Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-04-24
PUBLIC LANDS.
There are Vast Tracts Still Open
for Settlement.

Ava NSeeANANASs
1t has often been predicted that, by
the present year, nearly all the public
lands which it is practicable for individ-
uals to " locate and improve under the
land laws would have been occupied, and
that the number of entries of govern
ment lands would have begun to de-
cline.
But there is as yet no sign that any
such highwater mark of settlement has
been reached. Indeed, the report of the
United States Land Office for 1889 shows
that the last fiscal year was marked by
the largest number of patents of land for
agricultural purposes ever made.
During the three years 1886, 1887 and
1888, the patents issued for agricultural
lands had averaged about thirty thousand
year. But for the fiscal year ending
with June, 1889, more than seventy thou
sand patents were issued.
Though many of these patents, which
are practically the Governments deed of
the land to the settler, were upon entries
or settlements made few years before,
the new entries have about kept pace
with the patents.
Still "Uncle Sans farm is not ex-
haustcd. Up to last June, only about
one-half of the area of the two Dakotas
had been entered for land claims. I'm
doubtedly it is the better half which has
been taken, but that which remains in
cludes much excellent land.
In several of the Western States and
| Territories there are hundreds of settlers
who are unable to obtain the patents or
deeds for their land. They are merely
"squatters," or legally unauthorized oc-
cupants; but the Government tolerates
them, and their occupancy, if it is per-
sisted in, will in nearly all cases be
equivalent to title.
| In Idaho, which is likely soon to be u
State, only little more than one-seventh
of the area of the Territory has been
surveyed The settler who locates upon
unsurveyed lands is of course only q
squatter, no matter how valuable his i'm
provements may be, since the Govern
ment cannot give him patent to his
land.
Within few years, many millions of
acres of good land are likely to be made
available for settlement through the pur-
chase by the government of vast tracts
not needed by the Indian tribes, and
through the forfeiture of land grants by
railroads which have not complied with
the conditions under which their lands
were given.
The nature of the claim of certain
tribes of Indians to vast tracts of land on
the plains and prairies is profoundly af-
fected by the disappearance of game
from these regions. When the Indian
tribes lived by the chase, they required
vast tracts to range over in pursuit of
their game. Now, throughout most of
the Western country, the game has in
great part disappeared. The buffalo,
which was the plains Indians chief source
of subsistence, is now completely gone,
and all the fur-bearing animals are prac-
tically exterminated. The Indians, there
fore, must either be supported by the
government or must maintain themselves
by farming or grazing In either case
they have no further use for the great
tracts which were formerly their hunting
grounds. and in the nature of things, this
land must come into the hands of those
who will make use of it.
In the meantime, land grants to rail
roads, amounting to more than twenty
one million acres, have been suspended,
and are awaiting the legislation by Con
gress which is necessary for their for
feiture, or cancellation. This land is
nearly all good, and its area is about
equal to that of the State of Maine
Even though the land which is now
available for settlement in homesteads or
farms, and which does not appear to be
in immediate danger of giving out, must
some time be exhausted, there will still
remain II vast area, which, by general
system of irrigation, can be made to sup
port a larger population than the United
States as yet contains. : Youths Com
panion.