The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-06
Vacant Kansas Lands Are Be.
ing Taken Rapidly.
About One Million Acres Subject
to Homestead.
GOOD FOR GRAZING
Also Some Farming Land to Be
Had.
Information About How TO Take
a Homestead.

reports from western Kansas 1nQ1-
cate that a great many people are go
ing into that region and buying or
demonstrating lands. A great deal of
real estate is changing hands. Many Of
the newcomers are people from eastern
and central Kansas who have made
considerable money in recent years and
are now investing it in the cheap lands
Of the western part of the state 9th
ers are moving out and taking home
steads.
It is not generally known that there
is still nearly q million acres of land
subject to entry in Kansas. All of it
lies in the western part of the state
Some of it is good only for grazing
purposes, but there Is also a great deal
Of good farming land that is vacant.
The consolidation Of the land offices
at Colby and Wa-Keeney a few months
I ago leaves only three offices in the
state, and there is practically no va
cant land in the Topeka district. It all
lies in the western counties and there
is much more in the southwest than in
the northwestern part This is due to
the fact that the southwest has been in
the past more OF a cattle country, while
in the northwest the wheat belt has
pushed we'll out towards the Colorado
line.
In doing away with the Wa-Keeney
land district the counties which for
merIy comprised it were divided be-
/ tween the Colby and Dodge City dis
| tricts, the Colby district taking Wal
/ lace, Logan, Cove, Ellis and Trego,
while the Dodge district got Greeley,
Wichita Scott. Lane Ness and Rush.
H F. Millikan is register of the Dodge
/ City land office, and in speaking OF the
vacant government lands in that dis
trict which are subject to homestead
entry, he says:
600 acres of vacant land, subject to
/ homestead entry. These land are in
/ Gray, Meade, Seward, Haskell, F'inney,
Kearny, Grant, Stevens, Morton, Stan
ton, Hamilton, Greeley, Wichita, Scott
/ and Lane counties
"A great many homesteads are being
taken now, the month Of March just
| closed having been the heaviest month
work this office has known since it has
been located at this place, and 3. great
many people are buying decided lands
besides.
I have been in this part of Kansas
ever since May, 1886, and I do not think
I have ever seen more interest in real
estate here than at present. Many
i people are buying and then selling, max
i ing big profits in so doing
I'VE have never had such crop pro-
/ spects as we have now, and there is
good feeling among our farmers every
/ where. They feel certain of good re-
/ turns from their land this season.
At Colby A. H. Blair is register Of
! the land office and G. c. Evans is the
receiver. The Colby office has issued a
| circular of information concerning lands
in that district The rules concerning
/ demonstrating also apply to the Dodge
/ City lands. In the circular is the fol-
| lowing information:
There are about 220 900 acres of vac
ant lands in this district of which
Wallace has about $4,000; Cheyenne,
1000; Logan, 50, 900; Cove. IS 900; Raw
/ Inns, IA 600; Sherman, 5000; and the re-
/ mainder is scattered over the rest of
the district, being mostly in 40 and So
acre tracts that are fit only for grazing
/ purposes. Rocks, Ellis and Trego cOun-
ties also have vacant lands.
/ These lands are at an altitude of
over 5000 feet above the sea level and
have a remarkably healthy climate. The
summer nights are cool and the winters
/ are usually mild. cattle being able to
derive sufficient food from the buffalo
/ grass almost the entire winter. The
! soil is a rich black loan, capable OF
producing any and all kinds Of vege-
| tation peculiar to the temperate zone.
Wheat is the great staple product, but
all the small grains and hay crops are
successfully farmed here The prices of
unimproved decided lands range from
50 to $40 per acre. Prices are, however,
rapidly advancing. A neVer-failing sup
ply of the pureSt sheet water can be
readily obtained in nearly every part
of the district at from 20 to 100 feet.
Send money order for 81 to the u.
S. land office at Colby, Kansas, payable
to Q. G. Evans, receiver, for plats OF
the lands subject to homestead entry
: in any county except Wallace, Chey-
enne, Cove, RaWlins, and Sherman, fol-
which the fee is 50 each, and Wallace
and Logan, for which the fee is s. each
It is best to come to this Office. secure
the plats, go out and look at the lands
and pick out the best remaining quar-
ter section. Your entry papers may be
sworn to before the clerk Of the district
court or probate judge Of the country
or at this Office.
ANY person over the age of q years
, or the head of a family who is a ma
tive-born citizen of the United States
or has declared his intention to become
| a citizen, may enter 100 acres as
81 homestead. A married woman has nc
: homestead right. A widow, deserted
. wife, or divorced woman, may take {
: homestead. Persons owning over 16i
Z acres of land cannot enter. The act o.
June g. 1900, gives a homestead righ
to persons who, prior to that date
= made homestead entry and commuted
relinquished. or abandoned same. Tit
act of April Is, 1904, gives the right O.
second entry to persons who, at am
time, make homestead entry and, OF
account of business complications or
mistake in the character of the land
are unable to perfect title. This ac
refers only to these who receive no con
sideration for their REIMBURSEMENT.
soldiers are allowed to deduct tn
period of their actual service in tn
United States army or navy from tn
I'VE years residence, but must reside
on the tract at least one year. Sol
diers' widows are allowed to deduc
their deceased husbands term .
actual service.
Five years continuous residenc
upon the land entities claimant to
patent upon his furnishing satisfactor.
proof of same within seven years from
date OF entry. Fourteen months afte
date Of entry. proof of complianc
with the homestead laws, and paymen
of the government price of $I.25 pc
acre for single minimum and S25
for double minimum lands, entitle
/ YOU to a patent This Is called cam