Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-02-04
LANO Opening
ON RESERVATION
Thousands of Homesteaders Ex-
pected to Make Application in
North Dakota.

Timber Lake, S. D., Feb. 3.-The
next big land opening in the west Will
take place in April or May, when Ina;
part of the Standing Rock Indian res"
~ervatio1 which extends into the north
central section of South Dakota will
be opened for white settlement. Thou'
sands of homesteaders thus will have
an opportunity to secure farms OF l6o
acres each al the minimum govern
ment price. -
Information from Washington is to
the effect that either April Is or May
l next will he fixed as the time for
that opening. The opening will be
under the supervision of John NC
Phall, the new government superln'
tendent of public land openings, who
succeeded Judge Witten.
Two Plans Under Consideration.
There will be no registration and
drawing as heretofore, and in its
place either one of two plans under
consideration will be adopted. The
first plan is simply that of having
the applicants for land present them
salves at the district United States
land Office Immediately after 800 a.
m. on the day of the opening and pre-
sent their applications for filing.
There are serious objections to this
plal, however, because where Their is
any great demand for land people
stand in line two or three days to
be among the first to have the right
of making homestead entry. This re.
suits in disorder and hardship.
Another Plan.
The second plan under considera.
ton is the one adopted by Superin-
tendent McPhall for use at the open
ing of the Crow reservation, in Mon
tana, last summer, and probably viii.
be adopted for the opening of the
Standing Rock lands. This plan is to
give any person capable o, making a
homestead entry the right, say IL
days before the date fixed for the
opening. to 60 to the district United
States land Office, where he will DO
given ~"suspendid' filing on the par
ticular tract of $50 acres which he
wants. Any number of persons can
secure suspended filing on the same
tract, but of course an applicant cah
have but one such filing. Then, at
the end of the 15-day period. all per-
sons who have suspended filings on
the same tract of land will nave a
little drawing of their own, under the
supervision of the superintendent,
and the person whose name is tho
first to be drawn from the box will
have the right to make a regular
homestead entry. X.
"Squatter" Will Have Preference.
1t is understood, however, that nei-
thar of these plans will prevent any
person from "squatting" on the land
Immediately after. the hour of opening
and in p contest between one who has
squated and a person who has filed at
the district United States land office
on the same tract of land, and at the
same time, preference, it is believed,
would, as in the past, be given the
suuatter.
Thos making entry in the first three
months will be required to pay s. an
acre, one-fifth of which must be paid
in cash, which, together with the en-
try fee of SID. will make an initial
payment OF STA. Those making en-
try within the next three months will
be required to pay $3.50 an acre and
the entry fees, making a total Of 1926
as the initial payment. All lands re-
naming unentered after the expira.
o of six months may be secured at
$3.50 an acre and fees.
The farmers i'll the vicinity or
Rainy Butte. in Hettinger county,
have formed a cooperative mpa
and have purchased the stock of gen.
eral merchandise belonging to B.. S.
Covel..
1t is estimated that the acreage or
Durum wheat in the Missouri Slope
country will be increased from 20 to
80 per cent the coming season Thera