that have moved men to criminal expedients that the road tlirongli honest attainment might be shortened.
It might be erroneously supposed, because of this criminal activity, that there was lack of opportunity for the honest acquirement of public land in this State; that as a matter of fact such land was scarce. The contrary is the case. There are millions of acres of Government land lying within the borders of Oregon. By far the greater portion of it is subject to entry on a legitimate basis and in various ways. In short, the opportunity has ripened since thieves have been run to cover for bona-fide settlers to come forward and secure the cream of this immense domain.
The land area of Oregon is more than 66,000,000 acres. Of this 17,730,000 acres is vacant Government land, available for settlement, according to the last report of the Commissioner of the General Land Office. That it varies in character goes without saying, but there is a sufficiency of most excellent quality to induce any honest citizen to become a prospector upon a legitimate basis, with the view of acquiring a homestead or timber claim. The land laws of the United States are liberal enough to suit every requirement. They were framed originally to encourage the settlement of the country. In many localities chances offer for a person to obtain temporary employment in the neighborhood where he desires to locate, which brings to hand a measure of income while he is proving up his claim in accordance with law. He is permitted to do this under the regulations of the Land Department, providing he does not abuse the privilege.
Soil that is rich enough to grow pine trees of the magnitude that flourish in the Northwest, is certainly sufficiently prolific to produce fruit of the size and flavor that has made this region famous, and which retail in all markets at attractive figures, so the inference is obvious, and the value of logged-ofif lands for agricultural purposes has been thoroughly demonstrated in every section of the Northwest.
That this book will be found unique in many respects, is a foregone conclusion. Probably no other work of similar import has ever been published, and in all human probability, occasion may never again arise for its counterpart, because the inspiration for the idea was based upon conditions that are fast disappearing, and the reign of the landgrabber, of the type with uncouth methods, like the rapidly dissipating ranks of the buffalo herds, the decadence of the red men, and the passing of all that goes to make up the picturesque features of Western history, has departed forever, and as a class that has been considered in these pages, they have made their last stand of any serious consequence on this continent. In their stead has arisen a new generation of plunderers, more subtle and swift in their operations, because the looting of the public domain has now become one of the gentler arts, and the "dummy" timber entryman and perjured homesteader, with their ways redolent of the frontier, have given place to the polished enactments of a subservient Congress, which is interpreting the land laws to meet the requirements of greedy corporations, without any heed whatever to the people's rights.
It is noteworthy that the contents of this volume furnishes an object lesson in support of the idea that there is remarkable similarity in all fraudulent enterprises, and that the scheme of looting the public domain is merely a by-product of the general system of plunder running riot throughout the country. The same tools are used upon all occasions where it is found expedient to rob the people. The same Courts are tampered with, the same members of both branches of Congress are in line, and the same heads of Departments in Washington are polluted each time, until it has come to be regarded as certain that vast interests have fattened on the life-blood of the nation by process of having a veteran force at their constant command. It goes to show that there is a close bond between the plunderers of every description, upon the same principle that there is honor among thieves, and they have developed a vein of activity in this
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