Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-31
NEBRASKA LAND IS OFFERED
Quarter Million Acres for Homestead Entry
in Full Section LotS
BOGUS SOLDIER FILINGS SOON LAPSE
After Middle of August Large Amount
of Land Covered by Them VIII
BE Open 20 Filing by
Bona Eide Settlers.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb.. July SO.-(spe-
cial.)-North Platte is looking for another
land opening and consequent inflow Of
homeseekers, in the middle of August. At
this time about 100 sections will be thrown
open for one-section homesteads. The land
embraced within this opening is no doubt
the best Of the land to be thrown under
the privileges of the Kinkaid, or 64O-acre
homestead act 1t lies in Lincoln Keith
and Mcpherson counties, most OF 1t being
In Keith and Mcpherson.
At the time of the opening of February
II last the cattlemen, who were acquainted
with the land better than anyone else got
an agent named Philetus II. winterstein,
to secure from old soldiers powers of at
torney to file on land and about 100 of
these were secured. The filing was that
of a soldiers declaratory statement, which
gave the soldier the right to make a regu-
lar homestead filing within six months
and reserved the land for this purpose.
The postoffice addresses of these soldiers
showed that nearly all were residents Of
soldiers homes, and that undoubtedly
Winterstein went to said homes and Sc
cured the authority to file from the sol
diers. At any rate at the time OF the open
ing Mr.. Winterstein got in line and took
again, until his last number was at the
rear of the column of homeseekers, wait
ing to get their filings. He had method
with him, for his employers had mapped
out for him the lands which he was to
cover. and he filed repeatedly one after
another of these soldiers declaratory
statements. He was not the only one who
did this but he filed more than all the
others put together. Z These cost but 81
each. and were surely cheap rental of the
government land for the season of 1905. In
some cases nearly whole townships were
covered, and because of their familiarity
with the country they got the best land
before the honest homeseeker, who was
a stranger in the county could find out
what was the better location on which to
file.
These declaratory statements expire Au-
gust 10, IA and To- and a small number dur
ing the next few days after these dates.
A special agent of the government has
been here looking up frauds with refer
ence to these cattlemen and within the
| last two weeks about five in this locality
| have been located and will be prosecuted
by the United States government. These
will be charged with fence-inclosing of gov
ernment land. 1t is likely that more prose
cial deputy, until a few days ago was in
this city making Investigations and the
! prosecutions of II. B. Reed and the Miller
brothers of Mcpherson county is the re-
! suit The government attitude will have
wholesome influence on those who have
/ been practicing the frauds, not only In
! -inclosing but In fraudulent use of
! the soldiers declaratory statement rights.
Quite a large number of those who made
entry in February of this year moved on
the land at once. and some have in good
crops of potatoes, corn and small grain,
and are stocking their sections with cat
tie, building homes and actually and in
| good faith making the land their homes in
| reality.
! The following statement taken from the
] report of the United States land office at
North Platte of July 1, 1906 shows the
amount of land vacant and subject to entry
in each county in the North Platte land
| office district: