Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1916-07-24
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= OREGON WEATHER 4
LANDS SOON OPEN TO SETTLE
MENT.

LANDS SOON OPEN TO SETTLE
MENT.
II is now believed that the agri-
cultural lands within the forfeited
o. & c. railroad grant will be opened
10 settlement within the next few
weeks, especially that part of the
lands in southern Oregon where the
work of classification viii be first &C
complished. The following from the
Oregon Journal has the stamp of au-
thority from the federal official who
viii be in charge of the work in this
district, and shows that the govern
ment has determined upon moving
rapidly in the distribution of the
tracts:
Louis Sharp, chief Of the field
division of the general land office,
will leave with a large force of men
during the coming week to begin the
task of classifying the agricultural
land OF the Oregon & California
grant. He will commence his work
close to the California boundary, in
jackson or Josephine counties. and
work north until all of the 100000
acres Of the grant have been exam
ined and put in the classifcations in
which each parcel belongs under the
terms Of the grant land act.
1T is guessed. for no one knows at
this time, that approximately S0O.-
600 acres of the grant lands will fall
clearly within the agricultural classi-
fication, and this acreage will furnish
5000 homesteads Of 160 acres each.
1t is probable. however, that the
classification will result in many 40
acre tracts being added to this, SO
that the total number of homestead
entries which will ultimately come
from the grant will be much in ex-
cess Of 5000.
'"It is announced by Mr.. Sharp
that the agricultural lands will be
opened to entry as rapidly as they
are classified, under the unit system
Under this plan as soon as Mr.. Sharp
and his crews finish the classification
OF designated unit Of land. this will
be reported to the general land office,
checked and accepted by 1t. and the
local Offices be notified to open, the
tract to entry. 1t is expected that the
first unit will be ready some time dur
ing the fall OF the present year.
''The entries will be made under
the departmental regulations Of May
%, 1914, relating to entry Of land
which has previously been withdrawn
from entry. This Is practically the
same procedure under which the land
Offices operate in the opening OF In
dian reservation lands to entry and
settlement.
Under this system, after the Local
Office gives notice that the lands are
to be opened to entry application tc
enter the land can be made at any
time within 20 days prior to the date
of opening. The applications can bt
presented in person at the local Office
by mail or otherwise, under the gen
eral homestead act. These applica
tions, so made. will be received BY
the land Office and treated as though
filed simultaneously.
After the lands become subject t
entry all applications to enter will b
received and listed in the order o
their filing at the land Office.
"The register and receiver will
handle all applications filed stimuli
taneously under the drawing system
Where there is no conflict the appli
cation will be allowed, irrespective o
whether settlement is alleged. Wher'
there is conflict between differen
applicants. and one OF the applicant
alleges prior settlement, his applca
tion will be allowed and the other re
jected. Prior settlement. under tn
land grant act. means that the ap
plicant, duly qualified to enter th
lands, "has resided thereon, to th
same extent and in the same man
ner as is required under the home
stead laws, since the first day Of DE
cember, 1918. and who has improved
the land, and devoted some portion
thereof to agricultural use and VIII