Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1889 — OKLAHOMA SETTLERS. [ARTICLE]

OKLAHOMA SETTLERS.

RULES GOVERNING THE ENTRY OB 4 LANDS IN THAT COUNTRY. A Letter of Instruction Issued by the Gen- • eral Land Office at Washington—A Batch of Postoffice Appointments Made by the President. [Washington (D. C.) special.] The Commissioner of the General Land Office, with tj..a approval of Secretary Noble, has issued to the registers and receivers est the newly established land offices in Oklahoma a ■ letter of instructions, which is of special interest to persons desiring to settle in that Territory. The most important features of the letter of instructions are the following: “You will observe that the statute reserves sections 18 and 36 in every township for school purposes, and the proclamation reserves for government use and control the following, viz.: One acre of land in square form in the northwest corner of section 9 in township 16 north, range 7 west of the Indian meridian in Indian Territory, and also one acre of laud in the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 15, township 16 north, range 7 west of the Indian meridian, in the Indian Territory. The remainder of the lands are made subject to entry by actual settlers under the general homestead laws, with certain modifications. Your attention is directed to the general circular issued by this office Jan. 1, 1889, containing the homestead laws and official regulations thereunder. These laws and regulations will control your action, but modified by the special provisions of the said act of March 2,1889, in the following particular, viz.: 1. The rule stated on the 17th page of said circular, under the title, “Only one homestead' privilege to the same person permitted,” is so modified as to admit of a homestead entry being made to any one who, prior to the passage* of said act, hal made a homestead entry, but' failed from any cause to secure a title in fee to* the land embraced therein, or who, haring secured such title, did so by what is known as thecommutation of his homestead entry. With regard to making homestead entries and 1 failing to acquire title thereunder, or commuting them after the passage of said act of March 2, 1889, the rule as to second homesteads is operative and will be enforced in relation to these lands as well as others. 2. The statute provides for the disposal of these lands “to actual settlers under the homestead laws only,” and while providing that “the rights of honorably discharged Union soldiers, and sailors in the late civil war as defined and! described in sections 2304 and 2305 of the Revised Statutes shall not be abridged,” makesno mention of sections 2306 and 2307 thereof,: under which soldiers and sailors, their widows and orphan children, are permitted' with regard to the public lands generally to make additional entries in certain cases free from the requirement of actual settlement on the entered tract. It is' therefore held that soldiers’ or sailors’ ad--* ditional entries cannot be made on those lands* under said sections 2306 and 2307 unless the* party claiming will, in addition to the proof required, make affidavit that the entry is made for actual settlement and cullivation/according to section 2291 as modified by sections 2304' and 2305 of the Revised Statutes, and the prescribed proof of compliance therewith will be required to be produced before the issue of final certificate. 3. It is provided in the statute that section 2301 of the Revised Statutes shall not apply to these lands. Therefore entries made therein will not be subject to commutation under that section. Any, person applying to enter or file for a homestead will be required first to make affidavit in addition to other requirements that he did not violate the law bv.entering upon and occupying any portion of the lands described in the President’s proclamation dated March 23, 1889, prior to 12 o’clock noon April 22, 1889, the affidavit to accompany your returns for the entry allowed. The statute provides that town site entries may be allowed under sections 2387 and 2388 United States Revised Statutes, but limits the area in any such entry to one-half section or 320 acres as the maximum, whatever the num- ■ ber of inhabitants. Should applications for town site entries or filings be presented by parties in interest in the absence of officers properly qualified to make entry in trust for the inhabitants, under the provisions of said section 2337, you will note the applications on your records, for w ard a report thereof to this office with any papers presented, and, await instructions before allowing any entry of the land. No rights under the town site laws can be acquired to any of the lands described in the said proclamation prior to the time therein prescribed for the same to become open to entry and occupancy as a 'oresaid, viz.: 12 o’clock noon, of the 22d of April, 1889. It appears that by the President’s order of the 26th December, 1885, a reservation was established for military purposes of the following, subdivisions of land within the boundaries described in said proclamation of the 23d March, 1889, and which reservation still continues, viz: Southwest quarter of section 15, south half of section 16, south half of section 17, southeast quarter of section 18, east half of section 19, all. of section 20, all of section 21, west half of, section 22, west half of section 27, all of section 28, all of section 29, the east half of section 30, northeast quarter of. section 31, north half of section 32, north half of section 33, and northwest quarter of section 34, all in township 12 north, range 4 west of the Indian meridian. These tracts, in view of their reservation under the President’s order of Dec. 26, 1889, are not subject to settlement or entry under the act of March 2, 1889, aforesaid, and the laws of the United States applicable thereto . (see sections 2258 and 2289, United States Revised Statutes), and you will permit no entry or filing for any portion thereof.

NEW POSTMASTERS. A Big Batch of Appointments Made by President Harrison. The President has appointed the following named Postmasters : Julius A. Rummel, at Mauch Chunk, Pa., vice' J. L. Stedman, nominated Dec. 17, 1888, but not confirmed. Sidney A. Breeze, at Cottonwood Falls, Kan.„ vice Miss Luella P. Paugh, office becoming Pres--idential. Oliver P. Brown, at Camden, Ohio, vice A- 1 Perce, appointed Jan. 11, 1889, but not confirmed. Albert M. Brooks, at Seattle, W. T., vice John M. Lyon, removed. James C. Harwood, at Clarion, lowa, vice S. ! W. Summers, nominated Jan. 11, 1889, but not' confirmed. Egerton B. Williams, at Ironwood, Mich., vice George F. Kelly, nominated Jan. 9, 1889, but not confirmed. James C. Rodgers, at Eldorado, Kan., vice' Thomas P. Fulton, resigned. Andrew Galbraith, at Toulon, Hl., vice J. K. Knoxhall, resigned. Clarence A. Murray, at Waukegan, HI., vice James Moran, Jr., resigned. Henry Lorans, at Clarinda, lowa, vice N. C. Ridenour, commission expired. James H. Merrill, at Maywood, 111., vice Samuel C. S. Kemp, nominated Dec. 17, 1888, but not confirmed. Harrison Barden, at Charlevoix, Mich., vice Charles J. Strang, removed. Walter W. Lindley, at Urbana, Ill:, vice S. B. Radehaugh, removed. Almon S. Palmer, at Onarga, 111., vice Joseph Brelsford, removed. John J. Spalding, at Towanda, Pa., vice Elijah A. Parsons, removed. William F. Harpster, at Houtsdale, Pa., vice* George W. Dickey, resigned. Alonzo E. Raynes, at Yreka, Cal., vice Elisha De Witt, resigned. Eli Werhalt, at Wadsworth, Ohio, vice B. F. Sonnanstein, nominated Jan. 9, 1889, but not' confirmed. Ambrose Bray, at Central City, Col., vice' Palemon Wiley, commission expired. Augustus E. Hapler, at Pawnee City, Neb., vice C. A. J. Moss, resigned. Peter K. Bonebrake, at Knoxville, lowa, vice J. N. Davis, removed. Joshua A. Pike, at Florence, Kan., vice Alphonse Bicket, nominated Dec. 17, 1888, but nob confirmed. Augustus S. Smith, at Marysville, Cal., vice Thomas Farrell, removed. Lyman G. Wilcox, at Bay City, Mich., vico George Washington, removed. Alexander Cameron, at Madison, D. T., vice J. J. Fitzgerald, nominated Dec. 17, 1888, but not confirm el Joseph W, Hostetter, at Orville, Ohio, reappointed. * I Abraham Andrew, at Watseka, Ilk, vice William H. Farris, removed.