The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-11-07
HOW TO BUY GOVERNMENT
LANDS.

Forest Reserves An act of congress
dated March 8, 1891, empowers the
president of the United States to
create forest reservations and under
this authority various reserves have
been set apart throughout the public
land states.
In establishing these reservations
settlers and corporations were en-
countered that had title to lands
within it's boundaries. The rights and
privileges of these settlers were vio-
lated by the exercise of this act, and
the United States wished exclusive
ownership of the reservations
Lieu Selections To adjust this diff
Guilty congress passed the act Of June
4th, 1897, which grants the owner OF
any land within U. S. forest reserve,
if desired, to relinquish same to the
Z. S. and to select in lieu thereof an
equal number of acres of public vacant
land that is open to entry anywhere in
the L. S. and receive a patent thereto.
This is the basis of the right to make
lieu selections.
How the Matter is Handled In many
cases the actual settler in the forest
reserve does not care to take advant-
age of the law and exchange his hold
ings for public land elsewhere, but he
sells his land to some outside party and
then he, the purchaser, has the right
to quitclaim the land to the govern
Thus it is that forest reserve land is
on the market, and that people all
exchanging it to the United States for
valuable tracts Of open government
land to which they wish to secure title
What Land Can Be Selected Any
government surveyed public land that
is open to homestead or settlement in
the usual manner can be selected.
Requirements in Selection An affi-
davit is required stating that the land
selected is public domain, unclaimed,
unoccupied and open to settlement
and that it is nom mineral. Anyone
who is acquainted with the land can
make this affidavit.
Title The title which one gets for
the land selected is the best known
patent from the United States. On
account of the large amount of this
kind of business before the land de-
partment the patent is not issued at
once, but the selection may be approx
ed and the patent issued in it's regu-
lar time.
Size Of Tract One Can Select The
lieu selection may embrace contiguous
or non-contiguous tracts. Suppose for
instance, one buys 500 acres forest
reserve land, in making the lieu Sc
lection he is not required to take 500
acres in one body, but can separate it
into as many 40, 80, 12O or 100 acre
tracts as he like. These different sub
divisions may be applied in different
localities, providing the selections are
all made within the same land districts.
Advantages Thus, in brief. anyone
is given the opportunity to secure title
to any number of acres of public land,
Without any requirement of residence,
settlement or improvement. The ex-
ones homestead right or any other
land right. 1t has the special advant-
age of being safe and the most perfect
method of securing the cream of the
public lands. Valuable tracts of tim
Der, agricultural and grazing lands
have been patented in this way and
many fortunes made for the applicants.
Restricted" and unrestricted" There
are two kinds of forest reserve scrip
on the market at this time, viz, re
stricted' and unrestricted" the form
er being cheaper and differing from the
latter-or that heretofore described on
this circular-only in that it cannot be
used in the selection of government
timber lands.
Expense All necessary papers will
be prepared at this office free of
charge, and aside from the price of
the forest reserve land, there will be no
expense to the purchaser
Guarantee The scrip handle is ap-
proved and in every respect guaran-
teed to be genuine, title clear and per-
feet.
The price is constantly changing and
when you are prepared to purchase,
advise me Of the size of tract and kind
of scrip wanted and I will furnish the
market price~without expense to you.
Very respectfully,
JOHN M. HILL,