon
tho land at the time of making affidavit
before clerk of court. He can II he
chooses after residing upon tho land six
months, md cultivating it, prove up as
in the pre-cmption and pay for the land.
Such an act is called committing home
stead. Should ho not desire to pay for
1t, however, he can live upon it five
years and then make final proof He
need not prove up il he chooses for seven
years. Upon making final proof he has
only to pay the fees for advertising,
clerk. and small fec TO tho register and
receiver, when no obtains tho title for
his land. II he was soldier in tho war
his term of service as such can bo do
Quoted from the five years residence,
but he must reside upon tho land at least
one year. Thesa nre all the rights the
soldier has over any other citizen in re-
spect to tho homestead law.
A person who wishes to take up land
under both presumption and homestead
net should pre-empt first.
There is still another method of obtain
ing title to land, and that is under the
timber act. By this method the party
must mako timber culture entry, and
show that the land is non-mineral. He
must himself be personally acquainted
with tho land In order TO mako this afil-
davit. AT any timo within ono year after
making entry Of the land, and paying a
fec of S14 to the land Office, he must
pillow for tho 100 acres taken, five acres of
land. In the second year he must SOW
the first five acres TO crop and break
mother five acres. In tho third year he
must put In treo seeds or set out trees in
tho flrst five acres. and put q crop in tho