The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-06-21
CATTLE RANCHES FREE.
LARGE Tracts of Land in Nebraska
For Homesteaders.

make TO every man or head OF a tam
ilv in the United States. says special
dispatch from Omaha. Neb., TO the
New York Herald. AS there are s.
SSt,7s7 of these acres from which a
selection may be made any one deSlr-
ing 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 kincald
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 20. 1904.
On and after that date these $751;
~ acres. most OF which comprise as
fine grazing land as there is III the
world. will be open 10 the public as
aon1esteadS. As an example or the
quality of some OF this land there are
in Rock county e2o.5o2 acres OF pub
lie lands. and yet at one railroad sta
ZION 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 kincald
bill have been open for homeSteadlng
in lots of 16o acres for many years.
but not being suitable for agricultural
purposes and 100 acres not beng
large enough on.which to ralse cattle
the lands have never been taken up
bv 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 and it was TO have these illegally
constructed fences removed that the
government last year sent Colonel
Mosby. the former Confederate caval-
~ learer in the state to enforce the
law regarding these fences. 1t Is sald
that one ranch. with headquarters at
Ellsworth, Neb.. had under such tenc-
ing nearly 100000 acres OF gorvern-
ment land. There were dozens OF
other great ranches which also includ-
ed hundreds of thousands OF acres OF
government 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 promoulgate. With settlers
from all parts OF the United States
focking in and taking homeSteads OF
go acres each the public domain in
Nebraska is thing of only few
months more. and then, without the
necessary lands upon which to Craze
their herds. the cattle barons mast so
out of business.
This is the last large distribution OF
good land which the United States
will ever make. 1t has long been rec.
ocnized that the great plains OF Ne
braska constituted the best body OF
public lands exant. and with the trans
fer into private hnads 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 ,and-that is. any man
owning more than 100 acres OF any
kind of land anywhere is barred from
participating in the Nebraska land dis
tribution. According 10 the PROVISIONS
of the law any person who is the head
OF. family and who is a 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
homestead must be Of age. Any young
man more than twenty-one years ola
NAV be ''homesteader. The Law re-
uuires 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 i've