Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-11-08

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The commissioner of the general
land office has issued the following
statement intended for the protection
of old soldiers contemplating settling
on public lands. Information has
been received at the general land Of
flee that designing persons are circu-
lating reports through Indiana and
perhaps elsewhere, to the effect that
old soldiers are entitled to enter pub
lie lands, particularly in western Ne
braska. and receive patent therefor
without residing upon or culuvating
the lands. as other persons are re-
quired to do. This report is false.
The only favor given TO old soldiers
by the homestead laws which is not
granted to other persons, is that OF
being permitted to make his first filing
through an agent aud to have the time
of his service deducted from TIE five
years which homestead entrymen are
required to reside upon the land. This
latter privilege is enjoyed by all sol
diers who served for ninety days in
the war of the rebellion, after they
have actually resided upon the land
for one year. The only soldiers who
are permitted to acquire title to lands
without establishing a bona fide resi-
dence and having home thereon, are
those who made entry OF less than 100
acres under the homestead laws prior
to June %. 1874. Any soldier having
made entry prior to that date of less
than 100 acres, is now entitled to enter
so much lands as would, when added
to the lands already entered, make
total Of 160 acres, and upon making
such an entry he receives patent with
out having to reside upon the land"
-
Next to the Presidency, the control
of GSe House of Representatives in the
n.eNt Congress is the most important
result at issue in the approaching ma
tional election. The Republican ma
jori.y in the Senate is too large to be
imIeriled by the election. But in the
present House the Republicans have a
majority of only "a. The membership,
exclusive of 4 vacancies is: Repub-
licans, pos; Democrats, III; Union La
Dor Democrats, p There are 80 Dem
ccrats and 26 Republicans who hold
their seats by pluralities of less than
1000 votes These districts are gener-
ally regarded as debatable 1t is the
expectation that whichever party
elects its candidate for President will
elect also a majority of the House.
This has been true in every Preslden-
tial election since 1872, with the ex-
ception of 1876.
-:
Agents who have been gathering in
formation for the Department of Com
merce and Labor in regard to the beef
trust have about completed their work.
Among the complaints Is one that
agents Of the trust, at certain seasons,
offer farmers the trust prices for cat
tie. If refused the trust it is charged,
by means Of its power with the rail-
roads holds up the farmers supply OF
cattle feed, compelling sales at what
ever figures the combine desires. I'VE
have found says the report, that the
buyers of the packers are specializing,
cornering markets, and doing other
things that border on the Illegal. So
far, however, we have been unable to
convict any one of controlling the
prices for the whole country or manip-
ulatlng them for the benefit of the
so-called trust"
-
The officials of the United States
Department of Agriculture were re-
Gently much amused by a letter sent
the department by an occasional CORE
spondent in Virginia. Among other
things, the writer FASTENED to advise
Secretary Wilson to this effect: "My
wife has a Tame cat that dyd. Being
Tortureshell and a Crate faverit, we
had the same berred In the Gardin,
and for the enrichment of the soil
had the Carkis deposited under the
rotos Of a Gooseberry Bush. (The
Frute being up to then of the smooth
Variety But the next Seasons Frute.
after the Cat was berred, the Goose
berrys was all Hairy-and more Re-
markable, the Caterpilers Of the Same
Bush was All of said Hairy descrip-
ton"
When the cutom house at Sitka was
cleaned recently, the first official docu-
ment issued there after the United
States took possession Of what had
been Russian America was brought to
light. 1t was the registration Of the
steamer Fideliter, dated New Arch
angel" the former name of Sitka, 0c-
tober 2s, 1867" 1t has been framed
and hung in the custom house. With
ii was a passport signed by Prince
Maksutoff, the last Russian governor,
who wrote himself, His Imperial
Maiesty's Naval Post Captain and
Knight. Acting Governor Of the Rus
sian Colonies in America
49,
1t Is announced that the War De-
partment, after several years Of ex-
pertinent, has decided that the so
called dynamite guns" are not satis-
factory, although at first they were
thought by some persons to be the
forerunners Of guns so destructive
that men would refuse to stand before
them. By sales and removals the ex-
perimental guns are disappearing
from the harbor defenses. Not long
ago the fifteen-ineh guns at the Pre-
sidio in San Francisco were adyer-
tised to be sold to the highest bidder
Interesting News Items.
Il & rer.nr4ed 4hnf the SOUTH Shnror,