Er—may I venture to ask if your husband holds squatter's rights, or has the homestead and preemption?
This does not apparently amount to a right of preemption, and it is not easy to estimate its effective practical consequences.
If the right of preemption be thus extended, it will embrace a large and meritorious class of our citizens.
The preemption right in question covers three sections of land containing iron ore and coal.
He therefore used his preemption right and occupied one hundred and sixty acres of land on what is now Eureka Flats.
Here he took up a preemption claim of one hundred and sixty acres, subsequently commuted this and then took up a homestead.
He first secured a preemption claim of one hundred and sixty acres but did not prove up on it.
Therefore he changed the homestead to a preemption, paying one dollar and a quarter per acre.
In the spring of 1889 Mr. Tompkins bought a quit claim deed to a preemption of eighty acres, on which he filed as a preemption.
In 1890 he bought eighty acres adjoining, proved up on the preemption and mortgaged the one hundred and sixty acres.
