The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-04-19
IIemesteads.

The homestead laws provide very
simple yet certain way Of securing
home at little expense. Under these
laws every citizen, or persons Of foreign
birth who have declared their intention
OF becoming citizens, over the age OF
twenty-one # single, or heads OF fam
lilies, can enter one hundred and sixty
acres Of surveyed land not mineral in
character.
After having selected tract and ascer-
tanned its description, the settler should
go to the local land Office and sign an
application and subscribe to the re-
quired affidavit. The application de-
scribes the land, ond the affidavit sets
forth the facts respecting his age, citi-
?enship, etc. He will then DO required
TO payto the Register and Receiver Of tho
land Office the Government fee and that
part Of the commission which is payable
when tho entry is made, according to
the amount OF land entered, being SD
for 100 acres and 81 for so acres.
When the applicant has settled on the
land he desires 10 enter, but is prevented
by bodily infrmity, distance or other
good cause from visiting tho land Of
fec in person, the affidavit may be made
before the Clerk Of the Court for the
county within which the land is stu
ated and the affidavit, together with
tho application an money, can be for
warded to the Register and Receiver.
Having selected and entered the land,
he will be required to establish IN act
ual residence thereon within Blk months
from the date Of the entry, and that res
idence must be continued without aban-
dOnment, for more than Six months
Mt any one time, for five years. II he
has family his family must also reside
on tho land. While the law allows Il
temporary absence (of not more than six
months ut any one time, it requires
that the residence and improve
ment of tho land shall DO
actual and substantial. The settler
cannot sleep on the land one night every
six months and call it residence, neither
can he pile few logs or poles together
and call it cabin. At the end Of five
years from date Of entry, or within two
years thereafter, he can submit to tho
land officers proof OF his residence, cul-
tivation, etc. This proof can either be
made before those officers or before the
Judge of court Of record of tho county
in which the land il situated. He will
then DO required to pay the balance of
the commissions (being same amount rs
the commission paid when entry was
made), when the patent certificate will
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or deed is executed. He need not neces-
sarily make his proof (or, M it is COM
monty termed, "prove up") at the end
Of five years, though Inc must do SO with
i'll seven years from date Of entry.
II the settler does not wish to remain
upon the land the full period required,
he Can, after six months residence, prove
up, but he will then be required to pay
for the land Mt the Government price.
This is called committing an entry.
Every soldier or sailor who served in
the army or navy of the United States
for ninety days during the late Rebellion
and was honorably discharged and has
remained loyal to the government, is en-
titled TO receive on the period Of res
idence required on his homestead the
time Of his service in the army Or navy,
providing such service did not exceed
four years. One years residence on the
land is invariably required. Single
women over the ago of tweaty-ono, and
married women whose husbands have
deserted them, como within the pro-
visions of the law and can take home
steads and the widow Gf unmarried, or
in case of her marriage the orphan chill
dren) of soldier can have tho same
privileges and benefits that the soldier
would hive were he alive