Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-02
FOR FUTURE OF SAND HILLS
Utilization of Waste Land Discussed
by Cherry: County Man.
SUGGESTS MORE FOREST WORK
Would Have Government Plant In
pines All Possible Area and sen
the Remainder Outright
to RancheFs.

A..th a view to determining a measure
Of the real worth OF the unclaimed govern
nlcnt land Of the state lying in the sand
hill region. G.. W. Hervey of the Twentieth
Century Farmer recently obtained state
ments from a number OF Nebraska men
familiar with the conditions in question. c.
II. Cornell OF Cherry county discussed the
state of affairs In the sand hills with con-
siderable completeness. In the opinion of
Mr. Hervey the review of Cherry county
conditions may be taken as representative
OF those generally in the territory OF which
IT. is part.
Mr.. Cornell also proposes plan for the
utilization OF the wide areas which settlers
have been unable to make productive. He
says:
II win not undertake TO discuss the sub
ject generally but that part with which 1
am the more familiar. the sand hills OF this
part OF our state.
There remains In Cherry county alone
close to 100000 acres OF government lands
unclaimed or unoceupied with shadow Of
private title. This, IN spite OF the fact
that these lands have been surveyed, a
land office located at Valentine since 1883
for accommodation OF homeseekers and
since June IS 1904 a special inducement
offered OF a whole section Of $40 acres of
land under tho Kinkaid act.
This land has been passed upon and
over. first. by the searcher OF homestead
of i6o acres and. again, by the man who
wanted much for his money, when the
inka'der, sailed forth for his $40 acres.
Vet after all this time with realty prices
advancing and people in wild scramble
for land especially homes. there remains
In one county in Nebraska 100000 acres Of
mo mans land.
"A part OF this has been filed upon by
some optomistic would-be settler, but after
giving it an actual trial in effort to
make 1t produce him even an indifferent
living through hard toll and patience, he
has moved on. the land reverted TO the
government, likely TO be re-entered by
some other hopeful with like experience.
the land invariably reverting to our good
Uncle Sam. Is il not time this government
quit taking Si4 at time reselling this
land9 That is OF course. the small part
OF this rocco acres that people seem still
willing to take chance at
when ths Kinkaid Cs4O acre) acre law
went into effect, there were something
over 2.80O 600 scres OF land in Cherry
county which could be claimed under the
same. In fiiinEN under the Klnkaid act.
each original ehtry man OF 100 acres un-
/, der the old law was permitted to en-
large his holding 20 $40 acres from
government lands adjoining his original
leo acres, or elsewhere II land ad-
Joining was not TO be had. In many in
stances also one or more children be-
came OF age and each availed himself OF
the chance of ssc0ring a section OF land
which. IN almost every instance ad-
1olned that OF the parents. thus enlarg-
ing the area OF the original property for
live stock purposes. These offerings. TO-
gether with that OF the $40 acres 70 new
original entry men have been aveilabIe
for nearly six years, the. government
walvins the conditions that the land must
riowed and cultivated 20 crops and
,ting that ne eat. sleep and place $500
improvements there during that five
years occupancy Yet there remains nearly
600 acres or 1890 64o-acre home,
stAaas Ia Cherry county alone 20 tax.