The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-07-27
Reserve Land Scripping.

The register and receiver of the
Olympia and Office have just issued
notice to the effect that after October
| 1, 1900, forest reserve scrip will not be
received for the entry of unsurveyed |
government land. A considerable
amount of the scrip has been handled
by Aberdeen parties, and the knowl-
edge tina the new law will shortly
limit the use of the scrip to surveyed
lands only has set good many of the
local timber men hurrying about toI
pick up choice pieces of unsurveyed
lands.
The question is otter asked "What
j is forest reserve scrip, and how can it
be used in the entry of vacant govern
ment land" The answer to this,
though simple, is not understood by
many. 1t may be explained briefly as
j follows:
When the different forest reserves
were set apart by the proclamation of
President Cleveland in 1897, it was
found that they included within their
boundaries large amount of lands too
which the rights of private parties had
attached either by settlement, home
stead or timber entries, or by purchase
from the government. 1t was consid-
cred that the creation of the forest re-
serves worked hardship upon these
owners and settlers by cutting them
off from all prospect of any further
settlement or opening up Of the coun-
try in the vicinity of their lands, so
that their lands became, as it were, In
solated tracts with all prospective val
ne gone. For their relief congress
: passed law giving to these settlers
and owners the right to relinquish to
the government their lands within the
forest reserves and to take IN exchange
for the lands so relinquished an equal
!. number of acres of any other public
lands subject to entry whether survey
ed unsurveryed. This process of relin-
/, quisbment and exchange is called
"scripping" The transaction is one
). where the owner within the forest re-
serve simply exchanges with the gov
eminent for other lands. and the word
"scrip," though used for convenience,
: is a. misnomers. One buying forest
reserve scrip only buys land situated
e within the forest reseve which he can
trade with the government for an
equal number of acres of other public
: lands.
The advantage OF scrip lies mainly
in the fact that by it public land may
y be taken up without any settlement or
residence upon it, as under the home
) stead law, and without any publica-
: ton of notice or proof as to the char
acter OF the land, as required by the
timber and stone act. The applicant
J. merely presents his abstract to the
local land Office, accompanied with his
REIMBURSEMENT, and if found regular a
receipt issued to him emitting him to
t patent kind. The price of forest re-
t serve scrip in the market ranges from
q 81 20 tn 81 20 ner acre
Ell Under the law as it is at present,
Y either surveyed or uaSarveyed lands
t may be entered by forest reserve scrip,
t but by an act of congr IS passed in
] May last and which will 60 into effect
s October l only surveyed lands can be
0 taken by it after that date.
e The act allowing the use of forest
reserve scrip was intended primarily
+ as relief to settlers within the re-
l serve, but contrary to all expectation,
8 the railroad companies have been the
= chief beneiciaries under it. Most OF
s the reserves lie largely within the grant
) and indemnity limits of the railroads
e and extend in some instances for
: hundreds OF miles along the rugged
Q backs of mountain ranges. The land
! so located is. of course, worthless, but
the railroad companies have taken oc-
casion to exchange these lands for
: some of the most valuable timber lands
0 in this state and Oregon which have
: not set been surveyed. One railroad
: company alone has exchanged half a
million acres in this way
To hinder the railroad companies
D from making further wholesale loca-
0 tions OF public lands by the use of this
Q scrip, the act OF congress above REFER
8 red to was passed, limiting scrip loca-
e tions to surveyed lands after October
e l. But in view of all the circum-
stances it looks like another case OF
9 locking the barn after the horse was
i stolen.-AIerdeen Bulletin.
Spent = Good Farm DoctOring