The herald., 1898-11-28
LAND OFFICE BUSINESS
HEARINGS AS TO CLAIMS IN
OVERLAPPING GRANTS"
BEGIN DECEMBER SEVENTH
Patented Lands Will Be Confirmed to
Owners on Proof of Purchase.
Contractors Must Pay

On the 9th day of last September the
lands in the Overlapping railroad grants,
which were restored to the public domain
by decision of the United States supreme
court, were thrown open to settlement. On
that day large number of those who had
title from the Southern Pacific company by
deed, or held tracts of such land under con-
tract of purchase, as well as those who had
been "squatting" upon some parts OF the
property, filed upon large amount OF the
lands opened to settlement.
| Under the rulings of the land office, nine
ty days were allowed within which those
holding under conveyance from the railroad
company had exclusive rights to file upon
such holdings, and thus perfect the title
previously held by them. The period will
expire in December, and on the 7th proximo
the hearings will begin as to such filings,
and will be conducted in the same manner
as in the case of homestead and pre-emp-
ton proofs, evidence of rightful occupancy
being required of all claimants.
Accordingly, on December 7th, Register
A. J. Crookshank and Receiver A.
w. Kinney will begin to take testimony,
the calendar being filled up to February
23d, and not half the cases yet assigned for
hCuiluB. 1HOSc W ho Hoiu uCCdo W PueChtSsA
lands will be required to file satisfactory alb
corder, on receipt of which their titles will
be confirmed by the government.
Others who hold contracts for deeds to
lands not patented to the railroad company,
will be required to pay the government 81 .25
per acre for the lands filed upon, no matter
how much they may have paid on the con-
tract. Settlers will be given preference to
other purchasers, if they can prove faithful
compliance with their contracts. The deci-
sion of the supreme court prevents the rail
road from carrying out its agreement; but,
that innocent purchasers may not suffer,
the government proposes to carry out the
deal at the regular prices for government
land, provided buyers from the company
take advantage of the time allowance and
make their filings within the ninety days
from September 9th. If any have failed to
file on their land by December 7, this pri-
ority of right will be lost and all comers will
stand on an equal footing.
Whatever payments may have been made
to the railroad company will be repaid by
the Southern Pacific if the purchaser can
show that he has complied strictly with the
terms of his contract of purchase; otherwise
it will resist such demands until adjudicated
by legal procedure.
Contesting claimants for contract lands,
especially those who settled and had pos
session thereof before the act of 1887 for the
annulment of the overlapping grants will
make their proof at the land Office, where
it will be sought to do justice to ALL Such
disputes, it is hoped, will be speedily ad-
justed.
Large tracts of land, mostly mountainous,
or in the heart of the desert, remain on
which no filings have been made. These
may become valuable in future years and,
costing only $l.25 per acre, it is expected
that a large amount of such lands will
eventually find purchasers. Water develop
ment may make the desert fruitful, and
mineral deposits may yet be found in the
mountains. Here and there oil, gas, gold
silver, lead, asbestos, asphalt and other
valuable deposits are known to exist and
the wealth concealed in the more isolated
regions no man can estimate. "Uncle Sam"
intends that all these lands shall be turned
to some account and the land office is still
doing business