Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-11-18
Public Lands for Location
and Where They're Situated

On July /, 1916, there were 15,337, 500
acres of vacant public lands in the state
of Oregon open TO settlement and entry
under the provisions of the homestead
laws of which amount 13,942,348 acres
are surveyed. This total acreage is q
decrease of l04,369 acres from July l,
1915, and 632,037 acres since July /,
1914. This does not mean, however,
that all Of this land was taken up as
homesteads during the past two years.
Much of it was taken up as claims un.
der the Timber and Stone Acts, mineral.
coal, desert land entries and withdrawn
for power sites and public water reser.
voirs, etc. There is no record as yet
available showing the exact disposition
of public lands for the fiscal year, July
|, 1916. The report of the Commissions
er OF General Land office for the year
1915, shows that, during the fiscal year
ending July !, 1915, an aggregate Of
6,S14 entries upon vacant public lands
were made in Oregon representing a
total of 73S,401.77 acres in original en-.
tries, of which 1,S39.03 acres represent
sales of Indian lands; there were &c.,
627.27 acres in final entries, and patents
were issued to AL, ,609.47 acres, includ.
ing 15,593.40 acres of railroad, Indian
and private land grants. During this
fiscal year there were 22,634.S9 acres,
isolated tracts, sold at auction; 1887 .28
acres entered under the Timber and
Stone Acts; 69l.22 acres mineral; 43
acres coal and 22,204.44 acres of desert
land entries. OF the above acreage EN-.
in, ha - -,
cant lands, all but 5S,SS7.3S acres which
were entered through the Portland and
Roseburg land offices, were entered
through the five land offices for the
districts lying east Of the Cascade
mountains. During the fiscal year 1915
there was withdrawn for for power sites
and public water reserves total Of
263, 1926 acres which should be charged
against the decrease of 537 ,668 acres in
vacant lands for that period.
Desirable homestead lands are a very
scarce article in Oregon, especially in
the humid and highly fertile portion ly-
ing west of the Cascade mountains, and
where they do exist they are either
very remote from the denser populated
sections, difficult of access and without
adequate transportation facilities to pro.
fitable marketing eenters. OF the 49,
942,34S acres Of surveyed vacant public
lands only 257,713 acres, or about Is per
cent are situated in Western Oregon and
very small percentage of this area, in
fact almost a negligible quantity, is
suitable for practical homesteading.
Many of the counties as shown by the
accompanying table, show an Gin
crease" in public land area and of this
total 24,S22 acres lies in counties west
of the Cascades and represent, as rule
entries that have been cancelled for
-fulfillment of statutory require.
ments or relinquished, doubtless for the
reason that they were found impracti.
cable for homestead tenancy. In the
high plateau regions where irrigation
and dry-farming methods are used, and
the 320-acre ((enlarged homestead) act
applies, there is abundant opportunity
for settlement and entry and it is in
this region that the great bulk of home
stead settlement has taken place during
recent years. While the federal home
stead acts render the requirements com
paratiyely easy of fulfillment from
physical standpoint, any one contem-
plating exercising his homestead right
any place in Oregon should prepare him
self for season Of greater or less hard