Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-05-11
HUNDREDS
NEBRASKA LAND TO BE OPENED
FOR SETTLEMENT.
ocle snn's Prosecution % banN
Frauds VIII aescue Milito"s :"
Acre t'rom tatticmen for tses ~
peopic-Mtlion Acres

reopic-Mtuion Acres Recovered
Within the next FEW months. and
probably not later than August l. there
will be restored 10 homestead entry
| and OCCUPATION not less than . round
million W acres OF land IN central Ne
braska. This restoration will come as
a direct result OF the governments w
vestigatlUn and prosecution of the pun
lie land frauds.
FOR many wears this land has been
hold to the exclusive use Of the DIG
cattlcmcn. some of IT has been WIN
held from settlement Ivy the people We
cause OF the fact that it lay within the
great pastures enclosed by illegal
fences. although the title remained III
the government. Nominnliy this acre
age has always been subject to entry
IN point VI fact It has been as effect
TALLY withdrawn IA though there had
been a transfer title. Another part Is
that which has been stolen by means OF
fraudulent filings. 4
The lands thus prr-empted do not
represent The total area Of the public
domain in the state. Altogether, there
will he from S,nO0.OO0 TO lO,OOO,O0O
acres subject to entry when the gov
eminent has concluded Its work over
the frauds. Three fuurtlis or more OF
this lies on the high divides and
ridges. What its final and best Use
may be Is still n problem. At the pres
emf time Il Is made OF service chiefly
for grazing. Probably 2,b00,OO0 or b
100000 acres Will prove suitable Tor
"higl, plains farming, as this Is now
understood. md the available acreage
will be continually increased as meth
DDS become better known ana are i'm
proved upon by experiences, The re-
mainder-thp so-called "arld' portions
must now he used, II mt MI, In con
Junction with the valley lands.
Knowledge of this fact has given the
rattlemeii their control Of the whole;
FOR by making CONSUMPTION OF the val
leys ana water courses, they have pre-
vented any but themselves from using
the higher areas. thus control of one
acre carried with 1t the exclusive
,isn nf fnnr ar Ave more.
In the course OF their defense ana
Justification, the holders Of these great
tracts have declared, beth IN e4,tirt ana
through Tie newspapers, that tl,eF
have always "welcoined," Invited
and "encourageu' settlement Within
their enclosures. Tie history OF tile
cattle country records the uitrutli of
this statement-just MS In everyday ui-
d~erstanding Of motives would Indicate.
First ana last, by every tneans-by
persuasion, by intimidation. by yib-
Observation-Disclosures have been Induced
to keep outside the boundaries of these
reserves. The owners OF the herds
have wanted the lands for themselves /.
settlers have been regarded merely as
trespassers, ''squatters' With no rights
entitled to respect. Almost Invariably
bonn Hde hoinesteaders who have had
the temerity to enter the big enclosures
have found life an exceedingly difficult
proposition.
Five or six Of the larger enclosures
have now been thoroughly Investigated
the unlawful fences have been ordered
removed, and hundreds of procured and
fraudulent filings have been recon
mended to the Interior Department for
cancellation. Before the summer Is
over these lands will be returned to
the use OF the people.
Even now there are many indica-
tions that tile year will see a tide OF
immigration exceeding any similar
movement of the last two decides:
Government agents, railroad officials.
newspaper offices and real estate deal
ers are now being del1ged with in
dufries coming from all parts Of the
United States, but chiefly from the
east and south. From what is now
known, it seems well within the truth
to say that Approximately 5000 fam
lilies will ultimately find profitable
homesteads within this reopened area
in Nebraska. Furthermore, these cul-
tivab1e tracts are well distributed,
so that those hoInesfeafers Keeping
small herds Of live stock-a wise and
economical adjunct to farming be
assured cf ample pasturage ana mead
ow. These lands all lie within the ter
rftory covered by the so-caIled Kfnkaid
law. which permits an %eHtFyman to file
upon $40 acres, or one sdudafe mile.
This law has been responsible for many
grave frauds during the two years
since it became operative; but, hon
estIy administered, It may still be
made to serve the purpose for which
it was ostensibly passed--tbe creation
Of the grazing homestead"
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