The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-03-19
Reaching final stages
Laramie Republican,

On Saturday last Mr. Mondell intro
duced his amended 320-acre homestead
bill. 1t is composite meaaure, includ-
ing soma of the features of the Smoot
and Dixon bills, but the main bill is
Mondells He is more familiar with
land matters than either of the others
mentioned and has better idea of how
a bill would work out in practice. As
tie bill is now framed it will permit
aqualified homestead entryman to enter
800 acres or less of non-mineral, non
iriigable, unreserved and inappropriate
ed surveyed public land which do not
merchantable or milling timber
Iocated in reasonably compact body
and not over one and one half miles in
extreme lengh. The fees are the same
as under the present homestead law
Persons who have hitherto perfected an
entry under the homestead laws of the
United States of one hundred and six
ty acres shall have the right to make
entry under this act of an area which,
together with the former entry, shall
not exceed three hundred and twenty
acres. Homestead entry men now &C.
cupying lands heretofore entered by
him shall have the right to enter pub
lie lands, subject to provisions of this
act, lying contiguous to mis- former
entry, which shall not, together with
the original entry. exceed three hun
bred and twenty acres, and residence
upon and cultivation Of the original
entry shall be deemed as residence upon
and cultivation of the additional entry.
AT the time of final proof the entryman
will be required, in addition to the proof
DOW required under the homestead law.
to prove that at least Que eighth of the
land embraced in his entry has been
continuously cultivated and that i'm
provements have been made upon the
land to the value of not less than one
and twenty five cents to the
acre. No person will be permitted to
make Communication proof until after
the expiration of two years from the
date of the entry and upon making
proof of residence and cultivation
The Secretary of the interior shall,
under such regulations, terms and con-
ditions as he may prescribe, waive the
requirement of settlement on lands en-
tered under this act, where the lands
are devoid Of potable water and condi
tons are such as to render continuous
residence impracticable provided that
no such relief from the necessity of
residence shall apply to any lands ex-
cept such as are designated in advance
by the secretary, and in which event
the entryman shall be required to show
continuous cultivation of all of his en-
try susceptible of cultivation, or at least
one-half of the same.
1t is believed that the bill in substan-
TALLY the form outlined will pass con.
gress in the near future, as the western
members interested in the measure are
agreed upon it.
This measure, if it becomes law will
give great impetus to the h omestead
business in the state. The hundreds and |
of settlers now coming from
Iowa, 1llionis, the Dakotas and Other
states to the east of us will be enabled
to take 800 acres instead of the present
100 acre tracts and all those who now
have just 1850 acres will be enabled to
double their holdings without additional
The cultivation and i'm
provement however will have to con
form to the new requirements.