CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1900-10-18

respectable population, both as To char
acter and number, who acquired title
to land in the county under the home
stead and presumption laws. and at
tempted to make homes by tilling the
soil. After repeated failures OH ac-
count of drouth, this idea WIS practi-
cally abandoned and many of the set
tiers in turn abandoned their homes,
not even paying taxes upon the land to
which they had acquired title. SO rap
Id was the depopulation that in n few
years after the egress began, there re
mained In the county a population of
not exceeding three or four hundred
families, almost all of whom were en-
gagged to greater or less extent in the
live stock industry. Upon the homes
that these families had acquired, and
upon their small personal holdings fell
the burden of taxation for state and
county purposes. Around them lay n
vast amount of open range, the title to
which was In the government. and
which they could not acquire under any
of the existing government land laws mt
any price, as their rights had been ex-
hausted. Year after year they saw
large herds OF cattle and sheep turned
into their county upon the open range
to devour the range to which they
thought they were entitled. These
herds, many of them. We're brought in
after the time for listing property for
taxation has passed, thereby avoiding
their just proportion of the county bur
dens, Notwithstanding the fact that
they are getting the benefit Of the
range, to which the resident properly
owners feel that they are justly enti-
tied.
In my al left IN, In ~ In
the discharge of my official duties,
many citizens have frequently convers-
ed with me upon this condition OF af-
fairs and have expressed their desire
for some relief. During some Of such
conversations I suggested TO them n
plan Of procuring legislation which
would enable them to purchase these
lands. 80 far as they We're able. and as
sist them In inviting capital into the
county to purchase the lands. over and
above that which they desired for
themselves. and thereby divest the gov
ernment OF title and vest 1t In people
who would stock the same and become
tax payers but upon the real and per-
sonal property which derive the bene-
fits therefrom. This met the appro-
baton OF almost every citizen of Bacn
county with whom l conferred upon
should be enabled TO increase their
real estate holdings and control the
property within the county and make
1t all pay its just proportion OF state
and county burdens, I drafted the bill
in question and sent II to you. which
you kindly consented to Introduce. md
for which am satisfied a large major
lily of the people OF Bacn county feel
grateful
II would be well TO advise the public.
and the governor In particular, TINT this
bill Is not sleeping. to be pressed to sue
cessful legislation later on. but that the
same has been reported upon adversely
by the public land committee. and
presume II is forever dead.
II viii be observed that this bill. In
stead OF being designed to freeze out
the citizens OF the county, expressly and
particularly protects and gives a decid-
ed advantage to every resident land
owner In the county. Section o thereof
provides ns follows: Section o. That
every citizen of the United States living
In the said Baca county. and owning
land therein. shall have. and is by this
act granted. n preference right for the
period OF sixty days from the taking ef-
feet of this act. to purchase Mt private
sale. Mt the appraised value thereof,
land adjacent to and adjoining the
land owned by him or her. to the
amount Of and not exceeding ten times
the number OF acres owned In fee by
such person: all purchases mt private
sale, ms provided by this section. shall
he In legal subdivisions OF not less than
forty acres
On the contrary OF provision for n
cash payment being intended TO mill
tate against the residents of the coun-
ty. section 10 OF the bill provides that
said residents shall within the said six
~ days file with the register of the
land office their written application to
purchase the land. etc.
Section II provides: "It shall he the
duty OF said register. on receiving and
filing said application. to withdraw
the public lands therein described from
entry under the public land laws. or
from sale to any person other than said
applicant. his heirs. executors or nd
ministrators. until the expiration OF
one year after the return OF the report
of the appraisers. as provided for In
section @ hereof"
Section IL provides: "That every per-
son TO whom preference right IL
granted by this act, and who has filed
his application ms herein provided.
may mt any time within one ycnr nfter
the return Of the appraisers. as aforc-
said, and upon his proving to the snt-
lsfaction OF the register and receiver
his residence, citizenship and owner
ship -. purchase said
land Mt the appraised value thereof"
Thus 1t VIII be observed that while
on-residents--lnrge cattle syndicates,
ns the interviewer would have the pub
lie belleye-,re subtepted 10 comuetItiyc
bids. inter sese. and are required to pay
cash for their purchases. the residents
OF the county are permitted to buy at
the lowest appraised value, without
competition. and may nj any time with
In sixty dnys after the enactment Of
the hill. designate their preference for
purchase, and then have the period OF
one year from the return Of the ap-
nruIser'a rennrt In which To rnmnlefe