Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-25
Government Will Put Stop to
Crooked demonstrating in
the West.
Those Who Seek Land for Spec.
ulation Will Have Claims
Cancelled.
ORGANIZATION 10 Further Fraudu.
lent Efforts Will be ThWarted
by Inspectors.

/
lent demonstrating, either intentional or
Iotherwse. and the cancellation Of
claims has begun in earnest
Hundreds in Sioux City and else
where who have filed their first papers
will either lose what they have paid
or be liable for perjury in proving up
on their claims.
Most of these live in Sioux City, for
from here a small army has gone to
Hand offices and taken out claims as in
vestments. upon representations that
actual residence upon the land is not
necessary.
The inspectors declare that several
score of "locaters,' in the business of
sending people to the registry offices to
file their claims, have been guilty of
fraud in representing homesteads can
be acquired without actual residence.
Hereafter all homesteaders who seek
the land for speculation and not for
actual residence, will find their claims
cancelled in the registry offices, declare
the inspectors.
AS an ILLUSTRATION VI liic IeIol iiSu
policy, on June IA nineteen claims We're
cancelled at Chamberlain, and on June
10 forty were wiped off the books. This
was done presumably upon reports OF
the government inspectors that the
claimants were not actually residing
upon their land.
To combat this, and to assist home
steaders, the locaters about Chamber
lain have formed a protective associa-
ton.
This protective association. it is said,
takes in charge the ''residencing OF
government claims. The association
builds a "shanty," 7x9 feet, for $780, In
the shanty are placed table, screwed
to the wall, cot and mattress and
stove.
The organization expects to keep
force of men busy watching the shan
ties and keeping fires lighted. 1t is the
plan to be at shanties when govern
ment inspectors make their visits.
If the inspector should walk into a
shanty and say:
Hello, where's Mr.. -2' the rep
resentative of the protective associa-
ton is expected to be at hand to an
swer:
ooh, Mr.. - has gone to Sioux City
for day or two" or He has been
called to the east" or some other ex-
PLANTATION.
But the inspectors say, with good
deal of emphasis, this will not do
II talked with an inspector at Cham
terlain," said a Sioux City man who
was recently there. He told me his
residence there would be permanent,
and he is expected to put stop to all
demonstrating for speculation. He de-
clored the government land was opened
for settlement. The department wants
the country filled up with residents,
aside from the desirability of compli-
ance with the law, and this can not be
done by turning this land over to spec
uators who have not the slightest IN
tention of ever living on it"
The government has not hitherto
taken these precautions. Neither was
land previously SO high. The fact is,
much of the land open to homesteaders
is now vaElable whereas it was not a
few years ago.
This increase in values has brought
men from all over the United States
first papers.
AS the prize has become more valu-
able, men have apparently become
more INSCRIPTIONS about complying
with the law. In fact it is said locaters
openly represent it is not Necessary to
reside upon the land to prove up claims.
This is what the locaters are said to
tell their visitors:
You give me $25 and I will locate
you claim for you and pay the ex-
Iense. Yo go to the registry office and
file your claim. Then you go back once
each six months, and fourteen months
after you first filed your claim you
prove up on it, and pay the specified
price per acre. This would cost you in
all from $500 to $500, including railroad
fare"
In fact, the locaters are not exactly
dishonest, for this has been practically
the system used for some time, owing
to government laXity.
Attracted by this easy method of Sc
curing a valuable quarter section, any
number of residents of this and, in fact,
almost every community in the middle
west, have gone to Pierre or Chamber
las become quite the general impress
sion that actual residence upon the
land is really not necessary.
Claims have been taken out by men
who not only have no intention of liV-
| ing on the land, but are so situated that
it would be impossible.
For example, one Sioux City man
has, it is claimed, taken out claim for
himself, his wife and each of nine chill
Gren. the youngest a babe of months.
To do this has cost him $275 or more.
The government inspector will surely
order his claims cancelled if he finds no
residents on the claims.
Even two members of the Sioux City
ministry have accepted the representa-
| ton of locaters and taken out claims.
| They have charges here, and have not
the remotest idea of leaving them; in
required to do so.
| On the contrary, the provisions Of the
homestead laws are very plain. One of
the sections follows:
"A person committing a homestead
| by false swearing, when he has not ac-
| tually resided upon the land and cult
waited it, as required by law, forfeits all
right to the land and to the purchase
money paid. and, in addition thereto,
renders himself liable to criminal pros
| ecution.''
| The claimant must in his first papers,
swear, II do not apply for speculation,
! bRt in good faith, to obtain home for