The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-09-12
Komestcader, Look Out!

below we pupllSn an aVACAe NOul kne
Sioux Falls Pantagrayh which would be
we'll for all homesteaders to peruse:
1t is fact known pretty we'll TO the
general public, and quito particularly un.
derstood by many persons in Dakota and
the newly opening west, that the taking
of homestead has not usually required
all from the settler that the spirit Of the
law might be construed to imply, "A
residence has in a large number of cascs
been sworn to by the settler and his wit.
nesscs, when it came to proving up, while
it was known that the nearest TO anything
of the kind that had been undertaken was
to eat meal and stay over night on the
land once in six months, they feeling that
thereby the law had been complied with.
1t seems, however, the commissioner OF
the general land Office has decided to put
a stop to this way Of doing business, ~
new blanks have been issued to the vAri.
ous offices which have been received by
the register and receiver here, prescribing
= new sort Of emphatic and specific ques.
tons both for the homesteader himself
and tor his Witnesses These questions
number twenty,one, and after ascertaining
the name, age, family and nativity Of the
nybody else has any interest IN it, ETC.,
they proceed after the following scaching
style;
When did you first make settlement on
the said land ? When did you first establish
a residence upon the land? AT the date you
have given as being the date that you first
established your residence upon the land
did you move thereon in persons Up to
hat ha, nd 3n 1on =
Was your residence upon the lard contin-
uous during the period named! If you
had family during said period Of resi-
deuce on the homestead, did your family
reside thcreony What impro vements have
you made or doyou possess on tho land ?
describe thcm) When was your house
built? What is the total value Of said i'm
provements: For what purpose have you
made improvements For what purpose
have you used the land? How much Of the
what crops if any have you raised? The
instructions also require the land officers
to call the attention Of the hOmesteAder
and his witnesses to the late statute i'm
posing a fine of not more than ~ 600 and
an Imprisonment of not more five years a.
hard labor for false swearing in -egsrd to
purpose Of the government, if it be ascer-
'ain"a that 'hey swear falsely, to prose
cute them to the full extent Of the law.
The same scrutiny is exercised in regard
to entries Of other kinds, also. The Du.
Is United States land officer, has the fol.
lowing to say in regard to the new de-
parture:
The effect Of these new and more
rigid rulings will probably be to prevent
some homesteaders from securing their
phents, who could have done 90 under
the old rulings, and the government un.
doubtedly means to put stop to the loose
way in which some persons have hereto
fore gone through the farce of proving up;
but il MAY DC that the government viii
look with some degree OF allowance Upon
those homesteaders who have lived mp 10
the homestead law as closely a. they have
supposed that they were required 10 do.
BE this as it may, we would recommend
all persons, who have had homesteads for
the requisite length Of time, and who in.
tend to prove up, to do as soon As practic.
able. Considerable inquiry is now being
made for homestesds, and several contests
have recently been instituted; and parties
who delay proving up and who perhaps
have acted in good faith and done the very
best they could to comply with the law,
but in some respect may have been unable
to do so strictly, will be liable to be put
to the trouble and expense ct = long con
test, should they delay the matter for any
great length of time. Especially is it to
he to the interest Of all persons who, un.
der the new rulings, may be in doubt as TO
whether they can hold their homestesds
or not, to be satisfied on that point as soon
as possible. They should as soon as prac.
tcahic come forward and make their
proofs and state the facts just as they cx-
ist and rely upon the generosity Of the
government. IN view of its past dealings
with homestcaders, to allow them to
squeeze through"