4 FOREST RESERVE MANUAL. 



UTILIZATION OF THE RESERVES. 

 AGRICULTURAL SETTLEMENT. 



Farmers on patented land are, of course, in full possession 

 of their lands, just as much as if the farm were outside of the 

 reserve. 



Farmers or agricultural settlers on land not patented stand 

 as follows: 



1. If the land was settled on prior to the creation of the re- 

 serve, is surveyed land and the claim duly filed, the settler 

 obtains title just as if the land ■vyere outside of the reserve. 



2. If the land was settled on prior to the creation of the 

 reserve, but is unsurveyed land, and, therefore, the claim is 

 not filed in a United States land office, the settler may so file 

 on the land when it is surveyed, but must do so within three 

 months after the survey plats covering his land are filed in the 

 local land office. 



3. Settlers on unsurveyed lands, who, when survey is made, 

 find that they are on the grant of some railway company (rail- 

 road land within the primary limits), come under two classes, 

 viz: 



(a) Settlers who settled on the land hefore it was a railroad 

 grant. Such settlers have the superior right and can file on 

 the land and obtain title subject to the time limitations stated 

 in paragraph 2. 



(5) Settlers who settled after the land became a grant. 

 Such settlers have to deal with the railway company. 



The fact that the railway company may have relinquished 

 the land to the Government under the act of June 4, 1897 

 (practically sold it), does not alter the case; the claims of the 

 settlers remain invalid. 



4. Any person who purchases a farm which is not patented, 

 a mere "claim" (unperfected settlement claim), subsequent 

 to the creation of the reserve, gains no rights whatever. For 

 here, as elsewhere, the principle holds that no person acquires 

 a/ny rights ly the purchase of the settlement claim of another. 



5. Anyone settling on agricultural lands after the creation 

 of the reserve commits trespass, and gains no rights by his 

 settlement. 



Concerning timber on agricultural claims, see p. 25. 



