The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-05-14

There is today in the procession OF
embryo laws slowly filing before the
legislators at Washington bill which,
if it 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 it really means.
Taken all in all, it is one of the most
interesting measures that has yet made
its bow to the public A free home,
under the Interpretation Of the words
as used in the bill, means quarter Sec
ton of land, 100 acres, upon which a
citizen of the United States can settle,
file a claim, and at the expiration of
five years prove up his claim and lie
gal residence thereon, and obtain a pa
tent for the land, the only cost entailed
being the legal fees for legal formali-
ties Most people have an idea that
there is nothing really valuable in the
nature of free home left for a citizen
of the United States, but the proposed
law, which has already received the in
dorsement of the senate and only
awaits the action Of the house, shows
that instead Of the supply Of the unset
tied land being exhausted, there are
at present 1874, 874' 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
them at fixed rate per acre. 1t is this
payment that the free homestead bill
proposes to wipe out by abolishing the
trust feature of the lands, and making
them open to 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, 1889, and the Sec
ond, Jan. IA 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 $1.25 per acre. For
the next two years the land was valued
at rs cents per acre, and now any one
can buy it at 80 cents per acre, provided
he be citizen Of the United States.
Without knowledge of the circum-
stances it might be supposed that about
all the desirable land in these trust
reservations had been bought up, but
quiet investigation has shown that this
is not the case. Indeed, 1t is openely
stated in Washington that a party of
spectators, well supplied with money,
have discovered what they believe to
be Klondike scheme-the gist of it
being the passage of such a law by
congress and the immediate occupation
of emissarles of the spectators Of all
the desirable lands thus opened to free
settlement.
When one takes the maps of the IN
terror department that show just what
of the public lands free to the settler
have been taken up, and the conditions
that surround the sections remaining
unoccupied, it at once becomes evident
that in these two trust reservations are,
aside from military lands, the only
homes worth having open to settle
ment
Nothing valuable is left for the
homesteader outside Of grazing land in
Oklahoma, and the same is true of the
old Lake Traverse reservation, and the
Yankton and Fort Berthold reserva-
lions in the Dakotas, the Crow reser-
walton in Montana, and the Siletz reser-
walton in Oregon. From time to time
these were opened to the free home
steaders and now what remains is Of
no value. OF the nearly 1900 900 of
acres Of land which the proposed law
could turn into free homes, perhaps
one-eighth have been bought and occu-
pied by settlers. The rest is virgin soil,
much Of it fairly well timbered, and a
goodly portion susceptible to cultiva-
ton. Here, then, are the remaining
opportunities for the man who is look
ing for free home through Uncle Sam.
When these lands were secured from
the Indians by the government it was
with the understanding and agreement
that just as fast as the money was paid
for them by settlers it should become
part Of fund to feed, clothe and edu-
cate the original Indian owners or their
descendants. Therefore, II these lands
become open to free settlement, the OBJ
legation devolves upon the government
of paying the original Indian owners
or their dascandants the a0prnSafa S1Vuo
which the lands would have brought if