The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-09-23
NUMBER Z
TITLE TO LAND.

sSs&1 GHADe
Grant to New Orleans Pacific Rail-
way Company to ne Tested in
Court by Federal Government
Citizens Of Louisiana vitality In
terested In Outcome of Suit.
There is now pending In the
Y. S. Ciruit Court for the western
| district Of Louisiana q suit In equity
-unite1 States VS.. New Orleans Pa.
cific Railway Company ct :ll-insti-
tuted by the United States for the
recovery of the title to certain lands
in the Baton Rouge lard district.
held to have been erroneously pat.
ented to the New Orleans Pacific
Railway Company under its grant.
The attorney general has signified
that it is his intention to take action
looking to an early trial and final
opposition Of this suit. and it is his
desire to have some notice given by
the government to the effect that no
more tracts Of land involved in this
suit will be eliminated merely be-
cause the parties seeking such ae-
ton have acquired the titles both
of the railway company and the set.
tiers
There prevails very erroneous
Idea as to the title of the New Or.
leans Pacific Railway Company to
| the lands acquired under its grant.
many people having the impression
that all the lands approved or pate
/ tented to this company are to be rec
conveyed to the government ana
/ placed within the public domain and
become subject to homestead entry.
Il A great many applications have been
filed recently at the United States
4 Land Office at Baton Rouge on rail-
way lands, and the officers of the
land office are informed that a num-
Der of people have "squatted" on still
other of the railway lands. All these
y homeseekers appear to be confident
that they can hold the lands ON
3 which they have made homestead ap-
! pIieation, OF as squatters.
he acts md err which the IA lrOad
grant was made especially provide
4 that any lands within the limits Of
! the grant that were in the possess
/ sion Of and being cultivated and I'M
!. proved by actual settlers at the time
/ of the selection Of the lands by the
: railway company, were not 10 be in
/ cluded in the approved or patented
T list. In some instances errors were
5 made and lands were approved and
: patented to the railway company that
did not properly belong to 1t under
the terms Of its grant. Much OF the
: lands enormously obtained in this
! manner has been reconveyed to the
government and subsequently home,
steaded by the settlers, many cases
are still pending, and it is to deter
! mine the status Of these lands that
= the above noted suit is brought.
! There were still other lands
!. erroneously approved to the n. Q.
Pacific Railway Company, for which
: settlers have never set up claim
All who are nov occupying railway
! lanGs who were in possession OF and
d cultiyating the same themselves OF
P their authors) at the time of the sci
. ection BY the railway company, ano
3 who have had constant and un1nter'
l. rupsed possession to the presen'
tine, should at once make Homestead
application covering the land they oc
q cupy. Such application must be made
to the United States Land Office a.
., Baton Rouge, and must be accom-
. panied by sufficient money to cover
fees and commission, as foiloWs
Feea on homestead entries Of less
1 than 81 acres, SIS; in excess OF O
acres. SO; commission, 5 cents PEI
c-I acre on tne toLaL dio@ W 1Ao
Where the entry covers fractlona
divisions and the area OF thS entry
n is in excess Of $50 acres, payment OF
the excess must accompany the apph
: cat,or at rate of $3.50 per acre. Al
naynaent.. must be made in currenc!
&. or postoffice money order. the iatte
payable to Louis 7. Dugazon, receive
Il, John f, Nuttall, register Of th
Land Office at Baton Rouge. Will re
iect all such applications. notifyln
: = the applicant of theA Arejeetlon an
4 giving him the right % appeal VIII
n in 80 days. With this notice VIII .
Is returned all moneys paid by the AZ
nlfcant. On receipt of this notice tn
= - entryman should Immediately maR
on annea1 from the decision reJec