The sun., 1901-06-02
OIL STARTS A LAND WAR:
L0UIsIASA FARMERS ORGANIZE TO
DEFEND THEIR HONESTEADS.

A Gasssl Asaslt On LAID Titles in Southwest
Loviaana Thrsatsned BY the OIL erase
-Calcssisu Farners Arm Themselves for
sslf-Defencs "A Rush for Public Lands.
INV ORLEANS, June THE oil craze In
southwest Louisiana has brought about a
land war The farmers have organised
the caloasieu Homedealers' Protective Asso-
citation and propose to drive out Of the parish
by force OF arms any lawyers. surveyors
or other persons who may attempt to gobble
up the land, TO oust homsstesders or to throw
doubt on titles and thus stir up litigation.
That tho farmers mean business was shown
last Saturday when they assembled on horse
and a-foot. all well armed. In the neishbor-
hood Of Edeerly TO drive OF the Collier-For-
ward-Elms surveying party The surveyors
here rendered al their surveys. notes and
papers TO the mob and agreed TO leave CAL
oasisu at once. hever to return
The action Of the Calcasieu farmers 10
due TO the experience OF Beaumont. Tex.
since the discovery Of the oil there That
town has been overrun with lawyers and
buried deep under litigation. Land titles
have been rather carelessly drawn there
as the land was Of little value. but now that
oil has bean discovered lawyers are search
ing the records and attacking any titles
that ssem to DO defective Calcasisu Is
anxious TO avoid trouble Of this kind and
90 the farmers have organized Many OF
their titles are undoubtedly defective
Tho parish was thinly settled until Q few
years ago Some cattle erased ct large
on It's prairies. tended by Acadian cow
boys, but only fraction Of the land. either
Federal or State. had been entered The
lumbermen were the hrst to 90 into the
parish. attracted by the splendid pine forests
Then 1t was discovered that the prairies
we're the best rice lands in the world A
big immigration set In from Illinois. Ne
braska and Iowa. so that mAj GRITTY Of the
people Of Calcaseu to-day are Westerners
and the Southern element is small, except
the Aoadians who speak broken French
There still remained after this irnmigra-
ton a considerable quantity Of both Fed
eral and State land In Calcasieu and the neigh
boring points Of Cameron. which is prac-
tically a part Of Caloasie !. This was gob-
bled up In immense blocks OF thousands o!
acres by rich Northerners The Goulds
bought in Calcasieu and Vernon $50. 900 acres
the Standard Oil in Calcasieu alone 10000
acres GuYey. the Beaumont oil gusher
man. who IA supposed 10 represent the Stand
ard OIL Company, got 100000 acres. And
there are other large bodies in the hands
OF few big capitalists who bought IL from
the United States At q rs an acre At the
petition OF the inhabitants Congress with
drew from sale few years ago such Of these
lands as remained and held them for home
stead entry. They have been entered as
homesteads actually OF late
Then came the oil craze. and Calcasieu
has had II worse even than Beaumont. Al
though the value Of the Calcasieu oil Geld
is vet TO be proved there is a land-buyins
craze. Land jumped from $40 TO 500 and
$500 an acre Oh mere suspicion Of oil AL
the unoccupied public lands. whether owned
by the State or the United States. were COB
bled up in few days The Lnited States
Land once at New Orleans soon closed out
its holdings. every acre Of Governme ent land
being taken up Every person IN New Or
leans who could pay the fees wanted TO be
a homesteader and entered a homestead
in Celcaseu or the neghbori marshes
II was the same with the State lands The
latter were far more abundant. running up
into the millions OF acres for southern Louisi-
ana but they are all swamp or marsh lands
given by the Federal Government 20 the
State under the Swamp Land act The
| State Land once has Axed uniform rates
OF rs. SO ana rs cents and 81 so an acre for
these lands, the free variety being COM
| posed OF practically irredeemable marsn
| There was a rush for these lands also with
| the coming OF the oil craze. and they were
soon closed ogt
Thus in a few weeks southern Louisiana
| which had an exceptionally large public
| domain. has been practically cleaned out o!
land because OF the oil craze, and this before
| any well has been sunk 10 a sufficient depth
| 10 determine whether or not oil is as abun-
dant as in Texas The general buying up
| followed BY threatened litigation over the
| titles OF land already disposed Of
i seems that IN entering tneir lands the
| the usual new mineral sfYidavits required BY
| the Tinted States Land ONCE rules This
! aifidavit has not been insisted on in Louisiana
10 he absolutely deficient in minerals There
! IL some question whether an affidavit o. this
kind ia necessary, but the United States Re-
vised statutes exempt specifically only Mchi-
gan. Minnesota and Wisconsin from the rule
| Some sharp mineral lawyers from California
noting the deficiency in the Louisiana home
stead titles saw an opportunity for litigation
Il was found also that many Of the home.
| steaders had not completed their patents
yet, and that others had not done the amount
Homestead m ID law avn N ne there ~ wers eeep msny ns
| The results of this discovery was the send
| ing OUT OF n party, 10 De followed
| plete survey Of the country, 70 examine all
| The homesteads and 70 find which had been
| legally and properly entered, and which
| could be made the subject OF lawsuits The
| result has been the land war. and the organi-
| cation Of the people OF Calcasieu 20 resist
| BY force Of arms any invasion OF their coun-
| try, any attempt 10 disturb the homesteaders
| and settlers, and any attempt to involve the
| country in litigation
The most prominent men in the move
| ment are Westerners who have lately settled
| in Calcasicu The leader Of the protectors
is Sam Robertson, n contractor II was 70
him that the Collier Forward-Elms survey
ing party surrendered last saturday II 10
thought thar the Clerk OF Court OF Cacasieu
would not tolerate the reentrv Of land already
entered: and that the Secretary OF the In
terror would protect the homesteaders In
their rights. for the United States have al
ways done so. but the Calcasieli farmers are
unwilling 10 run any risk and think that the
rifles are their surest protection against be-
ing turned OF their farms