The Delta independent., 1909-09-03
Coping Out a Homestead.


/ Last week we described how thou
sands of people are making rush on
the government land offices for home-
stead claims under the Mondell and
other acts. This movement demon
strates that only few of our citizens
comparatively have an intimate know
ledge of the requirement essential to
perfect title to homestead People
discuss this matter one with another
but they gain very slight knowledge in
this way from the fact that neither is
very well qualified to impart the know
ledge. Hence we hear enough law laid
down on the subject to knock the gen.
eral land commissioner and the whole
Department of the Interior clear out of
the box. Some think that a settler
must build a shack and they disagree
as to the size, put in an old stove, two
chairs and table made of dry goods
box, dig well twenty feet deep, wet
or dry, break ten acres of land and
plant in kaffir corn or COW peas, and
the land is his.
| After that all he has TO do is to sleep
on the place one night out of six months
until the time comes to prove up.
Other extremists claim that the settler
must stick right to the claim, sleep
there every night, eat all his meals
there, fence SO much, break so much,
secure well with never-failing water
and proclaim every day loudly and en-
phatically that he will never sell out.
Both of these propositions are bosh pure
and simple and the Field and Farm has
answered enough questions on this SUBJ
ject to stand for all time to come. The
policy of the government is to give
these lands to real settlers who want
them for homes and therein lies the
true test. 1t is question of good faith
coupled with good works. 1t is deter
mined by circumstances and surround
ings. A man is not required to stay on
his claim every day and every night,
week in and week out and the year
round, neither is hepermitted to aband-
on his claim only to return and sleep
upon it once in every six months.
The law does say that man can not
remain away from his claim for more
than six months at any one time, but it
does not mean and is not interpreted to
mean that he can make practice of 60
ing and sleeping upon the claim only
once in six months. 1t is expected that
many of the homesteaders will be un-
able to make their living upon the
claims the first year or two and they
are permitted to go out and get work
for themselves and families and if nee
essary, to take their families with them.
But it is also expected CT them to inn
prove their claims as fast and as much
as they really can and to live upon them
as much of the time as possible. They
are strictly required to show by their
acts that they are trying to improve
the claim for the purpose of making q
home of it for themselves and families
and not as a mere matter of specula-
ton.
The government did not open up the
land to settlement that spectators
might get it but to give it to people
who wanted homes. And it will not
take advantage of one who shows good
faith by his acts, nor favor the one
who shows poor faith. Yet one may
take land in good faith. fully intending
to make it his home, but afterward
change his mind and desire to sell his
right In this case even if he continues
to live upon the the land, cultivate it.
improve it and make it his home. he is
not contestable merely because he has
offered to sell it. But he can not go so
far as to actually sell it or bargain it
and then attempt to make proof, for he
has to make affidavit when proving up
that he has not sold or bargained it
These matters are however arranged
SO that transfers are made and the law
seemingly not violated.-Field and