Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-17
OWN WYOMING LAND
Soldiers Widows Can Claim Val
liable Grazing Lands.
MUST FILE OVER PRESENT HOLDINGS
Their Interests Will Be Looked After
However, BY Representatives, Who
Assure Them Success-An Odd Com
pIication-The Modus operandi.

pIication-The Modus operandi.
About twenty-five soldiers and sail
crs' widows who reside in this city
will go to northern Wyoming next
spring for the purpose of looking at
land for which their claims will be fill
ed or have been filed recently by land
agents. The 100 acres to each one
costs the women nothing, neither does
the transportation to and from the
western country nor the board while
away from home. These expenses are
paid by a syndicate of rich cattle rails
ers who own ranches in Wyoming and
are in hopes of owning more land
which can be obtained only from those
who have the right to claim it accord
ing to the land, laws of the United
States.
The Plan.
Captain G. w. Carnes of Creston,
well known land attorney and real es-
tate dealer is the agent in this state
! for the syndicate of cattle men. He
was in Ottumwa few days ago in
conference with his local representa-
tive, j. S. Burnside, of South Ottumwa.
They are busy getting soldiers and
sailors widows to file on this land in
Wyoming. The plan followed is for
them to get applications for filing to
the number of dozen. Then Captain
Carnes, who is acquainted with the
land, goes to Wyoming and files the
papers, picking out the best land it is
possible to find. The one in whose
name the filing is made does not have
to go to the western country until six
months afterward. when she goes. looks
over the land and certifies that she is
the one in whose name the entry was
made.
According to the law in the matter
soldier must live on the land some
time before he can claim patent tt
p it and use it as his own, but the sol
ders' widows do not have to do this
They can allow a representative tt
i, live on the land and improve it for the
r specified time, at the end of which
they (the widows) receive the patent
:. to the land and have the right to de
$ with it as they will.
Complications.
Little is generally known regarding
this land, and it was supposed that Ions
ago it had been filed upon This il
really the case, but the syndicate o
cattle men claim that this filing ha:
. been illegal, and it is for the purpos
', of proving the holdings invalid tina
they are paying so much money in Oh
;, der to allow the soldiers and sailors
= widows to go to Wyoming.
Present Filings Not Good.
ot,
If ment of the facts in the case the fl
n ing on which the land is now held wa
done by spectators and land shark
' in violation of the law. These mer
l. he says. now hold this land and den
" its use for grazing purposes to the cal
l. tlemen whose ranges border on it, an
% finally the cattle men have risen i
their wrath and decided to put an en-
IS to the spectators game.
Is Good Grazing Land.
d The question naturally arises as
how the stockmen get return on the
Is money, but this is easily answers
i When the widows file their claims tn
stockmen can make arrangement
e. Whereby they can live on the land {
IN hire someone TO live there and in
prove it until the widows shall have
is right to it's complete ownership, whic
&c time, according to the provision of tt
n law may be anywhere between one al
ry four years. During this time tt
ng stock raisers are getting the benefi
ne of the grazing lands for small co
sideration Then after the widow
ed have obtained titles to the land Il
he stockmen propose to buy or lease
from them.
to The only difficulty that can be m
us in the matter is the law suit over t
81 right to file on the land after it has
en- ready been filed upon. This is what
IN done by the widows representative
er but Captain Carnes says that eve
10 time such suit has been tried in
er- federal court the decision has alwa
III been against the land sharks, SO t
as lawsuit is looked upon as mere M
III ter of form
of. Law in the Case.
IRE Any officer, soldier, seaman or n
Ir. rine who served for not less than nil
Ter ty days in the army or navy of t
It'll United States dring the rebellion, a
in who was honorably discharged and h
G remained loyal to the governments
ity who makes homestead entry of
5 a acres or less on any land subject
the such entry is entitled, under sect
md 1905 of the revised statutes (App
dix No. /, p. 1860 to have the term
his service in the army or navy, I
exceeding four years, deducted FRI
the period Of five years residence
so quired under the homestead laws.