The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-31
HOW To "TAKE UP" LAND.
Governments Offers TO Seekers of
Homesteads.


By an act of Congress, which went
into effect March 4, 1891, the law en-
fitting settlers to take up $50 acres of
land under the presumption act was re-
pedled, SO that at present there are TOUR
principal rights by which person so
ueslring may acquire part OF the PUBIC
DOMAIN.
the right most frequently used is the
homestead, and the manner OF using Is
as follows: The desired land, If sur
~Sed, is located by piaIS furmshed at
cost OF 81 either by the land ONCE of the
district in winch The Iand is located. or
by nrms who make a specially of blue
prints. BY locating is meant ascertain
ing its description according 10 the gov
eminent survey, when gives the quarter
seculon, the section, township and range.
InlS much accomplished. the Would-De
settler initiates settlement by filing de-
claratory statement of his intentions with
the proper omcer of the county in which
the Iand is located. A fee OF d few dol
lars is charged for this ming.
Inc Settler is now required to make
SUBSTANTIAL improvements upon his land,
sucn as clearing, if timbered, plowlng
ana erecting d mouse which is hapitable
at all seasons OF the year. This domicile
must nave one or more windows and
doors, and must be 10xl2 feet or larger.
BY continual residence OF i've years
upon the land, the settler is presented
Wit patent to $50 acres, free OF all
Charge save the office fees, which are in
considerable. When his intention for
making final proof has been advertised
for nVe weeks IN consecutive issues of the
newspaper nearest his land, he then goes
TO the general land office of his district
with TWO witnesses, VINO are supposed 10
be his nearest nelghbors and not related
to him. These witnesses testify to his
improvements and their value and to his
continuous residence upon the land. If
all is in due compliance with the law, the
receiver of the land office causes a re-
ceipt to be issued to him, which, in course
of time, is surrendered at the land ONCE
ana a patent Is given instead.
If the settler does not care to remain
upon his land for five years he may
commute his homestead to cash entry,
and fourteen months from the date of his
I'll ~ entry may make final proof by the
payment of SIS per acre.
Any citizen OF the United States twenty
one years Of age or over may use this
right. Land SUBJECT to this entry can be
found III all Of the states and territories
west of Minnesota. and Missouri, the most
desirable being New Mexico, Arizona, Cal
l1ornia, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and
w ashington.
The next right most used is that
United States to purchase $50 acres
the government, and is quite popular in
heavily timbered districts The timber
claim, under the law which refers to it,
may be acquired merely by the purchaser
visiting each legal subdivision with two
witnesses who make affidavit to the effect
that the land is unit for farming or other
agricultural purposes, and is most valua-
atle for its stone and timber. The same
advertising is demanded in a timber claim
that is necessary in a homestead. The
only difference is that the settlsr is not re-
quired to make any improvements upon
the land; neither is he compelled to re-
side upon it. When his final proof is made
he pays 50 per acre with the customary
Office fees. Washington and Oregon o1ler
the most desirable fields for timber claims.
The desert land act applies only to such
land as has been designated by the gov
ernment geologist as arid land. The re-
quirements are that water shall be made
to run over the land in such quantities
as will be sufficient to raise a crop. A
person may acquire a full section $40
acres under the law by running water
over two sections and paying $125 per
acre. Some Of the most fertile soil in the
country comes under the head of arid
land. and will produce marvellous crops
under irrigation. Such land Gan be found
in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, New Mexico,
Wyoming and-parts of Colorado.
Under the act of Congress, which re-
lates to tree culture person may pos
sess $50 acres by planting certain num-
Der of trees upon each forty acres of the
tract. This. land must be treeless, or to
it the law does not apply. One hundred
and sixty acres constitute a tree claim.
Such claim can be located upon any of the
broad prairies of the west