The Glenwood post., 1907-10-05
TO CUT OUT
LAND L0CAT0RS
UNCLE SAM ISSUES ORDERS FOR
NEW FORM IN LAND
LOCATIONS.
AID STATE TESETTLEMENT
UNDER NEW RULE REGISTRARS
AND RECEIVERS MUST
PREPARE PAPERS.

Denver-h new order issued by
Commissioner Ballinger of the General
Land Office has gone into effect. 1t
requires registrars and receivers of all
United States land offices to prepare
all applications to make entries and
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 their
applications prepared at their own eX-
pense.
The effect of the order will be to
greatly increase the work Of the clerks
in the General Land Office in Denver
and elsewhere. There will be no in
creased salaries nor additions to the
force.
The order, according to reports, is
designed to shut out so-called "shys-
ter" lawyers, who receive from 81 to
SIS for making out these applications,
and who frequently make mistakes,
causing endless trouble at Washing
ton.
Charles NJ. Kruger, who was for
twenty years chief clerk In the govern
ment land office here, says that there
are few instances where settlers have
been overcharged.
''If the settlers are buncoed it is not
by people connected with the govern
ment service" says Mr.. Kruger, but
by those people who advertise and
style themselves land locators.'
Show Wrong Lands.
"Their socalled business or profes-
sion is to point out and show to pros
pective entrymen the vacant lands sub
ject to entry, for which service a
charge, ranging from $25 to $3.50 or
more, is made. In many instances such
locators show settlers lands that are
patented, but adjacent to lands in a
high state of cultivation, informing
them that such lands can be entered.
The settler being satisfied with the
land shown him, closes the deal with
the locator, who thereupon gives him
the numbers or description of land
entirely different but unknown to the
purchaser The settler is unaware of
the fact that he has been buncoed un-
til he attempts to settle upon the land,
when he ascertains that the land
shown him and the land entered by
him are many miles apart.
1.-THE opportunity for such bunco
games is afforded by reason of the un-
familiarity of the settler with the sur
veys of public lands. Very few per-
sons know a government corner when
they see it, 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
a public range.
Corner Marks Destroyed.
These corners have been destroyed
by stock or by the men using :he
range. The reason for the destruction
of the corners identifying the sections
of land are obvious and many. If the
government officials desire, in good
faith, to aid and protect prospective
settlers on the public domain, it would
necessitate the replacing of lost or de-
stroyed corners, and better still, pro-
vide some person, preferably the
county surveyor. with authority to Of
ticially locate settlers, within their re-
spective counties, allowing them to col
lect reasonable fee, to be fixed by
statute, from the settler properly To-
Gated"