The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1909-07-29
New Ruling Concerning Homesteads

mlSSIOn OF claimants ana thelr VIII
nesses, and will hereafter govern
this subject Besides making adj
ditional requirements, number of
changes have been made in the old
mode of procedure, which are of a
general interest to the public at
large, and of especial interest to all
those who now have homesteads
and contemplate submitting final
proof on them, and those who con-
template availing themselves of
the provisions of the homestead
laws. Because of the ignorance of
the homesteader and his witnesses
with respect to these requirements
much trouble has been experienced
by the land officials in the making
of final proof, and they are anxious
to give the requirements under the
new ruling as much publicity as
possible and make the public &C
quainted with them.
The testimony of the claimant,
as in the old blanks, commences
withs the question as to his name,
age, postoffice address, and is fol-
lowed up with the question as to
whether he is a native-born citizen
of the United States or not, and in
the event that he is, as to what
state or territory he was born in,
Then he is asked to describe his
land, and to state whether he is
single or married, and to state of
whom his family consists, and in
the event of married woman as to
whether her husband has an I'M
perfected homestead entry, and as
to the time he has resided with her
on the land.
The next question goes to the
residence on the land-when it was
first established, when the house
was first built, and then follows
another question as to whether the
claimant or his family have been
absent from the land, and as to the
length of time, the reason for it,
and the dates of the absence. The
claimant is then asked to describe
the land by legal subdivisions. to
state it's character, the kind and
amount of timber on it, to state by
Subdivisions the number of acres
cultivated, the kind of crops and
the number of acres cleared and
under cultivation at the time of
submission of proof. In the event
that the land is used for grazing,
then the claimant must state the
number and kind OF stock grazed
each year and as to whom they be-
long. A description IF the i'm
provements by subdivisions is then
asked for, and their value, and as
!, to whether the land is of mineral
character. He is required to state
whether ever before he has made a
homestead entry, and also if he has
sold, or agreed to sell, any portion
of the land, or as to whether he has
given an option upon it or mort
gagged it or if there is an agreement
to this effect. He is then required
to state whether he has any per-
sonal property elsewhere than on
the claim, and to state if any entry,
other than mineral has been made
by him since August 30, 1890.
That is the sum and substance of
the the questions required to be
answered the claimant.
The testimony of the witnesses,
with a few exceptions, is practically
the same as that required to be
given by the claimant for the land.
In addition, he is required to state
how long he has known the claim
ant; then follows questions dealing
with his residence, settlement, alb
sence from the land, and a state
ment of the cultivation of the land
by legal subdivisions and also a
statement as to the improvements
by legal subdivisions, and as to
whether he is interested in the
claim or related to the claimant.