Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-26
THE PUBLIC LAND
&c Il
As Good Opportunity as Ever for
Pre- mpting Farms.
WHERE SETTLERS MAY GO
Business Of the General Land
Office Great@ Than Ever
EVIDENCE OF PROSPERITY

1t has frequently been asserted that all
the best pubic land in this country has
been pre-empted and that today the United
States has no rich soil to give those who
seek free homes in. the west.
Mr.. F. p. Metzger,. chief clerk of the gen.
eral land office and private secretary to
Commissioner Herman, has visited all
parts of the public domain, and is familiar
with the records of the general land office,
and today gave a Star reporter some inter-
esting facts about the opportunities that
await settlers in the west
As Good Opportunity as Ever.
There is as good an opportunity today
for settler to get a farm in the west by
merely pre-empting it as there ever was
said Mr.. Metzger. mo better located or
richer land was taken up fifty years ago
than awaits settlement today. This land
is not only there. but emigrants and peo-
pie from the east are constantly settling
on it. They will find the same conditions
that met the pioneers Of the early days OF
the republic, with the added advantage OF
greater security and better facliltles 1or
transportation. A man who wants farm
of rich land on which to make his home
can get it, and the general land office IS
ready to advise those desiring to settle on
this land and to tell them where they can
locate. We cannot indicate exact claims
that can be taken up because land may
have been settled recently and the record
may not have reached us from the land
office in which the record was made. But
we can indicate general localities in which
the settler will find land.
Plenty of Good Land.
There is today plenty of good land in
Oregon. Washington, Montana, Idaho.
Wyoming, North and South Dakota. Mime
sofa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada
California Particularly good land will be
found In Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Mon
tana, Wyoming, Minnesota and the Da-
kotas. Not only can good farm De Sc
cured but farms can be mad Win tlfhper
on them worth 5000. This timber can be
sold, 1t is near enough to streams or
railroads TO get it to the market. This land
is constantly being taken up, and there Is
enough of it to last Tor long time TO come
The general land office Is doing more bus
mess today than ever before In Its his
tory There are more individual settlers
taking up land on the public domain than
ever before, though such vast tracts OF iand
are not being taken up as was the case
some years ago. Curious,y enough, the set
tlement of public land is an indication OF
prosperity One would suppose that dur
ing hard times more land would be taken
I'D than when business in the east ana in
great cities is in a flourishing condition. but
the record will show Just the opposite fact.
Perhaps the prosperous tunes result III n
larger immigration than when there Is pus,
very largely from that source.
Land once Business.
'As an Indication Of the increased bust
ness of the general land Office, the records
here show that in my own division-the
chief clerks divisionL21 $50 more letters
were written during the past fiscal year
than in the previous twelve months. Divis-
ion c has answered % G more letters in
the last year than ever before in its his
tory. The receiptS of the local Land Offices
have increased in the past year over $780,
900 more than they ever were before. In
some of the land Offices clerks work
ing twelve hours day. and find difficulty
in keeping up with their business. W. are
constantly receiving requests to give thGm
more help. 1t is hard to estimate what the
bulk of business will be next year, as it is
constantly increasing.
One REGULARITY OF Settlers.
There is one pecuiarity of settlers on
the public domain" continued Mr. Metzsar
Their tendency is o-look with Indifference
on the land they can get ard to cast covet-
Gus eyes on land that is not open to settle
rent. For instarce. there is an a,nGs,
universal feeling among them that the In
dian reservations contain The best land.
have known men to leave farms where the
soil was exec ssively rich and make d rush
for a calm in Indian rtSerVatiO being
opened for settlement and to locate on soil
far inferior TO That wnich they left. 1t is q
of the distant hills snowinH green
pastures.
Land in Alaska.
There is one part of the public domain
of which the public has little knowledge
1t is in southern Alaska. where there is an
area large as New York. Pennsylvania
and New Jersey combined. thai is he finest
cattle country to be found anywhere in the
world. The time Will come when millions
of head of cattle will be raised in southern
Alaska.