The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1909-07-23
LAND I AIKEN UP
QUICKLY IN Nd.
Very Few Acres Are Left In This
County and Soon All VIII Be
Taken in the State

- < 4 { L. ID \ =
According to a report just com.
pleted by the land office there are
but IS $3.50 acres Of open land left
out Of the 1907, ,O8O. which was IN
cluded in the original district says
the Tribune. The fact that the
original district, however, inclnd-
ed Mckenzie and all Of Williams
must be nintot considera
as since that time the Williston
land office has been created.
The land that is left is appor-
toned as follows:
Mclean; $780,; Mountrail, 22,-
O1o; Ward, l2,oso; Williams, l.
200. This last issue of the North
Dakota Magazine says in this con-
nection:
Only few years ago the enter
prising settler in North Dakota
could with good management quite
easily become the owner OF some
4SO acres Of the rich soil which
Uncle Sam was holding in trust
for his favored childred. The first
move in acquiring this snug little
plat of real estate was by filing on
a presumption, which under the
land laws then prevailing, could
be purchased at the end of six
months by payment Of $l.25 or
$3.50 per acre according as the
tract was within or without the
railroad grant of the Northern Pa
cifc railway. Title having been
secured to this l6O-aore piece the
settler could then take up q home
stead, to which title could also be
secured, either at the end of five
years continuous residence, free
Of cost, or else by committing at
the government price at the end
of q fourteen months period of
residence. In addition to these
two ways an additional l6O acre
tract could be filed on under the
tree claim law aud title secured to
same by complying with the very
easy conditions demanded by the
government. Thus with reason
able industry and small expendi-
ture Of money, ,48O acres of land
could be secured by any person.
Now, however, this is all chang
ed. Such has been the rapidity
with which the public domain has
been taken up, that it was found
necessary, in the interest Of the
greater number, to curtail the
amount which could be acquired
by one person, and the present
law permits the acquisition Of one
100 acre tract only, and that by
the homestead or Communication
method: Even with this curtail-
ment the land available for home
stead is shrinking rapidly and in q
very few years more free prairie
land will be thing Of the past.
In the Bismarck district, COM
prising Burleigh, EmmoDs, Mo
Intosh, Logan, Oliver, Mercer and
parts Of Mclean, Wells and Nor.
ton counties, there remain but
l64, COO acres open to entry. In
Wells county $50 acres represents
the sum total Of Uncle Sans equi-
". In the Minot district only 25,-
GOO acres are open, and this is the
district which includes Imperial
Ward and upper Mclean county.
The Fargo district has only l5,-
eco acres. The Williston district.
which covers Williams, Mckenzie
and part of Ward county has yet
some $50, coo acres, but this is 60
ing g fast that the correct tigures.
/ today are almost misle ding q week
hence. Although the figures for
the whole state are not available,
st this writing II sis safe Sto say5
that ont off / tho ", ,786, 600 aores
which represent TIE land area of
the state 81 North Dakofs, but .
scsnt /, ,0Oo. .OW acres nov remain