The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-03-25

is this duplicity that Mitchell has
objected to, in making the govern
ment an aid to Pierre'S capital cam
paign. If the land west of Pierre is
worth a continental for farming pur-
poses the people will find it out
whether the capital remains at Pierre
or not. but they are dragging those
settlers out there simply to make
filings and then count them as resi-
dents when they are not there.
The following article in the Sioux
City Tribune of Thursday, March, IL
shows conclusively what the Pierre
boomers are doing, and it has become
so notorious that the government
has sent inspectors to Pierre to in
quire into these conditions:
Learning OF the land frauds that
are being perpetrated in the Pierre.
S. d., district, the general land office
at Washington, ID. c.. has sent one
of its %shrewdest inspectors and a
special agent, who have taken up
their headquarters at Pierre, de-
termined to put a stop to the whole
sale grab of the public domain.
Within the next sixty days a great
number of entrymen who have filed
upon lands in the past year, as we'll
as some who have proved up, are GO
ing to be in serious trouble and are
likely to lose their holdings. For
the general land office, aroused to
the situation, proposes to subject
every entry to the closest scrutiny.
While entrymen will be hauled
over the Goals to some extent, the
inspectors propose to make it hot for
some of the Pierre land agents, who
are said to have misrepresented the
law to immigrants, or rather to spec
u%lators, who have been sending dunn
my entrymen into the country with
a view Of getting control of a good
part OF the land. All this will be
laid bare and within a short time,
the inspectors say.
Already a great amount of evi.
dence on this score has been OBJ
tanned, and as the inspectors propose
to remain at Pierre this spring
and the alleged settlers now being
brought there in droves, it appears
that a general shaking up is due.
Most Of the alleged frauds have
been perpetrated during the past
year, or since the capital question
has been injected into the mixups
for which South Dakota is famous.
But the inspectors believe that the
cupidity of land agents and the in
fluence of spectators have much to
do with the irregularities in the set
Element of the public lands. The
capital fight, Of course, has given
the agents an excuse to operate to a
larger extent and at the same time
to do this without much protest on
the part Of Pierre people Who under
ordinary circumstances would not
~countenance it. Therefore the In
%spectors will likely encounter consid-
cradle opposition in ferreting out
frauds. But it will be done.
According to the inspector who
was in Sioux City TODAY, much Of
the trouble at Pierre is due to land
agents, some of whom advertise that
a married man can prove up or a
piece Of land without bringing his
family to the tract in question.
Then, too, other entrymen are told
that they have only to make settle
ment six months after filing, put up
a shack. stay in it over night, and
then come back in eight months and
prove up. Some Sioux City people
have already lost their land Though
a mistaken notion of what consti-
tutes residence, and others who have
filed the past years are IN imminent
danger Of losing. Some have decided
to abandon their entries because
they do not consider the land worth
enough to warrant them in letting
90 of their positions or business
here. incidentally the Pierre boomers
are being "cussed" 1uently.
"1n order to preclude the possibll-
ity Of people being further deceived
it might be we'll to state what the
land law Isl" said the inspector this
morning. "Fourteen months from
the date OF entry one can prove up.
providing he observes the law. He
is allowed six months from date Of
filing in which to perfect settlement,
which consists Of putting up a hab-
itation Of some kind, worth not less
than $40, and remaining on the land
as a resident. Eight months contin-
nous residence is required after es-
t%ablishing residence.
81 understand That a number Of
married men from Iowa and other
states have proved up on land with
out having their families wish them.
Some Of the land agents at Pierre
have represented that this could be
done. The contrary is the fact. A
married man with a family must
have the family on his land continu-
ously after settlement. His wife
and children must remain there and
make it their home. to the exclusion
of any other home. The law, how
ever, recognizes the fact that if it is
impossible for the head of the family
to make a living on the land he is
permitted to 60 away from it in
order to get a livelihood for himself
and family. but the family must re-
main. Ri is eNnected also that the