Philip weekly review. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 1907-1912, 1908-12-11
THAT NEW RULING
Calls for Honest Intent i'm Making
Homestead Entries.

Homestead Entries.
Fred bennett, commissioner of the
General Land Office, in September
handed down sweeping decision in
regard to homestead entries. The
decision is probably the most import
ant that has ever come out of the
commissioners Office. His preeecess-
ors have allowed the real intent of the
homestead laws to be lost sight and
until within few months ago almost
any kind of a showing made by a
homesteader would get the patent.
The writer has been in the county
five years, and has gained rather posi-
tive proof that within that time
patents have issued to parties who
have not spent a week out of the
fourteen months from date of filing
on the land. But the officials have
been tightening up from time to time,
and now it is up to the man who
wants tract of government land to
earn the land in reality.
The decision Is made on an entry
In the Dickinson land district in
North Dakota. The entryman filed
in November, 1904, and in the follow
ing May established residence. In
June his family arrived and lived on
the claim with him until November,
when they returned to their old home.
A house was built, five acres broken,
and cropped, although the seeding
was done so late In the season that
practically no crops we're raised. In
January final proof was made, and
the tract Of land abandoned. When
leaving for the claim the entryman
went with the intention of making
prsof rs quickly and as cheaply as
possible. His every movement show
ed that.
The commissioner holds that the
declaration that Is made when filing,
that the entryman intends to secnre
"a home for himself" should have
back OF it the real intent to do So
That the first intent of the homestead
law was to have the lands taken up
by actual settlers; those settlers must
live on that land from five to seven
years, before obtaining their grant,
and at the close of that period the en-
tryman would stick to it. The home
stead law originally contained no
Communication clause, but was made
to allow those persons who had
honestly settled upon the public do
main, with intention of complying
with its requirements but who were
unable to do so, through illness, re,
verses or disaster, to pay for the land
at the end of the fourteen months
actual residence period.
Then the meaning of the decision
Is this: When you made entry, If you
were honest in your intents, you
meant to 60 out onto your land with
tho intention of making "a home for
YOURSELF" through five to seven years
residence. Your actions and your
proof must show that you went out
with no mental reservation to get
that land IS quickly and as cheaply
IS possible, but that you went out
with the honest intent of building,
and plowing, and sowing, and reaping
and Of turning that prairie waste
into productive farm with honor
and profit to yourself and your
family.
The writer does not believe that
any great amount of entries SO far
made will be cancelled on the
strength OF this decision; there will
be few that will be used as ex-
amples, but it would take brigade
OF inspectors working for months in
those districts where government land
Is being settled upon, to make any
appreclabls showing on the great
number of entries that have gone to
final proof in the last few years.
Homesteading so far, has been a
snap; pioneering has. been picnic.
compared to what it was thirty years
ago, when settlers would often have
to drive an OK team from seyentytive
to hundred miles to the nearest
store and trading point. The land
that is still awaiting the homeseeker
Is Of such character that man can,
with comparatively little expense,
make good thing from it right from
the first crop season, il he is hard
working, and has little capital
With the present facilities, one can
not conceive of situation in which
a settler would lack the common
necessities Of life. So long as the
sun shines and rain falls, il he is in
dustrious, and uses his head, he is
assured of living. He may within
short while place himself in an in
dependent position in strong contrast
to the thousands who stay within
the confines OF the city, and who fail
to provide in their youth and strength
for the time when opportunity might
be less plentiful. We commend the
forociUht ~ tho thoucondo who ara