The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-29

~ - 49,.
island for fox farming carried on a
correspondence with three different
Departments for several months in an
effort to learn which had Jurisdiction
and authority to make the lease. 1t
was finally decided that non Of them
possessed this authority!
Certain islands along the south coast
OF Alaska may be leased for fox farm
ing by the Department of Commerce:
adjoining unreserved islands may not
be leased but may be acquired under
the general land laws of the Depart
ment of the Interior. still other
islands are reserved for special pur-
poses under the control OF the De-
partment Of Agriculture.
Vast areas in the forest reserves
are entirely untimbered but are held
under the regulations of the forest
service, while timbered lands in other
sections are unprotected.
Timber in the national forests Is
sold at auction under rules and regu-
lations Of the Department of Agricul-
ture. Timber lands outside these re-
serves Is sold under wholly different
rules and regulations made by the De-
partment Of the Interior.
Some OF the timbered stands Off the
coast Of Alaska are included within
the forest reserves. Other islands
equally well timbered are not.
Roads n trails within the forest
reserves are built by the forest SER
vice. Roads and trails outside these
reserves are built by a commission OF
army officers.
1t has taken as long as three years
for patent to issue in uncontested land
claims in Alaska after final certificate
was issued. merely because of the
lengthy procedure involved in ecu
ing the proper filling out of papers.
In filing a homestead location notice
the homesteader in Alaska on I'M
surveyed land nus stalk his claim
and in his notice describe 1t by metes
and bounds, with reference TO Gov
eminent monuments, trees. rivers or
other permanent landmarks. The To-
cation notice Is filed with the recorder
of the district. Before making entry
the homesteader must then go or APP
ply to the surveyor-general. whose
office Is In Juneau. for n survey. II
there Is no contest or protest the sur
veyor-general appoints a deputy 10
make a survey OF the homestead
claim. This survey Is made at the
expense OF the homesteader.
After the survey Is completed It
must be approved by the surveyor
general and then taken by the entry
man TO the land office of the district
in which the claim is located. Notice
and a plat OF the claim are posted on
the land and printed in the local news
papers. IL there IL no contest against
final proof on a homestead claim the
register and receiver of the local land
office pass on the proof and issue a
final certificate. II there Is a protes,
the proofs are sent to Washington
and n field investigation Is ordered.
The field division headquarters Of
the General Land Office for Alaska
are at Portland, Ore. Four specia
agents OF the land office field ser.
vice are kept in Alaska and add
tional agents r sent into the Terri.
tory as they are needed. Orders fol
field Investigations OF land claims ar,
i. sent from Washington to Portland
and forwarded from there to the agen
in the field in Alaska. II the paperi
are received early enough in the sea
son and the special agent who re
/, ceives them has not too much othe
: work the field investigation may b.
, made the same year 1t is ordered.
II there is no protest against a fna
; proof or after a field investigation hai
been made of such proofs the claim
and prnnfa "a rn cant nv tho and OHIO
in Washington to the Geological Sur
. vey fer such data az that bureau ma!
q have concerning the nature of tn
lands involved in the claim. The Geo
: logical Survey notes upon the applica
s ton whether the land in question 4
listed as mineral or non-mineral ant
: whether II IL shown by the geological
j records to contain coal, petroleum
, mineral or thermal springs. or reser
: yoir or power sites, &c. Following tn
!. receipt of this information the Lam
Z Office in due time may grant a paten
: for the land.
z II will be seen that In the event O
any question arising over an entr,
= which reven the local register an,
= receiver from issuing "A final certiicat
U the papers in a homestead case afte
final proof Is offered must make a
= least two round trips between Wash
4 ington and Alaska before patent ca
= issue. II there Is a contest or an,
o complication arises out of the clair
r this long distance correspondence ma
he almost Indefinitely extended.
To illustrate the red tape whic
prevails in h methods of handling
e Alaskan land business let us conside
the history Of a recent land claim /
Alaska. The case cited IL typica
z taken at random from the files OF tn
General Land Office.
: Walter II. Marrett built a hous
h and established residence on n home
= stead claim near Haines. Alaska, /
April, 1909. His claim was on an M
n surveyed and unreserved portion {
i public land. In 1908 he applied to III
encouragement for "A survey of h
claim. The survey was begun Sci
TENDER y. 1908, and completed Nv