Daily camera., 1900-10-25


This is plain enough. 1t authorizes the sale of
all United States lands in Baca county.
The area of Baca county is approximately, 1,6OO,'
600 acres Of this 25O,OOO acres are now patented
decided lands under the homestead and other acts
and therefore exempt. Ninety thousand acres are
school lands, which belong to the state of Colorado.
Thus the amount of public lands left for the Wocott
syndicate to grab would be 100000 acres, or there
abouts.
The school lands in Baca county are not in COM
pact body. They are scattered and compose sec
tions l and sc of each township. The homestead
lands are likewise separated, in small holdings.
throughout the county.
Suppose syndicate should buy up all these public
lands-and no one doubts that to be the intent of
the b-is it not obvious that the small settler and
the state school lands would be placed in a cul de
sac as it were? The settler would be fenced in and
eventually frozen out. The school lands, scattered
here, there and everywhere throughout the syndi
Gates cattle pasture would be to all ntens and pur.
poses the property of the corporation Their value
to the state would be gone, and their only earthly
would be as grazing ground for the benefit of the
syndicate.
ARE THE PEOPLE OF COLORADO WILL
ING TO SACRIFICE NINETY THOUSAND
ACRES OF SCHOOL LANDS TO THE USE OF
SENATOR WOLCOTT?
ARE THE SETTLERS OF BACA COUNTY
DESTROYS OF SURRENDERING go, 900 ACRES
TO THE WOLCOTT LAND -GRABBERS?
Now for the details by which this gigantic theft
is proposed to be accomplished
Sec. . That said lands shall be ad-
vertised for sale for period of not
paper published in and of general cir
cuation within the land district where
in said lands situated
According to this provision, the only notification
of the proposed sale would be published in some OBJ
scure weekly newspaper within the Lamar land dis
trict. Would an individual with 100000 acres of
land to dispose of confne his advertising to one
newspaper of 200 or 300 circulation Why this lack
of publicity if there is not something rotten to cover
up?
Sec g. That said lands shall be
sold for cash to the highest bidder;
provided that hand offered at said
SALE or any sale held under the pro
visions of this act either public
private sale, shall be sold for less than
the appraised value thereof, deter
mined as hereinafter provided
This says CASH down to the highest bidder;
there is no time payment about it. On the face of
it, this section bars the poor from bidding, and
if not for the benefit of the rich man, men, why
was this cash payment clause inserted?
Sec. f. That the register and receiv-
of the local land office wherein said
lands situated hereby author
lied, empowered. and instructed to,
within sixty days after said lands are
ordered sold, appoint three dsnter-
esed freehoders within said district
appraisers of said land.
The register and receiver of the Lamar land Office
owe their positions to Senator Wolcot, and they
empowered to appoint three appraisers, who shall
reside within the district. Would those selections
be entirely disinterested, and like Caesars wife,
above suspicion? And why should the appraisers
all be residents of Lamar land district perforce?
Sec 5. That it shall be the duty of
said appraisers, before entering upon
the discharge of their duties ap-
praisers, to take and subscribe to
oath to well, truly, faithfully and
without parttality favor, make
full, fair and just appraisement Of the
land submitted to them for apprase-
ment; and that they have interest
either directly or indirectly in the
lands to be appraised, any portion
thereof, and that they will not become
bidders therefor or purchasers thereof,
or of any interest therein, at any sale
which may be made thereof under
their said appraisement
1t may be noted here that the appraisers are by
this section only estopped from PERSONAL bid
ding. They may have representatives acting for
them at the sale or in fact be stockholders Of the
landgrabbing concern itself. They merely attest
that they have no interest in the lands to be ap-
of