Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-12-04
New Blanks for Proving Up.

The land Office here Is in receipt OF
tho following circular from the general
land Office ut Washinyton:
To Registers and Receivers Uuited
States Land observation-disclosures: A
supply of blank forms for use In pre-.
emptiun homestead and commuted
homestead final proofs have this day
been transmitted to you. From the date
Of tho receipt Of these forms the same
will be exclusively used by you aud no
proofs will bo taken on the old forms
thereafter.
You will at once forward by registered
mail or prompt conveyance to each clerk
OF u court Of record and to each judge Of
probate IN your district, a su tiicient num-
ber of the new forms for their immediate
use. and will instruct them that these
forms only are to he used bv them, and
that in no case will they be permitted to
further use the old forms.
You will promptly reject all proofs
transmitted by such 9th :ers that are not
made on the new forms after the same
shall have been distributed.
Registers and rereivers. and officers
taking proofs. are enjOined to use the ut
most strictne|s in the examination Of
parties aud witnesses, and to obtain full.
specific and un0yasive answers TO all the
! questions prOpOunded in the new forms,
This course will obvlate the necessity
for the cross examination heretofore pre-
scribed to remedy defects In the old
forms, but all necessary oral cross.oxam.
lilal ions will he made by attesti,,g officers
To further test the good faith Of claimants
| and the reliability Of the testimony Of
claimants and witnesses. Officers will
certify TO their oral lcro,s-examinations.
Registers aud receivers will carefully
| examine all proofs now In their respect-
i've offices upon which certificates have
not been issued. and all that may be
transmitted to them on old forms before
the distribution Of the new forms, and
when such proofs are in any respect un-
satisfactory, they will return the same
aud require new proofs TO be made on
the new forms. without, however. re-
uuiring new advertisements unless the
original advertisement was defective or
proof was not made AZ advertised.
| They will in like manner examine all
proofs transmitted on the new forms and
will not issue certi ticates, nor place en-
tries on record, nor transrni the proofs
thus examined. Defective, insufficient
or unsatisfactory proofs will be rejected
and new proofs required.
Proofs taken by other officers than reg
listers IN receivers must be Immediate
ly transmitted, with the money, to tho
register and receiver. When any inter-
val of time, other than that required for
immediate aud expeditions transmittsl.
elapses between date Of proof and date OF
its receipt. with the money. at the dis
trict land offire. new final affidavit COW
ering date OF receipt of proof and pay
ment by the register and receiver will
be required before certificate IL issued
or the entry placed Of record. Proof
without payment must in no case be &C.
cepted or received by registers ana re-
.eivers. All discrepancies between date
of proof and date Of registers certificate
and receivers receipt must be accounted
for by certificate from the register aud
receiver attached to each case.
You will furnish all CLERKS OF courts
and judges Of probate in your distric,
with copies of these instructions for theil
information and guidance.
WV. 4. J. SPARKS, Commissioner
Approved Nov. l3. ls.5:
l.. @. c. LAMAR. Sec'y.
The blanks referred to above are now
kept in stock by the 1NrEs-OcEAN, and
all orders will be promptly filed.