The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-11-25
LAND CONTESTS.
The Consisting of Bona Eide Settlers
Should he Stopped.

The Consisting of Bona Eide Settlers
Should he Stopped.
The Grand Rapids Magnet makes
strong plea for the homesteader who
is harrassed by the numerous land
sharks and unprincipled shysters who
make it business TO modest the poor
but honest homesteader. The Yer
million country has had its share of
the Matchmaking hirelings OF pine
land CORPORATIONS whose sole duty
seemed to be to draw blood money
from the hapless settler. The sharks
mode is usually to enter contest on
some one of the numerous claimants.
After being fought for years in the
offices the settler would, in several
eases, pay the leech to withdraw his
contest in order TO gain his lands
sooner. This is what the contestors'
aim was when he opened the contest.
The greatest hardships are thus i'm
posed upon the settler, and he is
forced 10 pay money he can poorly
afford or stand the chances in con-
test. in great many cases of unlimit-
ed duration. The nefarious work OF
coptesting was almost effectually put
4 stop TO in Tower few years ago by
The citizens who took the law into
their own hands and nearly sent TO
-kipgdona come" several OF the land
sharks BIZ means OF a rope at the end
of which some fifty wronged settlers
had taken a firm hold. The recipe
for Kidding the country Of these pests
can be secured free By addressing
several Tower people and we would
advise the homesteaders of Grand
Rapids and vicinity to send for the
same.
The Magnet says its attention has
been called to such matters more
forcibly since township 80, range a
has been open for filings. Being per-
sonally acquainted with a number of
settlers in that township, it knows
they have fully complied with law as
TO cultivation, Improvements and
residence. With such conditions
existing. one would think that these
settlers would be perfectly safe from
the Eeyattous contests that have been
placed against their homestead en-
tries. but they are not. and some of
them may have expensive and tedious
fights before they are secure in their
rights
In looking ever some OF these con-
tests. or rater the allegations con-
tanned in them, it is evident that the
contestants have not had the least
regard for truth in their affidavits.
In fact. they have committed deliber-
ate perjury. Take as an Illustration
[. s. Cards case. Here is q settler
known 70 almost every citizen OF
Grand Rapids as a bona fde settler.
and one who for the past six years at
least. has fully complied with the
law. as to residence and improve
ments. In spite of this, his home
stead entry is attacked, and the
contestants swears that the claimant
established 10 residence On the tract
OF land or made any improvements,
and that the land is better fitted for
its timber or stone than for agricul-
tural purposes. In al probability the
man who made this affidavit never
was on the land, nor near it. get he
deliberately swears to certain things.
simply for the purpose Of harrassing
and annoying settler This same
state Of affairs exists in a number Of
instances with the claimants Of GOA
They are powerless to stop these
contests. As result they are put to
q heavy expense in defending their
rights. If a few of these contestants
were arrested for perjury and severely
punished for their acts, there would
be less trouble in the futare for
settlers.