The copper era., 1902-06-12
SETTLERS HAVE
ANOTHER CHANCE.
Text of Recent Law for Relief Of
Forest Reserve Claimants.


The following circular from the gen
eral land Office viii be Of particular in
tercst locally:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.
General Laud Office
Washington, d. c. May l.. 1892.
Registers and Receivers, United States
Land Offices.
Gentlemen:
Attention Is called to the following
act Of congress. approved April l.,
1902. entitled - u ac, for the relief Of
bona fide settlers Of forest reserves"
BE it enacted by the senate and
house OF representatives Of the United
States OF America, in congress assem-
bled, that where q claimant under the
settlement laws OF the U0ited States
within the limits Of a forest reserve
created under the provisions OF section
twenty-four OF tho act OF March third .,
eighteen hundred and ninety-One, en-
titled AN act to repeal timber culture
laws. aud for other purposes has
failed, by reason OF ignorance Of the
proclamation OF the president, or Of
the filing Of the township plat Of sur
vey, or from unavoidable accident or
conditions, or from misundersta landing
OF the law, to place his claim of record
within the statutory period, such
claimant may be permitted within
period OF two years from and after
the passage of this act to file his claim
in the proper United States land Office
and receive patent therefor upon show
ing due compliance with the law under
which the claim is asserted, notwith-
standing the reservation, provided
that he made bona fide settlement up
on the land claimed prior to that date
Of the proclamation establishing the
forest reserve and maintained cOntinu-
ance residence thereon for the re-
quisite period. The benefits Of this
act shall extend to bona fide claims
already received by the local land
offices after statutory period. and for
which patents have been issued, pro
vided the settlers have complied with
the provisions of the law except as to
the time of filing their claims
Settlers, in order to obtain the bene-
tit of this act, must have made bona
tide settlement upon the land claimed
prior To the date OF the proclamation
establishing the forest reserve, and
maintained continuous residence
thereon for the period required by the
law under which the claim Is asserted.
Application for entry under the
term, of this act must be filed in the
local land Office within two years from
April 10, 1892.
With the application to make entry.
the applicant must file an affidavit
showing the date of his settlement, and
that his residence on the land applied
for has been continuous from that date,
and that his failure to place his claim
of record within the statutory period
was due to some one of the reasons set
forth in this act.
Bona fidc claims which have hereto
fore been enormously allowed by the
local land officers for lands within for
est reserves after the expiration of the
statutory period within which to place
such claims of record are affirmed by
this act, provided the settlers have
complied with the provisions of the
laws under which the claims are
initiated. and shat their failure to
place their claims of record in proper
time is satisfactorily explained as due
to causes bringing them within the
conditions prescribed in this act. This
applies only to claims where settlement
was made prior to the creation Of the
forest reserve. Very respectfully,
BINGER HERMANN,
Commissioner.
Approved. May l.. 1902.