Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-03-02
LO0SENESS OF PRE-EMPTION LAW.
The Way It Worked in the Stevens Point
District Back in 1863.

District Back in 1863.
Editor Reporter: 1t is we'll known
to many of your readers that it is the
practice of the United States land
office to give actual settlers the right
to enter upon government lands and
make settlements, and on making
proper proofs that the improvements
| required by law have beed made, the
! settler is permitted to file what is
known as pre-emptiOn right, which
gives him the privilege of holding not
to exceed 100 acres Of land for one
year without paying for it, and on
proof to the satisfaction Of the officers
, of the local land office Of continuous
occupancy during the year, he is pro-
tected in bis right to purchase the
same as against any other person, and
on making such proofs and paying the
government price he receives a patent
for the same. This, Of course, is
equivalent to giving the settler one
year Of time without interest in which
to purchase the land. In extreme
cases, where it can be shown that
sickness or other unavoidable event
has interyened, this right is extended
beyond the expiration of the year.
Except in cases of conflicting claims
the authorities are very liberal in
their dealings with pre-emptOrs, and
the result is that very many fraudu-
lent claims are allowed, more espe-
cially on valuable timber lands, which
are held under the pre-emptiOn law
until they are stripped of their timber
and then abandoned.
During the ten years that the writer
was engaged in the business Of sur
yeyOr and land agent in the Stevens
Point land district in Wisconsin some
rather novel and amusing cases came
to his knowledge, one of which it is
the object of this article to relate.
About the year 1863 man, who for
obvious reasons shall be nameleSs,
found 100 acres of government land
which had been overlooked by land
spectators, which lay near large
numbering tabliShment and which
bid fair to become valuable at no dis
tant day. He went quietly to work
and put up a small house upon it and
then filed his pre-emptiOn claim, thus
securing the right to purchase at any
time during the coming year. The
pre-emptOr was drinking man and
rivals began to lay plans to beat him
out of his land, feeling sure that he
would not be able to pay for it.
Beginning to feel the importance of
land holder, he became steady and
industrious, went into a logging camp
and worked steadily through the win
ter, keeping himself away from temp
tation and saving his wages. He en-
gagged to 90 down the river on a raft
for his employer and get his pay all
in lump thus having enough on his
return to pay for his land.
The first stop of Importance where
the fleet of lumber was tied up was
Kilbourn City. Here the men went
ashore to have good time. With all
his good resolutions the temptation
was too strong for our man and the
result was that he became glOriOuSly
drunk, got into a fight, was arrested
and sentenced to thirty days in jail at
Portage City. His enemies seemed
now to triumph. The fleet had to 90
on without him and when his term of
imprisonment expired he had to re-
turn and face the prospect Of losing
his land as his pre-emptiOn right was
about to expire and the lumber firm
near his land stood ready to enter as
soon as his time was up. He was
called upon to show a good reason why
| he could not reach the land office in
time to prove his claim. Friends
came to his relief. The best council
he could find was employed. He
showed that he started down the river
in ample time to return before the
time arrived to prove up. He showed
that he was taken suddenly i'll at
KilbOurn and when he arrived al
Portage City was confined for thirty
days, and when he was able to traye
he hastened back but arrived too late
On this showing he was allowed tt
enter his land. His attorney was very
careful not to show that his contine
ment was in the county Jail. The
truth was told but not the whole
truth. The government had pay fol
the land and that was all they wanted
Nothing was ever done about it anC
he held undisputed title to the lanC
later sold it at good advance on Jht
cost. j. II. LANG
Oberlin, Ohio.
Pope Leo Xiii Before the BIograph.
! DASDitp his dislike tO he DhOtC