Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1907-10-04
To CUT OUT
LAND L0CAT0RS
UNCLE SAM ISSUES ORDERS FOR
NEW FORM IN LAND
LOCATIONS.
AID STATESETTLEmEN1
UNDER NEW RULE REGISTRARS
AND RECEIVERS MUST
PREPARE PAPERS.

Denver.-A new order issued BY
Commissioner Ballinger Of the General
Land Once has gone Into effect. II
requires registrars and receivers OF all
United States land Offices to prepare
all applications 10 make entries aud
filings on public land when they are re.
quested to do so by the applicants.
This order will insure greater accu'
racy In papers Of this kind and be
saving to the applicants. who have
heretofore been required TO have theii
applications prepared nj their own OK
pensc.
The effect OF the order will be to
greatly Increase the work OF the clerks
in the General Land ONCE In Denver
and elsewhere. There will be no In
creased salaries nor additions to the
force.
The order. according TO reports. u
designed TO shut out socallcd "shys'
ter" lawyers. who receive from VI to
IS for making out these applications.
and who frequently make mistakes
causing endless trouble ut Washing
ton.
Charles NJ. Kruger. who was for
twenty years chief clerk In tho govern
mcnt land ONCE here. says that there
are fow instances where settlers have
been ovcrchnrHcd.
eff the settlers arc buncocd II ts not
by people connected with the govern,
mcnt service" says Mr.. Kruger. but
by those people who advertise and
style themselves land locaiors.
Show Wrong Lands.
"Thcir Hocallcd busincsn or profcs'
xIsu In TO point out and show To pros
pcctivc cntrymcn the vacant lands sub
lcct to entry. for which service .
charge, ranging from S:s To $500 OF
more, In made. In many Instances such
locaiors show settlers lands that are
patented. but adjacent to lands In .
high state Of cultivation. infcrmin.
them that such lands can BIO entered.
The settler being satisfied with the
land shown him. closes the deal with
tho locator. who ihcrcupon gives him
tho numbers or description Of land
entirely different. but unknown To the
purchaser. The settler In unaware oi
tho fact that he has been buncocd up
III he attempts TO settle upon the lana
when he asccriains that the lana
shown him and the land entered b.
him arc many miles apart.
"Thc opportunity for such buncc
knmcn In afforded by reason Of the un'
" AuC HNsssNs W." ssN "Ns
vcys Of public lands. Very few per
sons know government corner when
they sec Il. and further there are but
few OF such corners In place. especial.
ly on the plains. and the arid regions
which have been used many years as
n public range.
Corner Marks Destroyed.
These corners have been destroyed
by stock or by the men using the
range. The reason for the destruction
Of the corners identifying the section,
Of lnnd nrc obvious and many. II the
government ofiicials desire. In good
faith. TO aid and protect prospective
settlers on tho public domain. II would
ncccssitntc the replacing Of lost or dc.
stroycd corners. and better still. pro
vide some person. preferably the
county surveyor. with authority TO Of
ficiaily locate settlers. within their re
spectivc counties. allowing them to col,
lect n reasonable fee. TO be fixed by
statute. from tho settler properly 10
Gated"