The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-05-04
THE FREE HOME BILL.
FEW PEOPLE KNOW WHAT 1T
REALLY MEANS.
Possessions Of Uncle sam-where Lands
That Invite the settler Lie-If the
Bin becomes n Law n VIII Cost the
Government ess.Ooo.oOo.

There Is today In the procession Of
embryo laws slowly Ming before the
Legislators at Washington a bill which.
II Il ever reaches final passage. will
stand out as one OF the most notable
features OF the legislation Of the cen
fury. People have occasionally heard
OF the free home bill. but they are few
Indeed who know what II really means.
Taken all In all. II Is one OF the most
interesting measures that has yet made
It's bow TO the public A free home.
under the Interpretation % the words
az used In the bill. means a quarter sec
;ion Of land. 100 acres. upon which
citizen OF the United States can settle.
file a claim. and at the expiration OF
five years prove up his claim and u
gal residence thereon. and obtain a pa
tent for the land. the only cost entailcd
being the legal fees for legal formali-
ties Most people have an idea tina;
there Is nothing really valuable In the
nature Of a free home left for q citizen
OF the United States. but the proposed
law. which has already received the in
dorsement OF the senate and on'y
awaits the action Of the house, shows
that instead Of the supply II the unset
tied land being exhausted. there are
al present ii.S7i.s7i acres Of land TO
which only Uncle Sam owns title and
upon which the Indians have no lien.
Despite the fact that these lands are
government property. they are not free
homes. Every settler must pay for
them at a fixed rate per acre. II Is this
payment that the free homestead bill
proposes to wipe out by abollshlng the
trust feature Of the lands. and making
them open 10 free entry by settlers. BY
the trust feature Is meant that these
lands are held In trust by the United
States to be sold for the Indians. These
two trust reservations are the great
Sioux Of North Dakota. South Dakota
and Nebraska and the Chippewa reser-
walton In northern Minnesota. The
first was open TO settlement as a trust
reservation March 2. 1859. and the Sec
ond. Jan. II Of the same year. These
lands were divided into three divisions,
those disposed OF during the first three
years after the opening Of the reserva-
ton being valued at 81 2j per acre. For
the next two years the land was valued
at 70 cents per acre. and now any one
can buy II al 30 cents per acre. provided
he be a citizen Of the United States
without knowledge Of the clrcum.
stances II might be supposed that about
all the desirable land In these trust
reservations had been bought up. hut d
|. quiet investigation has shown that this
Is not the case. Indeed. Ills openely
stated In Washington that a party Of
spectators. well supplied with money
have discovered what they believe Z,
be a Klondike scheme-the glst OF 4
being the passage OF such law b,
congress and the immedlate occupation
OF emIssarles Of tho spectators Of al
the desirable lands thus opened TO frc,
settlement.
When one takes the maps Of the In
terror department that show Just wha
Of the public lands free 70 the settler
have been taken up. and the condition.
that surround the sections remaining
unoccupled, II at once becomes evlden
that In these two trust reservations are
aside from military lands. the onl,
homes worth having open TO settle
ment
Nothing valuable Is left for IN
homesteader outside Of grazing land II
Oklahoma. and the same Is true Of IN,
old Lake Traverse reservation. and IN
Yankton and Fort Berthold reserya
lions In the Dakotas. the Crow reser
walton In Montana. and the Slletz reser
walton In Oregon. From time 10 tim
these were opened 70 the free home
steaders and now what remains Is O
no value. on the nearly 1900 900 O
acres Of land which the proposed Law
could turn into free homes. perhap
one-elghth have been bought and occu
pied by settlers. The rest Is virgin soil
much Of {, fairly well tlmbered. and
goodly portion susceptible 10 cultlva
ton. Here. then. are the remainin
opportunities for the man who Is look
Ing for free home through Uncle sam
when these lands we're secured fror
the Indians by the government II WA
with the understanding and agreemen
that Just as fast az the money was pai
FOR them by settlers Il should becom
part Of q fund 10 feed. clo'he and cdu
cate the original Indian owners or the
descendants. Therefore. n these land
become open to free settlement. the oil
legation devolves upon the government
OF paying the original Indian owner
or their descendants the aggregate sur
which the lands would have brought
sold at a hxed price. This would mea
that Just as soon A. the free homestoa
bill became q law the rovernmcn
would owe the original Indian owner
or their descendants the total amour
| Tue hlthA 0lNNA anu ANfWNfN WI IfHfFNI
ton unallotted land would be worth a
the uniform price % 90 cents an acr
nj the least-a tidy sum for the taxpay
ers 20 meet. but which the advocate
Of the bin declare would be moro tina
counterhalanced by the great opportur
tiles offered the settler. Another fe,
turc Of the proposed law "a that
would release settlers who have cor
tracted to purchase land IN these rel
ervatlons AZ the stipulated price froi
further payment OF the debt. As
whole 20 would cost the govCrnmar
fully S350O0.0oo. IN view of The fr,
Quon, statements that there o. mo- NOR
land for free settlement tha; Il ls wort
while 10 own. 70 90 of interest 20 cal
20 mind the fact (which docs mo-, rcer
90 be- generally knowul TINT thrro M