Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-05-25
HOMESTEADS FOR DRY FARMS
Smoot- -Mondell 320-Acre Bill to Be Of
Great Help to West.
RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT OUT
settlers to BE Permitted TO Live in
Villages where Water and
Advantages of Civilization
Are Obtainable.
fFrom a sad Correspondent.l }

/
are concerned, is the so-called smoot-Mon-
dell dry farm homestead bill" said Repre-
sentative Howell of Utah.
THE state OF Utah comprises an area of
about 100000 acres, of which only about
2h per cent is under cultivation. The rea-
son Is that by far the greater portion Of
the lands Of the state are situated that
! irrigation Is impossible, and, under the old
methods, flaming IL out of the question.
| Then, too. the lard laws they now exist
| require a homestesder to reside upon his
claim in order to acquire title. Without
water, residence is impossible and there
are millions Of acres so situated that no
available water supply can be reached
without travelling ten, twenty and even fifty
| miles.
1T has been clearly demonstrated that
arid lards can be made productive by the
summer fallow process. That is TO say,
such lands are plowed one year and al
lowed to remain fallow until fall. when
they are fitted for crop and the next
season. after the harvest, they are per-
mltted to remain uncultivated. or rather
| without being sowed The year follow
| ing, in the fall. another crop is planted,
and by this method fair crops are secured
every alternative year.
Settlers Live in Villages.
THE owners Of such farms live in the viii
lagos. sometimes fifty miles distant, and
they are compelled to haul all the water
they require for themselves and their
horses. The standard homestead under the
old laws was 100 acres. Inasmuch as only
one-half of an arid farm can be cultivated
in one season, it was decided by those
having the interest of the great western
plains at heart to try to get congress TO
consent to double homesteads in the arid
regions. and the Mondel-Smoot bill was
drawn with that object in view and the
senate added a section which eliminates
the requirement. as to continuous residence
upon such homestead. That is to say, as
soon as the president signs the bill, which
1 am confident he will do It will be pos
sible for settler to take up homestead
of 32C acres and to cultivate it under the
methods have described. and at the same
time reside with his family in Il nearby
village. where. besides the comforts of life.
he can educate his children and enjoy him
self hold intercourse with neighbors and
have the advantages of church attendance.
Utah is unique in its village life VIII
lagos dot the state from end 10 end and
most OF our farmers instead of living on
isolated farms. reside in the small hamlets
and towns and drive to their fields as oc-
casion may REQUIRE l believe the enact
ment of this new law win result in the
taking up Of several million acres and the
cultivation of the same in our state alone
1t will add thousands to the rural popula-
tion of all the states affected and will
convert the sagebrush plains into waving
wheat fields, and the jack rabbits will
give place to live stock OF value to the
human race"
Colonel Dick in Dress Suit.
In 1897. Colonel Dick PlunSet, then in
charge of The police of the Usage Indian
reservation in Oklahoma, came 10 Wash
ington with a round dozen Indian chiefs
He found them a place in the inaugural
parade: kept them here during the subse-
quent festivities and took them back to
Oklahoma, all at his own expense, and
greatly to the joy of the red men and to
the qualification of President Mckinley
and Vice President Roosevelt. It was the
first appearance of Indians in the inaugural
parade.
In 1897, Colonel Dick wore sombrero. and,
while his chaps" and spurs were left
home. he bore no evidences of the eastern
brand Of civilization But that was eleven
years ago and the colonel was making his
first visit to the national capital Since
then he has moved his residence to Wyom-
ing and he makes frequent visits to the
east, When he first came he carried his
wardrobe on his back. Now he carries a
trunk in which are carefully packed a
: prince Albert" of fashionable cut. CLAW
hammer" of the most recent fabrication,
and a Tuxedo" which is the pride of every
stag dinner which he attends. The colonel
I is almost as great an authority on dress
for certain occasions as Berry Wall.
During the last month Colonel Plunket
has been the guest of the president of Har-
ward university. He has attended a swell
wedding in the fashionable Rittenhouse
square district OF Philadelphia, and a half
dozen similar functions in Boston, Will
mington and Washington.
Several days ago he called at the White
House and was at once spied out by Sec
retsry Loeb. There were half a score OF
senators and several governors awaiting an
audience with the president. but Secretary
Loeb rushed Colonel Plunket past them
all and into the presidents private room,
| and when Colonel Roosevelt saw him he
) made center rush and landed on his old
friend with a whoop. He forgot every
thing else for nearly a quarter of an hour,
while he held the fist OF the typical west
erner.
"Mads Good" at Harvard.
The president knows how 1t is himself,
and he was consequently not surprised
that the quondam "chief of the chiefs" of
the Osages appeared arrayed as fault
lessly as Senator Lodge or General Harry
Bingham But he stuck to that right fist
until the last moment, first because he
was honestly delighted TO see Plunket,
and second because his visitor had no