Wichita eagle., 1889-04-17
NEW FACTS FOR SETTLERS.
Rules and Regulations as Applied to the
New Country.

WASHINGTON, April 1G-Henry n. Capp,
the Washington land law specialist, states
that efforts had been made to induce Sec
rotary Noble to postpone the opening of
the Guthrie and Kingfsher land offices
until several days after April %, and
these efforts have been without success
and the offices would be opened as adver-
tised. The object was to enable settlers to
get located on the lands and have their
rights adjusted on the settlement basis.
He further said that there were two
legal methods of initiating homestead
claim-one by an entry at the local
land office; the other by a personal
settlement on the land-the one prior in
time, prior In right. Where one man
should settle on the land at the same mo-
ment that another claimant should make
entry at the local office a conflict would
be the result, but the settler. in Mr.. Capp's
opinion, would get the land over the man
who should file at the land office.
Secretary Noble will have large force
at Guthrie and Kingfisher to preserve Or
der and assist the land officers.
Under the peculiar circumstances of the
opening of Oklahoma, the entries on the
22d inst. will be numbered consecutively
as handed in to the register, and, if posi-
BILE, will not be treated as simultaneous.
Mr.. Capp recommends that entrymen at
the land offices get there as early As they
can. A system of tickets for entrymen on
the ed has been suggested and may be
adopted. Soldiers can file their declara-
tory statements by agent, but all others
must appear in person at the land
office except those actually living on
their land who are prevented by
distance, sickness or other good cause
from going to the land Office. Claimants
who visit Their land only once in six
months or even once a week have but
little chance of getting title Bona fide
residence to the exclusion OF a home else
where is required, but absences for good
reasons will be permitted. A married
man should have his family with him on
the land at the earliest moment His
family's residence elsewhere is a suspicious
fact which must be explained to the salts
faction of the land department.
Town site spectators have no show
under the present law. Claims of COM
panies and corporations will not be recog-
nized Town site applications can be
made only in trust for the inhabitants
actually living on the land as town lot
applicants Under the present law
town site entries can not be made
at all. Applications will be received by the
local officers noted on the records for refer
ence and forwarded to Washington for
consideration Not until congress pro-
vides additional legislation will any town
site entries be permitted.
1t will be several days yet before the
commissioner of internal revenue will
have ready for the public the regulations
regarding revenue collection in Oklahoma.
AS stated few days ago, it is his purpose
TO send down deputy collector and sew
eral clerks either from Kansas City or
some other adjacent district. The COM
missioner finds one obstacle in the way
so far as whisky licenses are concerned
the law is quite stringent regarding the
sale of spirits where there are Indians, and
the regulations are such that the commits
sioner does not feel at liberty to go ahead
until he has an opinion from the attorney
general, and he has therefore referred the
whole question to the department of jus
tice for an Interpretation Of the law.
The commissioner says that there is no
question whatever about tobacco licenses
in Oklahoma He hopes to have the whole
matter Strengthened out and the regula-
tons given to the public before the end of
the present week.
The department of justice Will also rem
der decision on the application for ma
tlonal bank charters in Oklahoma