The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1897-02-13
May BE Benefited.

. --S
Chamberlain, Feb. 10.-The passage
by congress of the act requiring that
settlers on lands ceded by Indians,
when making final proof, shall be re-
CURED to pay only the amount which
goes to the indians in payment for the
land, will prove of vast benefit to thou
sands of settlers who have taken home
steads in The coded Sioux lands. The
price to be paid the Indians varies from
$l.25 to so cents per acre, accord
ing to the time when original entry was
made. Some months ago the land de-
partment at Washington ruled that, in
addition to these amounts, settlers
would be required to pay the further
sum of $1.25 per acre. the same as in
cases where entries upon land other
than ceded land are committed, the lat
ter amount going to the government.
Compliance with the ruling was found
to be utterly impossible by hundreds of
settlers. who We're compelled to ask for
an extension of time to pay only the
original amount, which Went to the
credit Of the Indians. Upon learning of
the new ruling they were practically
forced to abandon hope of obtaining
patents, or titles, to their homesteads,
and permit their entries to be Cancelled
should the department be so inclined.
Fortunately, the department officials,
probably anticipating that action would
be taken by congress-, did not attempt
to force settlers to pay the increased
price, and accordingly not a. single en-
try has been Cancelled because of the
ruling. Under he ruling the highest
priced land, after a residence of four
teen months, would cost the settler
S2.5O per acre, he next in price 81 per
acre and the cheapest $1.75 per acre.
Since the passage of the act by con-
gress the land will cost the settler only
Sl.2o, 7b cents and so cents per acre, re-
spectiVely-the latter being now the
cheapest government land in the United
States. Should the free homes bill he
come a law even these amounts would
not have to be paid, and settlers would
secure title to their homesteads, after
the required term of residence, upon,
payment Of only the land office COM
missions, amounting to from SIS to S..
Settlers in the Chamberlain, Pierre and
Rapid City, s.. D., and O'Neill, Neb.,
land districts are benefited by the an
nulling by congress of the ruling.
~ -
An Oh Settler Dead.
Sioux Falls, Feb. 10.-Rlchard Lamb,
for nearly twenty years a resident of
Sioux Falls, died Sunday as the result
of an operation. The funeral took place
today. Mr.. Lambs parents We're slaves
but secured their freedom and Richard
was born in Newcastle, Ind. He stud
led medicine there n after coming to
Sioux Falls practiccd medicine more or
less but devoted most of his time to the
barbering business. During the boom
days he was considered a good specu-
lator and made considerable money.
DR.. Lamb was one of the characters OF
the town, being known and liked by
everybody. He formerly lived in Kas-
son, Dodge county, Mimi, where he was
married in 1873 to Miss Agnes Killian.
Property owners here are considerably
stirred up owe the reports from Pierre
that the bill establishing for South Da-
kota the Torrens system of land titles
is likely to become a law. H. II. Avery
a well known abstractor, has given out
an interview in which he says that it
would cost the people Of this county
alone 5000. 900 to transfer their property
under this system, and that the total
cost Of the shift for the whole state
would excaed two million dollars. 1t is
probable that a protest will be sent to
Pierre against the passage of the bill.