The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1909-01-02
REVISION or LAND MArrzRs.
q. 3. Land Office Puts in Force New
Regulations Affecting sale Of
Wooded Tracts.


for the sale Of government lands under
the timber and stone law, which were
received at the Marquette land Office
Monday, are radically different in some
respects from the method Of procedure
formerly in force, says the Mining
Journal. The chief point Of difference
in the new regulations is that all lands
applied for under this act must be ap-
praised by government employs; ;>and
not sold for less than the appraisal
price. Formerly lands were sold for
the uniform price Of $3.50 per acre, ir-
respective Of their value.
The regulations stipulate that lands
shall be appraised at their reasonable
value, considering the quality and guam
tity Of timber or stone and the accessi-
bility Of the property. but in no case
shall the land be appraised for less than
$3.50 per acre. The appraising Of lands
under this act is under the direction of
the chief Of the field division, who may
appoint any person in the employ of the
government to make an appraisement.
All persons who filed applications un-
der the timber and stone act before
Dec. will be allowed to prove uptheir
claims under the regulations then in
force, but all applications filed since
that time must be proceeded with un-
der the new law. The appraisement
is ordered made after the filing of an
application, and the applicant does not
know what he may have to pay for his
claim when he files his application. In
case the applicant is dissatisfied with
an appraisement, he may file protest,
corroborated by two competent, credi-
BILE and disinterested witnesses, specifi-
cally stating his objections, at the land
Office where he first made his applica-
tion. This protest is then sent to the
chief of the field division (for this dis
trict located in Duluth) and second
appraisement will be ordered made by
another person. The person making
the protest must pay the expenses of
the e-appraisement.
APPLICANT MUST ESTIMATE VALUE.
Under the new regulations, every ap-
plicant under the timber and ston. law
must make in his first application an
estimate Of the timber, based on exam
ination, and his valuation of the land
and timber thereon, by separate items.
Each applicant must, at the time he
makes his application and sworn state
ment, deposit with the receiver fling
fee of SO. The entire purchase money
must be deposited with the register Of
the land Office before the arrangements
or advertising of the offering of final
proof are made.
In the new regulations, timber is de-
fined as trees of such kind and quanti-
ty, regardless of size, as may be used
in constructing buildings, irrigation
works, railroads, telegraph and tele-
phone lines, tramways, canals. or fenc-
es, or in timbering shafts or tunnels or
in manufacturing, but does NOT include
trees suitable for fuel only.
Lands valuable chiefly for timber, but
unfitDfor cultivation are lands which are
more valuable for timber than they are
for cultivation in the condition in which
they exist at the date of the application
to purchase, and therefore include lands
which could be made more valuable for
cultivation by cutting and cleaning
them of timber. The relative values
for timber or cultivation must be deter
mined from conditions of the land ex-
isting at the date Of the application to
purchase.
Any qualified person may obtain title
under the timber and stone law by per-
forming the following acts: (a) Per-
sonally examining the land desired; (b)
presenting an application and sworn
statement, accompanied by fling fee
Of SO; (c) depositing with the receiver
the appraised price of the land: (o) pub
fishing notice of his application and
proof; (e) making final proof.
Examination of the land must be
made by the applicant in person not
more than thirty days before the date
of his application, in order that he may
knowingly swear to its character anc
condition.
How LANDS ARE APPRAISED.
The government employe appointed
to make any appraisement must per
sonally visit the lands to be appraised
and thoroughly examine every lega
subdivision thereof, and the timber
thereof spd appraise separately the sew
eral kinds Of timber at their stumpag'
value, and the land independent of th'
timber at its value at the time Of ap
praisement, but the total appraisemen
of both land and timber must not b,
less than $3.50 per acre. He must, II
making his report, consider the quan
tity. quality, accessibility, and my 9th
er elements Of the value Of the land ant
the timber thereon. The appraisenen'
must be made by the smallest legal sub