The Mena weekly star., 1913-09-25
SUNK LANDS TOBE
 OPEN 10 SETTLERS
Approximately j5,000 Acres in the Northeastern Part of This state Will Be Opened
 to Homestead.

Dy the government, Inc settlers upon this land to be given prefer ence rights to file on the land. which contains some of the most fertile acres in the entire state. It was announced by the general land office today that the plals of Town ships i and 12 north, Range 6 east, have been completed and were approved July 30, 1913. It is ex- pected that the plats will be trans mitted to local United States land office at Little Rock within the next few days, and notice thereof will be published and a date set on which entries for the government lands thereupon may be filed.
 Lands Enormously Surveyed.
 On December ?, 1908, the original decision was rendered by the in- terior department, holding that cer- tain lands in Townships il and l6, Range 6 east, and l2 to r north, Range : east, which had been mea- sured as sunk lands and left un- surveyed at the date of the original surveys of said townships, had been enormously measured and that there were within said areas lands belonging to the United States. A survey was accordingly directed, decision was reviewed by the de- partment on February 21, 1909, and the previous holding sustained of the teWlVe townships affected by the decision.
 The surveys of seven of them have been completed in the field and the field work has been started on the remaining five and the work is now ready for extension. It is expected that the survey work will be finished during the coming sur Veying season. The plat of Town ship l2 north, Range : east, was ap- proved several months ago and the lands were thrown open to entry on July 3, last. The plats of Town ships fl and l2 north. Range 6 east have been completed and approved, and soon will be advertised for en- try by the Little Rock land office.
 plaj> Being Prepared
 The plats of Townships 13 and Ii north, Ranges 6 and : east, are now being prepared and probably will be completed during the next two or three months, and the lands in these townships will then be opened 10 entry. There are ap- proXlmalely 1000 acres in Town ship i2 north. Range : east which recently were surveyed, and ap- proXimalely iS,000 acres in Town ships II and l2 north, Range east. The total area of the lands claimed by the government in the twelve aforesaid townships is approNi- mately 55.000 acres.
 In August, 1910, the interior de- partmen declared that Buford, Clear Flat, Grassy, Walker, Carson Hickory and Tyronza lakes be- longed to the government, and sur- veys were ordered. The first of these lakes, containing an area of app oXimately l2,000 acres, have been surveyed and were opened to entry Nov. l6, 1912. The surveying work on the remaining three has been completed in the field, but the plat and field notes have not been as vet prepared. It is expected that the work will be completed some time during the present year and that the lands embraced with in them also will be opened to en- try. The acreage of the remaining three lakes is approximately 9Oo0 acres.
 Investigate Mississippi County.
 The so-called Big Lake in Missis- sippi county, embracing approxi- mately 250O0 acres, and several other smaller lakes, have been ln- Vestigaled in the field as to their topography and physical nature and hearings held, at which testl- mony was taken to determine whether the lands embraced therein similarly involved as to the other lake lands. Decisions have not been rendered as to these, however. Suits involving the question Of tl- ties to Moon, Buford, Flat, Grassy, Walker and Clear lakes have been instituted against adverse claim ants by the government to purpose of quiet title to these lands, and are now pending in the federal courts of Arkansas.
 It is also announced by the gen eral land office that other suits will likely be instituted when the sur veys have been completed. Much of the remaining lands situated in the townships for which the cor rected plats have not yet been completed are covered with set tiers. These settlers will be given a preference right to make entry II they are otherwise qualified at the time the lands are opened to entry. According to Clay Talman Conner, of the general land office, the de- lays in completing the remaining surveys is due very largely to cll- matic conditions, but that work IS now we'll in hand and the future work is not expected to be as dlf- fleult as that done in the past.