The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-15
TO OPEN UP Land
Oregon Tracts Will Be Offered
for Settlement
Land Was Formerly Held by
O. & C.. Railroad.

The opening to homestead entry by
the government OF 1,226 separate
tracts of land situated in Oregon and
varying in size from forty to $50 acres,
has been announced by the depart
ment of the interior thru the local
United States land office.
These lands are part Of tho ones
granted the Oregon & California
Railroad company by the acts Of July
rs. 1866. and May 4, 1870. to assist
in the construction of a railroad and
telegraph line from the Central Pa
cific railroad in California to Port
land, Oregon, and from Portland to
Astoria and McMinnville. Oregon, the
title to which was--revested in the
government by the act of June g.,
1916, following the failure of the rail-
road company to abide by the terms
of the statutes under which the lands
were granted. It had been specified
in the act that none Of these lands
were to be sold to parties other than
actual settlers; that no one person
should be permitted to purchase a
quantity in excess of one-quarter sec
ton, and that the price should not
exceed $3.50 an acre.
Title Given Back.
A suit instituted by the attorney
general Of the United States resulted
in the supreme court rendering de-
cision June FL, 1915, ordering that
the Central Pacific Railroad company
be enjoined from making further sales
of land in violation of the law until
congress had the opportunity to pro-
vide for the disposition Of the lands
in such manner as they might see fit.
This ENJOYMENT was followed by the
act of June 9, 1916, revesting the title
of the lands not sold by the railroad
company prior to July l, 1919, to the
United States.
Following these acts the lands were
divided into three classes as follows:
lands as are valuable for water-power
sites; timber lands. which include
lands bearing a growth of timber not
less than 100000 feet board measure
on each forty-acre subdivision; and
AGRICULTURAL lands, which include all
the lands not falling within either OF
the other two classes. It is the third
class, or agricultural lands, which are
being opened to homestead entry.
On and after o'clock on the morn
ing of June %. 1918. any person quail
flied to make entry under the provi-
sion of the homestead laws may swear
to and present an application to make
homestead entry to these lands. Each
application must be sworn to before
the registrar or the receiver of the
CnlleQ states lduu OLiCe dt oItidAoi
Ore, or before q United States COM
missioner or a judge or clerk OF a
court of record residing in the county
in which the land is situated. All ap-
plications received between June %
and July IT will be treated as filed
simultaneously, and where there Is no
conflict, such applications will be al
lowed In case applications conflict in
whole or in part, the right of the re-
spective applicants will be determined
by a public drawing at Portland, July
One Unit TO Person.
To avoid confusion in the DISPOSE
ton of the applications and to pro-
vide equal opportunity as far as pos
sible, the lands of this class have been
arranged into units Of approximately
100, 120, so, and 40 acres and all per-
sons must observe such units in filing
their applications to enter. No person
will be permitted to embrace in his
application the lands of more than one
unit, nor to leave any portion of that
unit invaded unentered-
With applications to enter Zee Of
SIS must be paid il the area be less
than 81 acres, and $40 If 81 or more
acres and commissions at the rate OF
per cent on lands at $3.50 an acre
or a fiat rate OF Z " cents an acre
must be paid, and in addition thereto
SO cents an acre as first fnstallment
of the purchase price OF the land
There must accompany a soldiers o.
sailors declatory statement filing
fee of SO and the sum of so cents an
acre for the land included in such
statement If an entry be made pur-
suaut to such statement, the fee anC