Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-15
NEEDED AIRSHIP
TO REACH RANCH
LAND OFFICE OFFICIALS DECIDE
PECULIAR CASE
Homesteader Refuses to Fight Contest
Brought on Grounds That He
Never Lived on
Claim

One of the most peculiar cases which
ever came up at the United States land
office in this city has been passed upon
by Registrar General Frank c. Prescott
and Receiver o. r. w. Robinson. The
title of the case is William o. Gaylord
against John Nobel. 1t was charged by
the contestant Gaylord, on March %, 19Vl,
that the homesteader, Nobel, had never
lived on the land since the date OF entry
February 8, 1906, improved 1t IN any way
and has abandoned 1t. The lands IN
question are situated in the Santa Mont
ca mountains, north of Maliou rancho, on
and accessible from the Iopahsa canyon
county road.
AS Registrar Prescott ana Receiver Rob-
inson point out in their decision, tine
contestee, a singularly helpless ana IN
consequent witness for himself, admits
that he has not compiled with the law,
that there is nothing there on MS lahd,
and also states that if anybody wants II
worse than he does they can have 1t, that
the thing Is not worth anything. ms
seems a plain abandonment. in open court
He makes no attempt to overcome the
difficulties over the road. The register
and receiver are of the opinion that the
contest Should be sustained and the entry
Cancelled, and it is so recommended
No Lawyers Present
Tbere were no lawyers in the case, the
contestant and contestee attending to that
work themselves.
Nebel was asked if he had built house
on the property, to which he answered:
81 could not get no airship to get to 1t.
If this man wants it
The receiver cut him short on the air
ship route by asking where he lived ara
learned that Nebers residence was 500
Cleveland street, Los Angeles.
Nobel again took the role of lawyer
and cross-examined witness, Claude M.
Allen. for the contestant, and asked
who's the nearest neighbor where you
have passed; tell me the nearest OF them
Montgomery was the name of the
highest" And Nobel again asked:
"You ever was through his ranch, Mont
gomery? Who got you in there to the
place where 1 got my place? Which way
you got in, you have to get through
Montgomery's place."
Allen did his best. and the register
finally asked Nobel il he had any more
questions to ask, to which he received
the reply:
Cuts Questions Short
mo. / haven't anything to ask him. II
| the government wants to get water OF
the place"
| The court mercifully cut that question
short and learned subsequently from Ne
bel that Montgomery woulL not let any
one in unless they paid money. Com
| menting upon the road used by those en-
| tering. Nobel declared:
| "Well, Woods place has road al
right. 1t goes to Santa Monica. | wisl
you would die on that road"
The case was then summed up by TN
same authority as follows:
Here is the case. We tried our bes
to get through TO that land. And w
could not get in without bothering al
the people around here. We could no
get road I wish we had brought MI
Montgomery and Mr.. WOOD here 1t wa
no good, we could not get in. What cal
we do? Take an airship and get in?''
Neither Registrar Prescott nor Receive
Robinson are experts on airships, so the,
gave it up and passed; and asked tn