The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1920-10-01
Settlers Take
Land inNeuada
Four Hundred and Fifty Families
Located on Nevada Lands Dur.
ing Past Year

About $50 families settled upon pub
lie lands in Nevada in the past year,
according to figures prepared by A. b.
Gray, registrar of the federal land Of
flee at Carson. Mr.. Gray is spending
vacation in Reno and boosting the
possibilities of Nevada land for agri-
cultural purposes at the same time.
There are millions of acres open
for settlement In this state" he said
These are waiting some method of
irrigation and men with nerve are de-
veloping In many sections. Settlers
have proven that wells will furnish
water in northern Humboldt, Washoe
and Clark counties and there are thou
sands or aces in that section awaiting
settlers, who can obtain land for the
asking under either the homestead act
or the Pittman act"
Mrs. Gray calls attention to the fact
that six or seven firms in other states
are advertising to locate settlers on
Nevada lands and are doing a good
business. Their business is legiti-
mate" he said But 1t seems strange
that farmers will pay a dollar to dol
lar and half an acre to be located on
land they can take up for themselves
II might be a good idea for the state
to advertise such land as it becomes
taxable when settled.
"A man in Oakland he continued
"advertises Nevada lands and locates
homesteaders In Rebel Creek. Hum
boldt county, district His partner
conducts store at Rebel Creek al
which the settlers obtain their sup
plies. The two men charge $1.50 an
acre for their work and have done
considerable business in the past year
Other real estate firms In Gridley. Cal
Los Angeles. Boise. Idaho. and other
cities have been locating settlers in
Elko. Humboldt. Pershing and Wa
shoe counties. All OF these concerns
seem TO be doing a good business and
are bringing settlers into Nevada
rapidly.
During the months of July and
August" said Mr.. Gray. permits TO
prospect for water were issued and
delivered to applicants covering more
than 100000 acres OF sagebrush land
and II fifty per cent of the applicants
should be successful In developing
water for irrigation of twenty acres
each so as TO raise agricultural pro-
ducts at a profit IL will mean 12,500
acres of decided land for taxation; and
teh opening for 160-acre hosesteads
where it is known water can be found,
OF 37,500 acres of public domain.
Mr.. Gray estimates that 5000 acres
OF land are being applied for each
week by men anxious to develop water
and secure a home under the Pittman
act.
The registrar says Nevada should
take some steps itself to obtain new
settlers for the available tracts. Some
of the advertisements of Nevada land
read like fairy tales. he explained.
''The government is Investigating
some OF those concerns now, but all
seems to be complying with the law.
There is one man in San Antonio,
Texas" he said who adyertises that
he is agent for 100000 acres of Ne
vada land bordering on southern Cali
fornia. His advertisements state that
lemons, oranges, peaches, pears. ap-
Piles, peanuts and sweet potatoes can
be grown; that the climate is about
the same as Los Angeles. AT the
time he first advertised. he had copy
of the Pittman act and plats of two
townships of Clark county The ad-
vertisement has been referred to the
federal bureau of investigation but so
far there has been nothing wrong
found"
New settlers have been obtained
from Idaho, Utah and California, ac-
cording TO land officer ecords. The
bulk OF the settlers have located In
Elko. Humboldt, Washoe, Pershing.
Lyon and Clark counties.