Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-06-14
Mistellaneuus geading.
CATTLE RANCHES FREE.
Large Tracts of Land In Nebraska
For Homesteaders.

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| For Homesteaders.
"A Nebraska cattle ranch one mile
square absolutely free" Is the offer
which the government Is preparing to
make to every man or head Of fam
lily in the United States, says special
dispatch from Omaha, Neb., to the
New York Herald. AS there are 1884,
757 Of these acres from which selec-
ton may be made any one desiring to
become the possessor Of $40. acres OF
fine grazing land will have no trouble
finding tract which is suited to his
taste.
This land has recently been opened
in these large tracts by the Kincaid
bill. which passed congress and was
signed by the president on the last
day of the recent session. and the law
becomes operative on June 26, 1904.
On and after that date these 1884,
757 acres, most Of which comprise as
fine grazing land as there Is In the
world, will be open to the public as
homesteads. AS an example of the
quality of some of this land there are
in Rock county 220,302 acres Of pub
lie lands, and yet at one railroad sta
ton in that county there Is more hay
shipped to market than at any other
railroad point in the whole world.
| The lands affected by the Kincaid
bill have been open for homesteading
in lots of 100 acres for many years,
but not being suitable for agricultural
purposes and 160 acres not being
large enough on which to raise cattle
the lands have never been taken up
by homesteaders. However, a square
mile of this land will furnish pastur-
age and feed for 100 head Of cattle
throughout the entire year.
Great tracts Of this land have been
fenced by the cattle barons OF Nebras-
ka ana it was to have these illegally
constructed fences removed that the
government last year sent Colonel
Mosby, the former Confederate cavalry
leader into the state to enforce the
law regarding these fences. 1t Is said
that one ranch, with headquarters at
Ellsworth, Neb., had under such fenc-
ing nearly 100000 acres Of government
lands. There were dozens of other
great ranches which also included hum
dreis Of thousands Of acres Of govern
ment land within their fences.
But the Kincaid bill sounds the
deathknell of the cattle barons, whose
herds of thousands roamed over the
ranges, more effectually than any
fence removal order which the presi-
dent might promulgate. With settlers
from all parts Of the United States
1ocking in and taking .homesteads OF
$40 acres each the public domain in
Nebraska is a thing Of only few
months more, and then, without the
necessary lands upon which to Craze
their herds the cattle barons must go
out of business.
This is the last large distribution OF
good land which the United States Will
ever make. 1t has long been recog-
nized that the great plains of Nebras-
/ kd liS DCSl DoaS Va fN~
lands extant, and with the transfer
into private hands passes the last
chance of the poor to get free homes
in anything like large numbers.
It Is only the poor man who can
homestead this land-that is, any man
owning more than 160 acres of any
kind Of land anywhere is barred from
participating in the Nebraska land dis
tribution. According to the provisions
of the law any person who is the head
of a family and who Is citizen Of the
United States may take up home
stead, provided he Is not already the
owner of more than 100 acres Of land.
Single women who wish to take a
homestead must be Of age. Any young
man more than twenty-one years old
may be "homesteader." The law re-
quires each person to make oath that
he has personally examined the land
for which he applies.
The government makes no charge
whatever for the land provided the
homesteader lives upon it for fve
years.
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