The Teton peak. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1899-1904, 1904-04-14
Got Tangled up With
Some Land Proofs.

! - NNf'AA tN''A, etl II -. 'JlllN {
time since'a- complaint was made
and charges flied in the general
land Office against James Il. Wallis,
VINO was United States Commis-
sioner Of Bear Lake county, regard
ing a homestead entry and later a I
desert entry. Wallis has been
here several days. He IS a mem
Der Of the Budge faction, who are
at enmity with the Rich Bagley
faction. Wallis alleges that Editor
Harris Of the Montpelier Examiner,
a Democratic paper, had tried to
discredit him, but that the late story
originated with the Rich Bagley
crowd. Wallis today succeeded i'll
satisfying the land Office aud was
vindicated Of the charges.
The above appeared in the Boise
Statesman last week as special
from Washington
We know nothing of the desert
entry business, but the homestead
proposition we are perfectly familiar
with, and since Wallis has brought
us into the controversy, we give
below the facts that caused him, in
part, to be Summoned to Washing
ton;
In 1900 George Moore filed
homestead entry Oh what is known
as Giveout ranch. After living
there for couple of years or more
he, in August, 1902, made applica-
ton to commute his entry and prove
{ up. The proof was made before
Jas H. Wallis, United States Com
missioner, and Chas Z. Harris,
the writer of this, and John S.
Heggie, appeared as Mr.. Moore's
witnesses. After being asked few
questions, the entryman and his
witnesses signed some papers, and
Wallis went away on the train.
e Both Harris and Heggie stated
e absolutely that Moore had only
q lived on the ranch about two years,
y and all present understood that il
/, was a committed proof that Mr..
| Moore was making. Before leav
5 ing the office (Bagley s. Wallis tol6
|, the writer that Moore could SEND
his 5000 to him at Rexburg, ane
# then he would send the papers tt
IS the land office. Mr.. Moore wa
busy looking after the Star valley
O. stage line, so he left the 5000 will
s the writer, and the latter sent it tt
Goe. A. Robethan, receiver of til
:, land office.
i, A short time after the write
received a letter from Mr.. Robetha
saying that the Geo. Moore proc
had been fled and that Wallis ha
y instructed the land officials to tax
!, $7.25 (the fee on regular five yea
~ :, proof out of the S20Of fand hold th
- balance 1929 to his, (Wallis
credit, to be checked against wit
u u future land proofs. This didn
- look right to Mr.. Robethan, SO /
y wrote to Harris what Wallis ha
80 said, and he further asked if Moor
~ knew that under the proof submitte
>. ,-' his land Office fee was only 81
-, Then it became known to Moor
,,'' and his two witnesses, for the FIR
ie ~. time, that Wallis had submitted
:. .A five year proof instead of a con
y, muted proof, as the entryman al
- his witnesses had intended
~ swear to.
w. The writer Immediately answere
- the receiver of the land office, th'
the Moore proof was commute
., one and that the 5000 belonged
- the government that Moore didn
owe Wallis anything, as he hs
.. paid the commissioner his fees
ye- the time the proof was taken.
n Things We're beginning to g
pretty we'll tangled up, for short
X after Wallis arranged to take ne
m proof for Mr. Moore, coming all Il
i'll way from Rexburg TO Montpelie
he and charging the entryman nothll
on for his work. This proof was su
at mitted by Wallis as commute
Of proof" In the meantime Il
nd five vear proof had gone into t
ler department, and when, four mont
me later, il was followed by ''eol
nuted proof, BY the same man
the same piece of land, the la
department demanded some eXpla
$50 ation. and II evidently looked
Moore and his witnesses to do :
explaining. Thereupon, on ben'
81 Of these three parties, we wrote
/, &, Attorney Chalmers, at Blackfo'
10 to take the matter ZIP. This
a. did and Mr. Moore ard his W
of nesses made affidavit to the facts
-a1 the case, and when this reached
;,a department in Washington, 1t "
;a,, ND to Wallis to do the explainii
~, What he told Commissioner Ri
ards TO secure his 'vindicatio
we do not know or do we care.
t,nx n