Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1860-11-23
important to Pre.emptors.

Important to Pre.emptors.
We have been kindly furnished by
Hon. Isaac w. Smith, Register of the
Land Office, the following requisites of
proof to cntitlc IL settler to Il prc-cmp-
tion right. 1t comes accompanying an
instruction of the Commissioner of the
General Land Office, dated September
%, 1860:
DEPOSITION OF WITNESSES.
We, for II A. b. and G. d., do SOL
cmnlv swear, that we for have been
acquainted with, +. r., applicant, for
one year; that he is citizen of the
United States, Tor if Il forci igncrby birth
has filed his declaration of intentions,
&C., &c.. is the head of a family, con-
sisting of his wife and [5] children, FOR
single man, as the ease may be, thathc
was citizen FOR, had declared his in
tcntions, &c.. when he commenced the
settlement described below, and * an
inhabitant of the quarter of Section
No. of Township No. north of
Range No. and that no other per-
son resided upon the said land entitled
to the right of prc-cmption. That the
said T.. +. entered upon and made l.
settlement in person on the said land,
since the day of 1S to wit, on
the day of 1S that he has
erected a dwelling house on said land
and moved into it with his family,
household goods and furniture, consist
ing of beds, bedding, chairs, tables, etc.
here give minute description of his
effects and has lived in the said house,
and made it his exclusive home, from
the day of 1S till the present
time. That he did not remove from his
own land, within the Territory of
to make the settlement above referred
to: and that he has since saidscttlcmcnt
ploughcd, fenced, and cultivated about
acres of land. The dwelling house,
here describe with particularly, the
Following being the illustration by the
Commissioners: isa frame buildingtwo
stories high, with shingle roof, four
doors, six glass windows, and iXrooms;
he has also barn, corn-crib, stables,
and other out-buildings, Of the value of
one thousand dollars.
NorE.-Thc instruction of the Com
missioner is to insert Il full and minute
description OF his improvements, their
value, &c., &C., in order that the Land
Office may have an opportunity to de-
tcrminc the settlers good faith by his
acts.
AS matter of public interest, cspc-
cially to prc-cmptors, We insert the fol-
lowing letter of the Register of Lands
ut Warsaw, Mo-, to the Commission
or of the General Land Office, and the
reply thereto:
WARSAW, (Mo.) November 81, 1851
S.r: Much of the land in this district,
NJ "A. ';hich prc-emption claims have
been iilcd during the past three months
have been and are being entered by
spectators without any regard to pre-
cmptors' rights. These entries are
mostly made by the location OF land
warrants by non-residents OF the State
of Missouri. Now, as your instructions
to this office require pre-cmptor, in
case of a contest, to give notice in wri-
ting to the contestants of the time of
his application to prove up his settle
mcnt and right to his presumption, how
shall he give this notice when the con-
tcstant is nonresident of the State!
Shall the pre-cmptor be required to
travel five hundred or a thousand miles
to serve notice on the man who has
entered his land with Il full knowledge
of the pre-emption claim! Or, must
the prc-emptor incur the expense Of
publishing notice in newspaper! If
so, how many weeks? Shouldthe pre-
cmptor be required to give any notice,
in such eases, to Il nonresident of the
State, who has entered such land after
the filing of the prc-emptor's declarato-
ry statements!
AS quite number of contests of this
character are anticipated at this office.
! solicit your instructions as to the kind
of notice and manner of service, and
particularly in case of nonresident con-
tcstants.
Respectfully,
NJ. L. Means, Register.