The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-12-15
criminal prosecutions for cutting or
removing timber in violation of law.
Fraudulent Land Entries.

Suits have been brought in a num-
ber@ of instances in the federal courts
to vacate patents and to restore to
the public domain the lands ac-
CURED by alleged fictitious entrymen
While several hundred thousand
acres of public lands are involved in
the illegal transactions brought to
light, the number Of acres to which
patents have been obtained by the
perpetrators of the frauds. is compar-
atively small.
Notwithstanding the extreme care
exercised by this department to pro-
tect the public timbered lands from
unlawful acquisition under the timber
and stone act, the entries hereunder
have, nevertheless, as stated, in
creased vastly in number.
The act, when legitimately OBJ
served and followed, affords such IA
cilities for the acquisition by individ-
uaIs and corporations Of vast bodies
of the public timbered lands, that it
is one Of the greatest menaces on the
statute books to-day against the
avowed policy of the government to
preserve the remaining public lands
for homes for actual settlers.
In August last, an attack was made
in the public press by the representa-
tive in this city of the Indian Rights
association of Philadelphia, upon GER
tain presidential appointments con-
firmed by the senate, and located in
Indian territory, affecting their integ-
rity in the discharge Of their public
duties. No previous charges had been
made against these gentlemen, nor an
opportunity for reply given to them
nor to the department, before such
publication.
Upon the demand of these officials
and in justice to them thus. publicly
accused, a thoro and impartial in
vestigation is now being made under
of Baltimore and G.. r. Woodruff Of
the firm Of Nelson & Woodruff OF
! Philadelphia, whose duty it will also
| be to investigate the motives ano
methods of the accuser in order tina
full justice may be done in prosecu-
| ting the inquiry, the result of which
will be made known in the course.
Forestry Protection.
: There are now fifty-three forest re
nations, embracing 62,354,965 acres
| This is an increase over last year O.
! 2,179,200 acres.
Two additional forest reserves hav,
been established; two have beer
slightly reduced in area. The fol
lowing consultations have beer
made: The Yellowstone and Tetol
y
! Absaroka forest reserve in Montana
have been. consolidated under tn
name of the Yellowstone forest re
serve; the Lewis and Clarke and Flat
head forest reserves, in Montana
have been consolidated under tn
name of the Lewis and Clarke fores
/ reserve.
During the fiscal year there wer
1897 camp and other small fires dis
lowered in the forest reserves by tn
forest force and extinguished while i
the incipient stage and 279 fires whic
had passed beyond that stage.
Indian Lands in Minnesota.
The examination of coded Chippew
lands in Minnesota under the act {
Jan a, 1889 (25 Stat. L., 642), q
amended by the act of June 81 100
(32 Stat. L., 5000, was resumed by
corps of examiners in the employ {
the general land office on Dec. / las
. The first examination completed we
that of lands in the former ChippeW
J of the Mississippi and Winnibigashis