, 1890-04-17
AT THE LAND OFFIC
What Has Boen Accomplished In
the Last Three
Months.
Chief Clerk Townsend Furnishes
the Review With u
Statement

The business of the United States
land Office in this city has not been
as large during the quarter Just
closed ~ 1t would have been had
the weather been "a favorable rs
usual. The business of the present
and forthcoming quarters will doubt
less be much a. rger than that OF the
quarter just passed. During the
month of February the snow was
unusually heavy, and prevented
travel, aud the land office business
for that month was short. II was
greater during March, however, and
the showing for the quarter Ia
reasonably large under the clrcum-
stances.
A REVIEW reporter yesterday
called upon Register Adams for a
statement as To the number of
filings and entries for the quarter,
and was referred by the register TO
his efficient clerk, Mr. w. II. Town
send, for the information desired.
/ said he:
"lt appears from the records that
| cighty-seven original homestead en-
| tries were made, embracing an acre
/ age of l2,gS2. ~. Final homestead
proofs were made and approved by
| tho register in 1i2 cases, represent.
ing an acreage of %, l2S.53.
"Only nineteen timber culture en-.
tries We're made for 1905 acres, while
| thirty-siX entrymen made final
| proofs In support of their timber
/ culture claims and received final
certificates us the basis of patents
/ for =, 40, II acres Of land under this
| law Tor the encouragement of timber
ON the Western prtiries.
"Thls would seem TO indicate that
not so many persons are taking new
| timber culture claims as To form any
basis for uneaslncss that the public
lands are being gobbled up under
that law to an alarming extent. On
the contrary, 1t appears from these
/ figures that nearly twice IA many
I persons proved their compliance
with the law OH old entries as made
new entries.
"In making entries under this
timber culture law the applicant
must swear that the land is prairie
land, and In all respects subject To
entry under the nct. They are re-.
| quired to grow timber on ten acres of
the land for eight years, where 1850
acres are entered, and u proportion
ate amount for u thorough prcparu.
/ ton OF the ground and thc claimant
must plant as much a. =, 700 trees,
seeds or cuttings on each of the ten
acres, and at the time of making
proof 1t must he shown BY proof
that not less than 6T5 trees are
growing aud In n healthy and
] thrifty condition. The trees must
he of sufficient age to demonstrate
] pcrmanoncy of growth.
AS stated few days ago by
Register Adams, the time when the
proofs could he made under the law
has but recently arrived and u
great many timber-raisers in the
prairie portions of this district, are
submitting proofs of compliance
with the law, preparatory To getting
their patents.
"Dnring the quarter Just passed
F. ninety cash entries were made for
an aggregate of lO,03l.i2 acres. This
includes presumption purchases and
/ timber-land purchases,
"Fhe pre-cmption law was the
[ original law that gave TO setnors n
| right to the land, settled upo and
/ improved by Them, and 1t has re.
mained upon the statute books since
| lSil. Prior to the passage of that
law, land could be purchased by the
| first applicant and In most eases the
settler had no show as against the
I wholesale speCulutors who might
l it....sANrnI I..pI
any other as soon as il was placed
on the murket AT public = lo.
"rhc timler land law was passed
by congress in ISIS, II allows
| timber land 10 bc purchased in iortv-
acre, eightY-acre, l20 or lG0-acrc
| tracts, ut the government price of
50. 90 an acre. The hand must be
such ~, il until tor aQri cultural pur-
poses, and chiefly valuable for its
| timber. No residence on the land
Is required.
"Althuugh the homestead law
enables the settler to obtain his
lands practically for nothing, the
old presumption law is still In great
| favor among settlers. During the
past quarter lOl filings were made
| under this law for lands I'm this dis
/ trict, that being nearly ~ large a
number as made homestead entries.
New settlers generally start in with
prc-emption claims, as under this
law proof and payment for the land
may be made after residence there
on for II period Of six months. The
settler may then move to other land
and take that as Homestead. IL is
true hc may commute his home
stead after six months residence
and pay Tor the land as though IL
was u pre-emption; hut where per-
son besides To get the benefit Of both |
laws II II not good plan |
To take the homestead first, even
though 1t may he the settlers in
tention in advance TO commute
his homestead entry, for the word
ing of the preemptlon law is such |
as to not allow any person to move |
from land of his own to take pre-
emption claim.'
Rnuister Adams stated that IL is
really surprising how quickly set
tiers, or those Intending to get gov
ernmcnt land catch on TO these tech
meal points in their laws aud gov
ern their actions accordingly.
ARBop DAY.