St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1911-09-23
OF INTEREST TO HOME
STEADERS.

now pending in the United States
Circuit Court for the Western Dis
trict of Louisiana, suit, No. 16, in
equity, United States VS.. New Or
leans Pacific Railway ct al; insti-
tuted by the United States for the
recovery of the title to certain lands
in the Baton Rouge land district,
held to have been enormously pat
ented to the New Orleans Pacific
Railway Company under it's grant.
By letter dated August 10, 1911,
the Attorney General advised this
department that it was his intention
to take action looking TO an early
trial and final disposition of this
suit.
1t was his desire to have some
notice given by the government to
tae effect that no more tracts OF land
involved in this suit will be elimi-
mated, merely because the parties
seeking such action will have &C
quired the titles both of the railway
company and the settlers.
There prevails a 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 pat
ented to this company are to be re-
conveyed to the government and
placed within the public domain and
become subject to homestead entry.
A great many application have
been filed recently, at the United
States Land Office at Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, on railway lands and the
officers of the land Office are inform
ed that a number of people have
/" squatted" on still other of the rail-
way lands, all these home seekers
appear to be confident that they can
hold the lands on which they have
made applications, or as squatters.
The act under which the railroad
grant was made, especially provides
that any lands within the limits of
the grant were in the possession OF
and being cultivated and improved
by actual settlers at the time of the
selection of the lands by the railway
company, were not to be included in
tho approved or patented list. In
some instances errors were made and
lands were approved and patented
to the railway company that did not
properly belong to it under the terms
of it's grant; much of the lands err
roneously obtained in this manner,
have been reconveyed to the govern
ment and subsequently homesteaded
bv the settlers, many cases are still
pending, and it is to determine the
status of these lands that the above
noted suit is brought.
There were still other lands err
roneously approved to the New Or
leans Pacific Company of which the
settlers have never set up claim. All
who are now occupying railway lands
who were in possession of and cult
waiting the same themselves or their
authors) at the time of the selection
by the railway company, and who
had constant and uninterrupted pos
session to the present time, should at
once make homestead application
covering the land they occupy Such
application must be made to the
United States Land Office, Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, and must be ac-
companied by sufficient money to
cover fees and commission; fees on
homestead entries of less than 81
acres, $500; in excess of 81 acres,
$1,000; commission 5 cents per acre
on the total area of the entry Where
the entry covers fractional divisions,
and the area of the entry is in excess
or 160 acres, payment on the excess
arear must accompany the applica-
ten, at rate of $3.50 per acre. ALI
payments must be made in currency
or P. 0. Money Order, the latter pay
able to Louis T. Dogazon, Receiver.
John r. Nuttall, Register of the
United States Land Office, Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, will reject all such
applications, notifying the applicant
of the rejection and giving him the
right to appeal within 80 days, with
this notice will be returned all
moneys paid by the applicant. On
receipt of this notice, the entryman
should Immediately make an appeal
from the decision rejecting his ap-
plication, setting forth therein the
facts as to the settling, cultivating
and improving of the lands he is oc-
cupying and file the same at the
United States Land Office, Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, within the speci-
fed time limit of 80 days from the
receipt of the notice. This brings
the matter properly before the de-
partment for adjustment.
As usually treated, a sprained
ankle will disable a man for three or
four weeks, but by applying Cham
beriain's Liniment freely as soon as
the injury is received. but observing
the directions with each bottle, a
cure can be affected in from two or
four days. For sale by all drug
sists.