Bisbee daily review., 1907-10-01
EVERYBODY LAND SWINDLER BUT
 rETIIrn
 THIHLN
That Seems To Be Situation In Western Texas According To Officer Who Has Just Completed Long Trip.

AUSTIN. Texas. Sept. 30.- Assist.
 ant Attorney General W. E. Hawkins anu 5taIe Land Commissioner ]. J.
 Terrell have returned from an over. l land trip of 400 miles through many or the counties of the western part of the state fin which extensive land frauds are alleged to have been prae. ticed upon the state. The particular ooJect of their trip was to make per sonal investigation of many of these trsuds, with the view of obtaining data snd evidence upon which to base prosecutions of the offenders.
 Our attention had been called to these frauds and we made the long trip to view the situation. Tn a few instances We found actual settlements had been made by bona fide home sekers and abundant evidence that they had made the purchase of the land from the state in good faith. but in most cases we found that the purchaser was tn the employ of some ranchman who hoped to acquire the land through that fraudulent means. There are very few legitimate settle ments of land in that part of the state. The law requires that $500 improve ments shall have been placed upon the land within three years. This provision has not been observed by many of the so-called settlers. not withstanding they made affidavit that such was done.
 The most common practice of fraud. however. is where the pur- chaser acted in collusion with soms former lessee of large body of state land, constituting his cattle range, the purchase of the pretended settler be- ing made with the view of selling or turning over the land to the former range lessee, thereby enabling the lat ter to Derpetuate an extensive range in defiance of law, materially retard- ing the growth of the towns of that region.
 "In Brewster and Presidio counties. where most of these land frauds seem to have been practiced, the law per mits an actual settler to purchase from the state for his home not more than eight sections of school land. We found that in some instances large ranch owners who have hereto fore taken up their full complement Of lands have made pretended settle ment upon an adjoining eight sec tons, even while actually residing Tn we'll appointed homes located upon the original complement. We also found in other instances large ranch owners who have assigned their leases of state lands to poor and igno- rant MeXtcans and negroes, who have no cattle or horses and no need for the 5,120 acres of land which the law permits them to purchase. These men are unable to pay actually to the state one-fortieth of the purchase price of the land, such payments be- ing made in fact by the ranch owners for whom they are holding down the eight sections apiece.
 Many of the large ranch owners. by pursuing such fraudulent tactics as these. have held and still control the most desirable lands along the water courses, including valuable springs. and control their old range to all practical intents and purposes the same as if their leases had been assigned. If these fraudulent and col. lusiye settlements and sales be not cancelled, these ranchmen will ac. qusre title to the lands and so control that part of the state permanently.
 There Is now a great demand for these lands by actual settlers who will develop water, irrigate little farms. plant orcnarus ana puIIG up ana 1e- yeiop the country. They are ready to pay more than the old price paid by the pretended and collusive set tiers"